How to Make a Butler's Pantry
Just because you don't have a butler doesn't mean you can't have a butler's pantry. A butler's pantry is a little hallway or nook off the main kitchen, designed to house serving utensils, glassware, linens and other commodities necessary for hosting a dinner or cocktail party. In its heyday, a butler's pantry was the perfect place for the butler and other household help to keep themselves and their necessities out of the way of the heads of the household and their guests. Now that many of us host our own parties, these areas can make hosting smoother and more enjoyable. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Cabinets and cupboards
- Linens
- Tea towels
- Washcloths
- China
- Glassware
- Serving bowls and dishes
- Trivets
- Small serving dishes
- Plate stands
- Small refrigerator
Instructions
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Choose an area just off the kitchen for your butler's pantry. The space can be small, but should be convenient to both the kitchen and dining room or other serving spaces. A hallway or corner nook make excellent butler's pantries.
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Purchase and install cabinetry in the area, if it does not already exist in the space. Choose narrow or shallow cabinets if your area doesn't have a lot of room. Although a butler's pantry does not need a lot of space, it is useful if there is enough room for you to prepare drinks and food items and set out glassware and utensils. The butler's pantry serves as the staging area for parties and get-togethers.
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Figure out exactly which items you would like to store in the area. Ideally, this is a great place for all your glassware and dishware. If the space is small, limit it to only items you will need when hosting a gathering. Keep daily items in your kitchen or dining area.
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Replace some cabinet doors with glass doors, if you particularly like your china pattern. Set plates on plate stands and glassware behind the glass doors. Keep more utilitarian dishes behind covered doors.
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Choose long drawers if you are installing cabinetry. That way, you can keep all items of each category together. For instance, you can store all linens in one drawer and all trivets in another. If you are limited to small drawers, keep smaller items such as washcloths or tea towels together.
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Leave space under a cabinet for a small refrigerator. Here you can keep popular drinks, chilled white wine and condiments. This will keep party items easily on hand.
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Leave at least one counter space empty. This counter space will give you a place set up appetizers and drinks for easy serving and to organize various courses in a dinner. When you are ready to serve courses or drinks, they will be easily accessible.
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Decorate in a coordinating palate with your kitchen and dining room or any other adjacent rooms. Just as the butler's pantry should act as a link between these areas, so should the design flow easily among the rooms. If you decide to decorate the butler's pantry with a unique design, make sure it at least complements the other rooms.
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Keep towels and washcloths within easy reach in the butler's pantry. This will allow you to quickly clean up messes without interrupting the party.
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