Butler’s Pantry – Organized Entertaining
It’s serendipitous that my new married name is House. I love houses and anything that has to do with houses. So when I was asked to write a blog for the Butler’s Pantry & Food Pantry I designed for the 2011 Treasure Chest – The Organizational Home I approached it like I’ve approached all my designs across the last 16 years by asking, “Why do we design spaces as we do?”
Historically homeowners used a Butler’s Pantry for storing serving pieces, their wine, a space for cleaning and counting their silver and keeping the butler, hence the name Butler’s Pantry. Because these items were so valuable, it was part of the butler’s job to sleep in the pantry and guard them with his life. Today’s Butler’s Pantries are typically a transitional space between the kitchen and dining room. The Treasure Chest Butler’s Pantry acts primarily as a wine bar with easy access from both the kitchen and dining room. It has its own wine refrigerator for your white wine, racks for your red wine, glass shelves behind glass doors for your favorite stemware, and much more.
The Food Pantry is across from the Butler’s Pantry and designed specifically with the doors hinged to be accessed primarily from the kitchen. There are three adjustable shelves and three pull out shelf storage sections with doors for food items, small appliances, and general kitchen overflow. In between these closed shelving sections are three drawers for spices and smaller items that could be easily lost in the shelves.
While you no longer have to hire a butler to guard and sleep with your silver and wine, you may find that you want to spread a blanket and stay a while.