Photo credit ccabinet.wordpress.com
Photo credit habershamhome.com
The Return of the Butler’s Pantry
Feb3
Few homeowners actually employ a butler these days, but having a butler’s pantry in a home is still quite a luxury. The old fashioned butler’s pantry was the transition room between the homeowner’s quarters and the kitchen. It was purely a working space as well as a place where linens, glassware and china were stored and where food passed through into the dining room from the kitchen by the homeowner’s employees.
For today’s homeowners, the desire for a butler’s pantry has seen a resurgence. Today’s butler’s pantry is more than just a “working quarter” – it’s a functional space that has aesthetic appeal. When designing a butler’s pantry, homeowners place the same emphasis on beauty and function as the planning of the kitchen. The butler’s pantries of today feature a combination of storage for fine table linens, drawer space for silverware and serving utensils and glass cabinet doors that display fine china pieces, crystal and glassware. Often, it will have a prep sink, a dishwasher and refrigeration for wine. For homeowners who love to entertain, a butler’s pantry is the perfect station for caterers and chefs to set up shop for the last stages of preparing meals and pouring fine wines.
The return of the butler’s pantry brings back the function of yesteryear with a 21st century twist of luxury design.
Do you have a butler’s pantry in your home? If so, how do you use it?
About Leslie FineLeslie Fine is the president of Leslie Fine Interiors, Inc., an award winning, full service residential interior design firm located in Boston, Massachusetts. Leslie is known for her personalized service and hands-on approach with her clients in creating functional and beautiful homes. Leslie’s Blog has a large national and international following, and she enjoys sharing her experiences with interior design and luxury living with her readers.
For more about Leslie, please go to the About page.
great question! if you have the room in your house, why not! i love that it is an area to keep the mess away, especially if you entertain a lot. being as that i live in SF, this is a luxury that is just not feasible (not in my current apt anyway) but i would one day like a small butler pantry! i absolutely LOVE the top one!
xo,
joAnn
Leslie great to chat yesterday @tablechat!
I love butler’s pantrys! The first image in your blog from ccabinet is my fave!
*bisous* Dane
ps. have a great weekend
Some of those pantries are bigger than apartments I’ve had!
Seriously though, the “butlery” concept is one I attempt to utilize in every kitchen I do. There needs to be a staging area that allows a transition between the kitchen and dining room. If there’s room, the butler’s pantry makes perfect sense. A secondary fridge and water source can also serve as a bar area when entertaining (assuming of course one doesn’t also have enough room for a bar!).
If there’s not space for a separate room, try and find space within the kitchen, near the dining room for the “staging” to take place. Clever use of colour and material can help suggest that this area serves a special purpose.
Terrific article Leslie!