Building Your Ideal Butler’s Pantry

Including a butler’s pantry in your new house or renovation has become increasingly popular in recent times. With open plan living becoming the norm, the kitchen has assumed pride of place in many homes. No longer is it hidden away in a room of its own or set in a back corner of the home, but rather it is often a focal point and even a way to express the home’s personality. This is the place where much of the family’s daily activities and entertaining revolve, which is undoubtably why the saying “kitchens sell homes” holds true. So having a beautiful kitchen has become a key priority for home owners and a butler’s pantry has become a highly desirable addition. Not only does it provide extra storage space in close proximity to the kitchen but it is an ideal place to accommodate additional facilities and essentially “hide” some of the messier elements of a kitchen… particularly when entertaining (no one want to look at a pile of dirty dishes as they are eating dinner!)

When planning your butler’s pantry is is good to keep the following in mind as things you may want to include:

• A second sink and even a dishwasher is a great addition for using during food preparation and for cleaning up (or at least piling dishes) whilst you have guests.
• Include as much bench space as possible to make the area practical to use. Bench space is useful for unpacking groceries, food preparation and storing plates of food when entertaining.
• This is the ideal place to store and use appliances such as the microwave, kettle and toaster. Deep drawers are perfect for storing those that you don’t use on a regular basis (ice cream maker anyone?)
• For those who enjoy entertaining there is no better addition to your butler’s pantry than a wine cabinet. EuroCave’s Compact wine cabinets have been specifically designed to be integrated into standard joinery for a streamlined look and the multiple temperature cabinet (like the one in the picture) allows you to keep all wine varietal’s at their ideal drinking temperature.
• Open shelving can look messy in a kitchen but in a butler’s pantry it is hidden away. It is a good option as it provides easy access to items and makes optimal use of space.
• Think about what platters and other larger items you own and ensure that you accommodate space for these. Vertical shelves can be a great way to store big platters rather than storing them in big and heavy piles.

Finally, when planning your butler’s pantry make sure that you incorporate sufficient lighting, plenty of power points for built in appliances and some extras above the bench for portable appliances and consider adding an exhaust fan for when you are using them.

However you design your butler’s pantry, make sure that it reflects how you live. Happy planning!