Butler's Pantry Ideas That Make the Most of This Dream Home Feature

A butler’s pantry is an entertainer’s dream, providing an elegant solution for offloading some storage and prep space that helps you to keep your kitchen clutter-free.

Maybe you live in a home with an existing butler's pantry and want to exploit its full potential. Or you plan to convert an unused walk-though space into a butler's pantry and want to consider your options.?

From shelving to counterspace, cabinetry, lighting, paint, wallpaper, backsplashes, flooring, wet bars, appliances, and more, there are a variety of ways to customize your butler’s pantry to fit your lifestyle and add functionality to your home.

Check out these traditional and modern butler’s pantries in a range of spaces for inspiration.

What Is a Butler's Pantry??

A butler’s pantry (or scullery) is a transitional space that traditionally connects the kitchen with the dining room. It provides dedicated space for storage, meal prep, and clean up.

Whereas a walk-in pantry is generally an enclosed space that is accessed by a single door, a butler’s pantry is traditionally a pass-through space that may or may not have swinging, pocket, or sliding doors on either end.?

A walk-in pantry is essentially a bunker for your stash of dry pantry staples and other supplies related to meal prep. A butler’s pantry, on the other hand, is generally used to store items such as serving platters, glassware, and dishes. It may include a sink, a home bar, and small appliances such as a microwave, wine chiller, or dishwasher.

Install a Pocket Door

While many modern butler's pantries are pass-through spaces without doors, add a pocket door if you want the option to close it off. Kate Marker Interiors chose a natural wood door that complements the butcher block countertops and backsplash and can be closed during sit-down meals.

Add a Hidden Fridge

Add a second refrigerator in a larger butler's pantry to store beverages, baking supplies, or prepared trays of snacks before a party. Whittney Parkinson Design hid the fridge behind paneled doors that match the cabinetry in this space.

Build a Wet Bar

Turn a small butler's pantry into a home wet bar with a wine chiller, sink, and open storage for bottles and glassware. Desiree Burns Interiors installed a beveled mirror tile backsplash that adds some glamour and shine.

Display Your China Set

Choose Colorful Cabinetry

Give your butler's pantry a distinctive look by painting cabinets in a bold color. Chango & Co. chose green to contrast with white walls and light wood flooring in this bright modern farmhouse-style space.

Integrate a Microwave

Carve out space in a butler's pantry for extra appliances, like this space from Kate Marker Interiors that includes a seamlessly built-in microwave under the countertop.

Decorate With Wallpaper

Upgrade your butler's pantry with bold wallpaper. Whittney Parkinson Design turned this space into a stylish formal wet bar with a sink and glass-and-brass open shelving to display bottles.

Include a Food Prep Area

Create a dedicated food prep area for snacks or baking to create a hybrid butler's and walk-in pantry like this space from Kate Marker Interiors.

Decant Dry Goods

Decant dry goods and pantry supplies into matching glass canisters for a tidy look, like this space from Kate Marker Interiors.

Create a Dog Station

Convert part of your butler's pantry into a dog room with a feeding station that will give your pet a place to enjoy a meal, like this space from Jessica Nelson Design