Browse Forums Kitchen Corner 1 Feb 02, 2011 1:07 pm Hi We are getting a butlers pantry its about 3.1 long by 2.5 wide. Water, gas, electricity points will be connected and fit it will most likely occur once we have moved in. I was thinking of a sink, large long bench with sink and underneath cupboards. And an electric oven for reheating. I have gas in the main kitchen. So, for those who have Butlers Pantries do you ever use them for cooking/ preparing. And what have you got hidden in there? K Re: Do you actually use your Butlers Pantry 2Feb 02, 2011 1:19 pm I definitely use my butler's pantry! mine's a lot smaller than yours, maybe 1.5 wide by 2.5 long? (very rough guesses) it has a benchtop and sink in there, the benchtop doesn't get used for prep, just more storage but I am happy with that and would get the same again, the sink I mainly use to fill up the kettle with (kettle lives in there). microwave and toaster live in there too. I love it. as for what I've got hidden, I don't know, probs lots of out of date packets at the back. I love my butler's pantry though and wouldn't be without it "Your emotions are the slaves to your thoughts, and you are the slave to your emotions." — Elizabeth Gilbert Living in our new house. Currently scaping the land. Re: Do you actually use your Butlers Pantry 3Feb 02, 2011 1:44 pm Oh Donuts great idea, I hadnt thought of putting microwave, kettle, toaster in there. Maybe it should be fitted out before I move in. Re: Do you actually use your Butlers Pantry 4Feb 02, 2011 1:47 pm we didn't have to have it fitted out to put those things in there.. just made sure there were enough powerpoints! they all just sit on the bench. but yes, good to have holes and spaces before them if you can beforehand also, we have cupboards below the bench and open shelving above. the builder fitted all that in for us. "Your emotions are the slaves to your thoughts, and you are the slave to your emotions." — Elizabeth Gilbert Living in our new house. Currently scaping the land. Do you actually use your Butlers Pantry 5Feb 02, 2011 2:13 pm Make sure you also get an exhaust fan if you do any cooking in there. Ours isn't actually a butlers pantry - more a larder. 5.5m x 1.8m with shelving along two sides. We have our microwave in there hence the exhaust fan for any lingering smells. Some things are worth waiting for. Re: Do you actually use your Butlers Pantry 6Feb 02, 2011 2:22 pm Mine is not a real butler's pantry - rather my WIP with shelves on one side and floor cupboards. I allowed for ppoints above where I intend to plug my kettle/toaster/coffee machine. We are having an exhaust fan to take care of the steam/smoke. It will give you more empty bench space in the main kitchen. Preliminary agreement 23/11 Contract 22/03 Prestart 06/04 - finalised on 30/04 Unconditional approval 10/05 Demolition 05/07 Slab 26/08 Brickwork 13/09-06/10 Roof frame started 07/10 viewtopic.php?f=31&t=32292 Re: Do you actually use your Butlers Pantry 7Feb 02, 2011 2:39 pm The responses alone in this thread definitely indicate that people find their butler's pantry very useful.....but personally I just don't 'get them'. I love 'storage' and I imagine that a butler's pantry would obviously supply lots of that but I find the idea of preparing food in (what is sometimes) an oversized cupboard/ small room a little off-putting. If I had friends over for a cuppa- I'd hate to have to go into a butler's pantry to make a cuppa- I'd rather be chatting with them close by. If I was making toast for the kids or chopping up veges for dinner I would want to be in the living area with everyone else- not hiding out in a room close by. For those that have butler's pantries I would really love to know what makes it such a great space for you. I am seeing them on plans more and more and I'm just curious to know what makes them appealing for people (my house is almost finished so I am just asking out of curiousity) How do you utilise the space? Is it just storage? Do you actually use the sinks and benchtop space? For those that have appliances in use in there why did you decide to put them in the butler's pantry rather than intergrating them into your main kitchen? Re: Do you actually use your Butlers Pantry 8Feb 02, 2011 2:49 pm mine is mainly storage for the same reasons as you state you wouldn't like doing prep in there - I don;t want to hide away in a little room to chop stuff up, I couldn;t think of anything worse! I have my coffee machine on display in the main kitchen, so I can still make a coffee for visitors while talking to them. The main reason I put the toaster and kettle in the pantry is because I don't have enough powerpoints and benchtop in the main kitchen for them. But the microwave is just inside the doorway so easily accessible from main kitchen and toaster and kettle you can easily switch them on and go away and come back for them later. "Your emotions are the slaves to your thoughts, and you are the slave to your emotions." — Elizabeth Gilbert Living in our new house. Currently scaping the land. Re: Do you actually use your Butlers Pantry 9Feb 02, 2011 3:17 pm Miss , I'm with you 100%. I don't get them at all. I would find it quite restrictive and rather dull doing meal prep etc in a pantry. I would much rather spread my stuff out in the kitchen and then pack it all away at the end. Also wouldn't having a toaster/cooking appliances in a small cupboard , presumably with the rest of your