Last week I shared plans for an exciting remodel project that I'm designing virtually all the way across the country. That post detailed the new kitchen layout and today I'm going to share the design plan for the butler's pantry. In case you missed the kitchen post, it's linked above.
The pantry design plays a very important role in supporting the function of the kitchen because it will provide the bulk of the storage. Though the kitchen has an extra large center island (over thirteen feet long), it is mostly taken up with a sink, microwave drawer, dishwasher, trash bin and a couple of drawer banks. Believe it or not, there are only two upper wall cabinets in the entire kitchen because the cooking wall features a hood, refrigerator and double wall ovens. This is not a bad thing though as today's luxury kitchens have large pantries to suffice.
To carve out space for the butler pantry, a few things had to happen. First of all, the existing plan had to be reconfigured by moving the laundry room further into the garage. The new butler's pantry will connect the kitchen, laundry room and garage. One of the best parts is that with the remodel, we are able to raise the ceiling height for the pantry and laundry room to 10' to match the rest of the house! Talk about storage! Here are the before and after floorplans:
When zooming with the homeowner, storage was her number one request for the entire project. Not unusual for a busy family! Here are some of the items in particular that needed a home:
China Patterns
Tea Cup Collection
Bourbon
Wine
Coffee
Mixer stand
Ice Maker
Her husband is a connoisseur of both wine and bourbon with large collections of each. Fortunately I was able to incorporate this into the new pantry plan! Here is an elevation below showing a coffee bar, bourbon bar and glass cabinets for china and tea cups. Note the pull out liquor drawer for storing upright bottles. There is also a sink and ice maker for making drinks, cleaning, etc.
On the other side of the pantry is an entire wall of upper cabinets with plenty of countertop space and drawers underneath. With the pantry sitting right off the garage, unloading groceries will be a breeze! Originally we were going to have some open shelving but dust is a big factor and seems to find it's way in living in AZ.
Last but not least, there is a small closet when walking in from the garage. The homeowner is still deciding how to best utilize the space, but I suggested making it into a specialty wine cellar with an arched glass door as shown above in Elevation 6. For something more practical, it could also be used as a small appliance or broom closet. What we decide here will effect the laundry room design plan which I'll showcase next week bc we may need a broom closet in there instead.
Here are some 3D views of the new pantry. The homeowner will be selecting her own materials so the end result will look different.
I hope you enjoyed today's blogpost for some remodel inspiration! These project are so much fun to design! Whether you are local or long distance and need help figuring out your next move, book a consultation to learn how I can help.