These 11 Hideaway Kitchens Are the Modern-Day Equivalent of the Butler's Pantry
Only they're even more functional.
Think of it as a chef ’s hideaway. Back kitchens tuck appliances, gadgetry, and cooking messes out of sight behind a more open, guest-facing kitchen, and they're quickly becoming one of the top kitchen trends for 2021—and beyond. “Every home we do now has either a butler’s pantry or working kitchen behind the scenes,” says Brandon LeRoy of Salt Lake City builder Jackson & LeRoy during an interview with VERANDA about what the future of the American House looks like. “The concept seems to originate from a need to hide countertop clutter—the blender, the toaster, the odds and ends—and has evolved into a companion workspace.”
As is often the case with the best ideas, this one is not all that new. The precursor to the back or hideaway kitchen—the butler's pantry—was once among the most treasured vaults in the house, a room kept under lock and key for housing a family’s valuable china, silver, and other essential servingware. Presided over by a butler who was equal parts sommelier, head server, and maestro of the manor, the serving pantry was considered a critical support arm to the dining room and situated as close to it as was reasonable. And yet it functioned as much as a butler’s office as it did storage. It was here that he chose wines for service, polished the silver, and saw to the administrative operations of the household. Most had a modest desk or even sleeping accommodations.
Then as now, the best butler's pantries come with perks: LeRoy’s firm often wraps these industrious spaces in glass atria so they’re engulfed in sunlight; others feature hidden homework stations or full-blown flower arranging spaces. Let these 11 beautiful butler's pantries from the VERANDA archives inspire your next home project.
The Ebonized Butler's Pantry
In this mid-century modern Dallas home renovated by architect Ryan Street and interior designer Meredith McBrearty, a back kitchen features the same ebonized cabinetry and bronze hardware that appear in the main kitchen, which is open to the living spaces. Pulls, Top Knobs
The Garden Fresh Butler's Pantry
The owner of this Atlanta home renovated by architect Yong Pak and interior designer Melanie Turner playfully refers to the butler’s pantry as the “dirty kitchen.” Cabinetry paint, Breakfast Room Green by Farrow & Ball. Brass faceted hardware, Nest Studio.
At architect Ken Pursley's mid-century home in Charlotte, a large working pantry just off the open-plan kitchen and behind a glass-and-vinyl pivot door is where much of the meal prep and all of the cleanup occurs. Skylights illuminate the space with natural light.
The Tented Buter's Pantry
A dose of cocktail-hour frivolity: cabana-striped “tenting” drapes the butler's pantry and its slim swinging doors in this New York City apartment designed by Chiqui Woolworth.
The Black and Gold Butler's Pantry
At the 2020 Kips Bay Decorator Show House Dallas, designer Chad Dorsey created a prep or back kitchen behind the main kitchen that features a pantry and work-from-home space to keep clutter out of the way of the main kitchen. Inspired by an English sunroom, this prep kitchen is full of countryside charm, reminiscent of estate larders of old. The room is both sensible and sophisticated, finished with a Trove wallcovering to serve as a faux skylight.
The Countryside Butler's Pantry
At this waterfront home in Connecticut and designed by Cathy Kincaid, the butler’s pantry is covered in a recolored historic Parisian pattern (Adelphi Paper Hangings) “that would have been developed around the time the house was built,” says designer Cathy Kincaid. Bracketed shelving, John Rosselli Antiques
The Neutral Butler's Pantry
At this 100 year-old home in Atlanta renovated by architect Stan Dixon and interior designer Amy Morris, a scullery provides ample storage for cookware and food and also created a space for meal prep and cleaning out of site. Wire-brushed French oak cabinetry, oiled soapstone counters, and suspended shelving with brass detailing bring charming utility to the space. Custom marble-top worktable, BD Jeffries.
The Cottage Butler's Pantry
This Atlanta butler's pantry designed by architect Stan Dixon and interior designer Amy Morris features cottage-style details—a wooden storage door with exposed strap hinges built into the brick chimney plus a skirted shelf to conceal messes—to amp up the throwback charm.
The Sunlit Butler's Pantry
In this Connecticut home designed by David Netto, reclaimed terra-cotta flooring (Paris Ceramics) and custom blue-and-white wall tiles recall the centuries-old romance of European potting rooms. Vienna Secession chairs, Josef Hoffmann
The Francophile Butler's Pantry
For the butler's pantry in her Manhattan apartment, design historian and author Maureen Footer chose a custom wallpaper inspired by the work of Armand-Albert Rateau, a French furniture and interior designer who helped popularize the Art Deco movement. Undercounter refrigeration chills beverages. The Louis XVI console is from Galerie Delvaille; the pendant light is by Aerin for Visual Comfort.
The Cobalt Butler's Pantry
At this Newport, Rhode Island, home designed by Ruthie Sommers, a full size refrigerator adds extra food storage beyond the kitchen while a dishwasher and sink create prep and cleanup spaces. The butler's pantry cabinetry is lacquered a custom color from Fine Paints of Europe. The whimsical valence is covered a Katie Ridder fabric. The grasscloth wallcovering on the walls and ceiling is from Astek; the rug is from Lawrence of La Brea.
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