Over the past few years, one feature has been popping up in brand new home designs: a butler’s pantry. Many of our Icon Homes designs, especially the newest ones, have a butler’s pantry as part of the design, and we are finding that more and more families are looking to include this handy space in their new home.
However, the name itself, butler’s pantry, can be a little confusing. If you’re unsure what this term means or how you and your family can use a butler’s pantry in your home, here is our quick guide.
What is a butler’s pantry?
Butler’s pantries, also known as the scullery, were incredibly popular in the 1850s. Located just off the kitchen and dining room, this room served as a space for the family butler to manage and organises plates of food before serving. Originally only built in highly-affluent homes, butler’s pantries became popular in middle-class homes without staff as a space for storage and food preparation. However, in the 1940s, fridges and other food storage methods became more popular, and the butler’s pantry became obsolete.
Today, butler’s pantries are quickly becoming popular additions to the family home. Usually placed between the kitchen and dining room, sometimes even the living room, a butler’s pantry is the perfect place for walk-in storage, food preparation, and other uses.
Butler’s pantries can be a part of your original design, or a nearby room can be converted into a butler’s pantry. Just speak with one of the talented team members from Icon Homes to find out how custom cabinetry, plumbing, and the right lighting can transform any space into the butler’s pantry of your dreams.
The different uses for a butler’s pantry
As a bigger walk-in/walk-through pantry.
The pantry of your dreams—a butler’s pantry is much bigger than a regular pantry and often operates as a mini kitchen.
The difference between a butler’s pantry and a walk-in pantry is that a walk-in pantry operates as more of a storage area, whereas a butler’s pantry is used for food storage as well as food preparation, washing up, making drinks, and other activities.
For food preparation.
A dedicated space for food preparation can be an excellent way to minimise clutter. Activities like peeling or chopping vegetables, washing, or even soaking or marinating take up valuable bench space. True to its origin, a butler’s pantry is the perfect place for meal preparation and organisation before moving it to the kitchen for cooking.
Storage and appliances.
The butler’s pantry can be a saving grace for bulky
items and large appliances. Use it as a place to hold coffee machines, juicers, washing machines or dishwashers, or even the microwave. Ensure your butler’s pantry has sufficient power outlets to keep everything running.
A space for preparing and mixing drinks
For those who aren’t big on cooking, a butler’s pantry can serve as a great drink mixing station. Storing wines, mixers, and spirits, and if space allows it, a small drinks fridge can transform a butler’s pantry into a dream cocktail and mixology room.
As a cleaning-up station
The least glamorous part of any dinner party or entertaining is arguable the cleanup afterwards.
Dirty or used plates, bowls, glasses, utensils, and cutlery in need of cleaning can be stored in the butler’s pantry for easy cleanup. Here at Icon Homes, we always suggest building a sink in the butler’s pantry for this very reason. It makes cleaning up much more manageable and serves as a place to leave pots and pans to soak overnight without crowding the kitchen benches.
Do you want to include a butler’s pantry in your new home? Wondering if it’s possible to add a butler’s pantry to your existing build? Icon Homes is here to help. With years of experience in building and customising homes, we would love to help you create your very own dream home. Contact us today to find out how.
