Butler's Pantry Ideas

Size and Location

• Traditional butler's pantries were usually an entire room located between the kitchen and dining room, but a modern pantry doesn't need a dedicated room. All you really need is a free wall, such as in the hallway between your kitchen and dining room, to accommodate a butler's pantry. A small pantry might only consist of a set of lower cabinets, a counter and upper cabinets or shelves. If you have a wide hallway, you could put a set of cabinets and counter on either side of the hall. Another efficient butler's pantry idea is to create a U-shaped extension of the existing kitchen. If you have a very large house, go for a traditional butler's pantry room that allows you to pass through from the kitchen to the dining room.

Storage

• Victorian era butler's pantries were used almost exclusively to store china, glasses, serving dishes and silverware. In fact, many butlers actually slept in the pantry to safeguard the house's expensive cutlery. Your modern butler's pantry will need a lot of shelves and cabinets to store your entertaining dishes, napkins and tablecloths, but you might also dedicate some storage space for appliances, food and beverages. Pull-out drawers and lazy Susans make efficient use of cabinet space do you can easily find things. You could even install a refrigerator to keep condiments, ice and other dining essentials on hand. You may want to dedicate the butler's pantry as the place to keep mixing bowls, toasters, blenders and other appliances plugged in so that they are easy to access but out of sight in the kitchen.

Wet Bar

• A butler's pantry is the ideal place to install a wet bar because it is the transitional space between the dining room and kitchen. If you enjoy entertaining, you may appreciate having an extra space for guests to mingle while you finish cooking and set the table. A small, single-basin sink set into the counter is almost necessary so you can rinse glasses and prepare mixed drinks. This is also a prime location to display and store your wine and liquor collection. You can have a wine rack installed along with the cabinets to keep your favorite drinks at arm's reach.

Cleanup

• When you have company for dinner and need to clear the plates, the last thing any host wants to do is start washing dishes right away. With a butler's pantry, you can clear dishes from the dining table and stow them out of sight, leaving the kitchen and dining areas open to continue socializing. If you use your butler's pantry to store all of your dishes, you may want to install a dishwasher right in the butler's pantry. You can wash the dishes and put them away without having to drag items back and forth between rooms. You'll have to wash some dishes by hand, so leave room in your design for a small sink and counter space for a drying rack.