This post was originally published on April 28, 2020.
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I’ve always loved the whole entire concept of a butler’s pantry. From fancy and elegant homes that boast such a room to Mr Carson’s domain in Downton Abbey, it’s always been like a magical fairytale land to me.
Let’s break it down. It’s a whole room devoted to storing and displaying all of your special occasion entertaining pieces. You know, the things you take out and use to honor special guests and for making special moments. Think of the pristine porcelain, the sparkling glass, the gleaming silverware. All your grandmother’s best of the best china, your Oma’s old-world, European cut crystal stemware all sittin’ pretty in one spot!
If you’re familiar with Mr Carson, you remember he had a room dedicated to his role as butler of the house. The room was where the family’s heirloom kitchenware was stored, polished, and counted. Because of the value contained within these rooms, they were often locked to keep the contents secure. And because it was the butler’s job to maintain the safety of the family’s property, often he would sleep there and that’s why a butler’s pantry is called a butler’s pantry.
There you have it.
Mr Carson also had an office where lots of drama happened, along with meticulous wine aeration, but I digress.
Today, butler’s pantries are typically spaces between a kitchen and dining room where the fancy china, stemware, silver, serving pieces and table linens are stored. It’s a neat and tidy way to organize the fancy from the everyday if you’re big into entertaining. And here’s a fun, lil’ tidbit I learned recently: the story goes that the best countertop for a butler’s pantry is wood or butcher block because it’s a bit softer for placing your fine or antique plates, bowls and champagne glasses. They won’t chip or shatter as easily as if you were knocking them around on a harder stone surface.
The butler’s pantry doesn’t have to be an entire room, though. It can also be a closet or built-in storage unit. Fancy name for a practical and functional organization solution! Fun, right!
My butler’s pantry is of the closet variety. It’s also located in the second floor hallway above the kitchen. So, really, if you want to call something a butler’s pantry, go right ahead and do it!
My butler’s pantry contains my entertaining servingware, pretty stemware and specialty glassware, and not so specialty glassware that doesn’t fit in the kitchen cabinets! It also houses some small appliances and other sundry items.
I don’t know why, but I have a tendency to keep the box that new kitchen toys came in. So I got rid of those. I consolidated some smaller utensils I wanted to keep. I also rearranged some shelves and their items to make things more in order.
It felt good to purge other things I never really used and couldn’t see myself using in the future. You know those things you keep because you don’t even know why but finally you’ve had enough and you toss it in the bag designated for Goodwill.
It feels good!
I kept some of the boxes for the things like glasses and stemware came in because I know this isn’t my forever home. And it’s a good thing I had the foresight to do that because the next time I work on this butler’s pantry it’s going to be to pack up everything that’s left in order to move to a new home.
Yup, I’m moving! Still not quite sure where yet so stay tuned!
I think part of the draw of a butler’s pantry for me is the extra storage space and opportunities for playing around with the organization of all these hostess items I’ve collected. And keep collecting. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this in the past, but I quite enjoy when things are neat and tidy and pretty to look at. There’s a certain satisfaction that comes with your stuff lined up nice and orderly. No? Just me?
The other thing I think that draws me to the idea of a butler’s pantry is that it’s meant to hold the things for creating that special atmosphere for when you invite others into your home. You can pull out these things that you’ve curated over time to be used as an extension of the love you have for others.
A little extra care into hosting a meaningful gathering doesn’t have to be fussy or super fancy. And just like a butler’s pantry sounds fancy, it’s really a practical solution to organizing your kitchen stuff, in the same way a dinner party sounds fancy but is practical for nourishing bodies, relationships and souls.
And that’s a brilliant idea!
I want to hear from you! What are your thoughts on a butler’s pantry or have you never considered one before?
