Butler''s Pantry...tell me about them...

[Italiahaircolor]

I am curious to know what your "real" thoughts on these are...do you use yours?

We''re considering at this point adding a small pantry off our kitchen in our "blue printed" dining room..which we use as a formal sitting room. It is directly located off the kitchen on a small wall (about 3 feet of space).

We would be adding a beverage cooler/wine chiller, thin lower cabinet, upper china cabinet with a granite top and back splash to match the kitchen. I would really love to do this since space in a condo is limited and this would serve as additional storage, but also add another upgrade to the place that no one (as far as we know, as far as we have seen). But, we are also concerned that it would be cutting into "walking space" and may not be as much of a bonus in a long run.

I''d like to know, if you have one, what interesting/cool features do you have? We can''t have a sink. But what interesting features do you have?

Thanks!

 

[pennquaker09]

I don''t have one, but my parents do and I could tell you how they use it.

 

[MonkeyPie]

Check this out - you may change what you think is a Butler''s Pantry.

Link

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Date: 10/4/2009 11:29:18 PM
Author: MonkeyPie
Check this out - you may change what you think is a Butler''s Pantry.

Link

Thank you for the link.

We don''t have a "nook" which is why we''re hemming and hawing. However, the wall is recessed from the other walls. The wall is essentially what connects the kitchen to the pantry. Right now, it''s literally dead space. I love the pictures, and I''m going to take a couple that really "spoke to me" to the design studio tomorrow.

 

[Camille]

Def storage. Ours is adjacent to the wine cellar, away from the kitchen/dinning room. It started as a larger cellar but instead, DH had deep cabinets built in for ''extras'' at the time, glad he did. I wrap presents, store cake stands, platters, punch bowls & a chocolate fountian that my mother never picked up. Number one usage throughout the holidays: place to park plated finger foods/desserts/glassware and non alcoholic drinks. It''s also blocked from formal areas so that counter gets all used dishes/platters/drinks & bottles w/o going to the kitchen and having guests ''helping''. There is no sink but kids are welcome to drop sick pets, school projects or whatever they are working on, there''s one drawer full of glue/tape/pliers/etc for them, so the kitchen stays the way I like it= Clean.

 

[Hera]

how much walking space would be left?

 

[katebar]

I love mine. It is at the back of my kitchen off to the side and is my pantry and storgage area for all appliances and platters vases etc. It quite small 3 people in it would be a squash but it has a work bench and it is something i would always factor into my kitchen.

 

[somethingshiny]

If I ever have a house built, it will definitely have a butler''s pantry. There are lots of them around here because of all the older homes. However, I would not have it within easy view of other rooms. That''s part of the joy of the pantry. It''s not for show, it''s for function. Display the china in the dining room and leave your mixer out in the pantry.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

We have one and I love it! Extra storage and countertop. I store all my china, wine glasses, etc there. It makes a nice pass through to the dining room. Also that is where my pantry access is. Growing up in a Tutor from 1920 we had an amazing Butler''s pantry. It had a sink, ice machine and even the original warming drawer. There was also lots of extra storage. The new owners ripped it out and made it a larger kitchen. Guess they aren''t appreciated by everyone!

 

[rainwood]

Italia -

What''s the demographic of your future buyer? A buyer who wants a butler''s pantry probably entertains a lot and would want a good-sized dining room. Sacrificing the dining room capacity for the pantry would make sense from a re-sale perspective only if there''s plenty of room left for someone to comfortably fit a good-sized dining room table and at least 6 chairs (8 would be better) after it''s done. And only if sit-down dinner kind of people are the demographic who would be most interested in your condo and its location.

If your demographic is more people who like to have parties, a wet bar with a sink might be a more attractive option than a butler''s pantry without a sink so the pantry probably wouldn''t be much of a sales boost, if any. I also doubt that either a butler''s pantry or a wet bar brings back more than about 50% of the original investment regardless of your demographic. More storage in a condo is a good thing, but closets are usually the kind of storage condo buyers care about the most.

 

[Haven]

rainwood''s post is so on-point, I''m just going to ditto all of that!

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Thank you everyone who weighed in.

We''ve decided to go for it. We''ll enjoy it and that''s the main point. However, my designer refered to it as a "dry bar" instead of a butlers pantry which I thought was an interesting concept.

I''ll hopefully post pictures in the next couple of months as it get finished up!

Thanks everyone.

 

[Allisonfaye]

We have one and I love it. It is the space between my kitchen and dining room. I would say it is about 6 feet long. On one side, it has a closet-like pantry for food storage. On the other it has cabinets, a matching counter (ours is quartz) and a small round window. I love the window. I would always have one if I could. I put my coffee maker there. I tend to use it for a desk. I keep my to do basket in there too.

 

[Italiahaircolor]

My designer sent me an idea today, and I''m curious to know your thoughts.

Because the space is small, we''d end up with a more "dry bar" or "hutch" feel as opposed to a full on butlers pantry, which we simply don''t have enough room for.

The cabinetry would be a simple mission style. Chocolate brown with exposed oil rubbed bronze hardware. The base cabinet would have door, drawer and sliding shelf. It would stand 37in tall. Flanking that would a professional grade stainless steel and glass wine fridge--she recommended either Wolf, Viking or Sub Zero--any opinions? The uppers would be lighted glass cabinets keeping in the simplistic mission style. There would slight crown detailing on top. We''d select a Mariance granite which would be in either a green tone or chocolate tone. We would have a granite top and full black splash. There would be under mounted lights as well.

I kind of like the idea, but I''m not sure. It wouldn''t "match" my kitchen 100%...but my designer said she wants to make this feel like it''s a piece as opposed to more counter space. I like the feel she has, and I love the colors...but my fear is the mismatching. Would that drive you crazy...or would you appreciate the space as it''s own piece?

 

[luv2sparkle]

We have one exactly like the link that monkeypie posted. Our cabinets on one side have leaded glass, granite counters and cabinets underneath. On the opposite wall we have a bank of
floor to ceiling cabinets that is our pantry. I love it.

It is a entryway to the living room/dining room. What is great about it is, when you have people over you can put all your drinks there, and ice and it is out of the way and yet easy
to get to. We have a huge center island in the kitchen that I put all the food on and then put the drink stuff on the counter in the BP. It is one of my favorite things about the house.
I would definitely get one if you like to have people over. I dont think you would regret it.

I love leaded glass and we have a lot of windows in our house that our leaded. Our builder offered it as an upgrade. When you stand at my front door you get just a little glimpse
of them and I think it''s pretty.

 

[Hera]

I don''t like things to be matchy matchy, but in a small space and located next to the kitchen, it should absolutely coordinate and be the same style (the clean lines of Mission) with your kitchen.

 

[somethingshiny]

I would want it to stand on it''s own like a great piece of furniture, otherwise, it''ll just look like more cabinets.

 

[Clairitek]

Date: 10/6/2009 8:31:38 PM
Author: heraanderson
I don''t like things to be matchy matchy, but in a small space and located next to the kitchen, it should absolutely coordinate and be the same style (the clean lines of Mission) with your kitchen.

I agree here. If the space is very close to your kitchen I would at least match the cabinet styles. Perhaps a coordinating colored granite would be fine but I at least think the cabinets should be the same as the kitchen. Otherwise the design sounds great.

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Date: 10/7/2009 10:07:24 AM
Author: Clairitek

Date: 10/6/2009 8:31:38 PM
Author: heraanderson
I don''t like things to be matchy matchy, but in a small space and located next to the kitchen, it should absolutely coordinate and be the same style (the clean lines of Mission) with your kitchen.

I agree here. If the space is very close to your kitchen I would at least match the cabinet styles. Perhaps a coordinating colored granite would be fine but I at least think the cabinets should be the same as the kitchen. Otherwise the design sounds great.

I think you''re right. I opted last night (after seeing cabinetry samples) to go with a wood front with the same square detailing as my kitchen...however, instead of a white maple glaze...I opted for a richly grained chocolate. The fact is...the glass is awesome, but I''m not going to be showing off anything in the cabinets, they will house a blender, a pitcher and the like. So, it''s just not practical to do glass fronts, really.

I will be doing a different granite...after seeing the samples, I''m floored by them. The background stone can be either green (matching mine in the kitchen) or chocolate with huge "rocks" that look like they have been cut in half. It''s the coolest granite I''ve ever seen, to be honest. I love it.

I also opted to go with a smaller "16 bottle" fridge, so the counter will have a "step down" which adds visual interest.

I''m excited to move forward. I will hopefully have this done by the first of year...but we''ll see.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

What about frosted glass to let in light (would have them lit from the inside) but hide some clutter? I like the idea of going reverse. So if your kitchen has light cabs and a dark countertop do dark cabs and a light countertop. Otherwise I probably would match them to look less busy.

 

[daleysmom]

Date: 10/6/2009 6:15:38 PM
Author: Italiahaircolor
My designer sent me an idea today, and I''m curious to know your thoughts.

Because the space is small, we''d end up with a more ''dry bar'' or ''hutch'' feel as opposed to a full on butlers pantry, which we simply don''t have enough room for.

The cabinetry would be a simple mission style. Chocolate brown with exposed oil rubbed bronze hardware. The base cabinet would have door, drawer and sliding shelf. It would stand 37in tall. Flanking that would a professional grade stainless steel and glass wine fridge--she recommended either Wolf, Viking or Sub Zero--any opinions? The uppers would be lighted glass cabinets keeping in the simplistic mission style. There would slight crown detailing on top. We''d select a Mariance granite which would be in either a green tone or chocolate tone. We would have a granite top and full black splash. There would be under mounted lights as well.

I kind of like the idea, but I''m not sure. It wouldn''t ''match'' my kitchen 100%...but my designer said she wants to make this feel like it''s a piece as opposed to more counter space. I like the feel she has, and I love the colors...but my fear is the mismatching. Would that drive you crazy...or would you appreciate the space as it''s own piece?

I believe your designer''s idea is called a Hoosier Cabinet. At least you won''t need to hire a butler.

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Here is an example of the cabinetry we''ll use if we go forward with this plan...

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Here is the granite in the "nero" or chocolate/black species...

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Here is the green species of the same granite.

 

[Italiahaircolor]

I am leaning heavily towards the "nero"...the slab, since we would pick it, would be heavy in the white with the chocolate as a background.

However, our first floor is done in chocolates, tans and greens. So the green wouldn''t be awful, but I think I like the nero more, truthfully.

 

[luv2sparkle]

Very pretty Italia! I love the combo. We have a dark green granite and I do love it, but I have to keep a high shine on it because it shows water marks. Other than
that I love it. I love the black one as well, so pretty!