food items, just attract mice/creepy crawlies? On a related topic I am also confused as to why some plans have a vanity outiside of the main bathroom? Why would you want it outside and have your toothbrush etc on display for all to see? Happy, Healthy Free Range Wessex Saddleback Pigs My doom and gloom paperwork nightmare viewtopic.php?f=31&t=32170 Construction viewtopic.php?f=31&t=43653 Re: Do you actually use your Butlers Pantry 10Feb 02, 2011 3:32 pm Miss The responses alone in this thread definitely indicate that people find their butler's pantry very useful.....but personally I just don't 'get them'. I love 'storage' and I imagine that a butler's pantry would obviously supply lots of that but I find the idea of preparing food in (what is sometimes) an oversized cupboard/ small room a little off-putting. If I had friends over for a cuppa- I'd hate to have to go into a butler's pantry to make a cuppa- I'd rather be chatting with them close by. If I was making toast for the kids or chopping up veges for dinner I would want to be in the living area with everyone else- not hiding out in a room close by... Velouria ... I don't get them at all. I would find it quite restrictive and rather dull doing meal prep etc in a pantry. I would much rather spread my stuff out in the kitchen and then pack it all away at the end. Glad I'm not the only one who feels like that! As well as my reluctance to have to retreat into a cupboard, I could see myself getting very frustrated about needing to go back and forth from the butler's pantry back into the kitchen to get items I'd forgotten. What happens to the traditional kitchen work triangle? Do you just end up having two of some things just so you don't have to do the back and forth thing? I can see that if you hold many formal dinner parties it would be nice not to have your prep stuff out on display. My SIL says it is easy to see I don't have a teenage son to feed, and my mother thinks I will regret my choice to deliberately have a small pantry once my girls are old enough to have boyfriends that visit frequently. I chose a small pantry to encourage me to buy only what we need for the coming week and see if it prevents us having lots of items hanging around well past their use-by date. OTOH, I actually can't wait to have our main bathroom's double vanity out on display! We chose our 3-way bathroom thinking ahead to two teenage girls getting ready to go out on a Friday night. I'm also a little OCD about handwashing so hate to come out from the toilet or in from the garden to find the bathroom being used and not have a place to wash! I do enjoy reading these threads where people outline their reasons for doing this and that. It can be quite fun to try and look at things from someone else's perspective. Variety is the spice of life! Kylie Re: Do you actually use your Butlers Pantry 11Feb 02, 2011 3:50 pm Yes I can see how having a vanity outside the main bathroom would definately be an advantage with teenagers getting ready to go out. Perhaps its a reflection on my own living habits, but I wouldn't like to have my toothbrush and other bathroom nic nacs out in the open, nor would I enjoy the possibility of someone walking by as I was leaning in close to the mirror to pluck a hair or squeeze a zit! For instance in this house design http://www.scottparkhomes.com.au/metro/ ... ochure.pdf Kylie I see that you are in Mackay...I hope you are safe and sound and have battened down the hatches. Happy, Healthy Free Range Wessex Saddleback Pigs My doom and gloom paperwork nightmare viewtopic.php?f=31&t=32170 Construction viewtopic.php?f=31&t=43653 Re: Do you actually use your Butlers Pantry 12Feb 02, 2011 5:19 pm ok - I think we are getting a bit confused on what is a WIP or a Butler's pantry. They are definitely not an "oversized cupboard" but rather an additional room/space adjacent to the kitchen which in some cases can be quite large. Some of them are designed to have even windows so they can be easily used as a secondary kitchen. The main kitchen does have all the appliances e.g. cooktop, oven, rangehood, etc so any appliances installed in the butler’s pantry are additional to those in the main kitchen. Most of the kitchens are open plan and always next to the dining/living areas so people do prefer to have a butler's pantry to hide away the myriad of kitchen gadgets and appliances. It’s a similar idea to having an outdoor kitchen... It could be quite useful if you had the money and space. In our case we only inserted some cupboards/benchtop in our WIP where we intend to have the toaster, kettle and coffee maker - no food prep or cooking. It does keep the kitchen counters empty of clutter. "Also wouldn't having a toaster/cooking appliances in a small cupboard , presumably with the rest of your food items, just attract mice/creepy crawlies?" I'm not quite sure I understand this comment re having the toaster or cooking appliances in a pantry will attract mice or insects? If the mice can get in these areas it will not be for the toaster or the appliances but the food supplies stored on your shelves. So if they can get into your WIP there is nothing stoping them getting into your kitchen... Preliminary agreement 23/11 Contract 22/03 Prestart 06/04 - finalised on 30/04 Unconditional approval 10/05 Demolition 05/07 Slab 26/08 Brickwork 13/09-06/10 Roof frame started 07/10 viewtopic.php?f=31&t=32292 Re: Do you actually use your Butlers Pantry 13Feb 02, 2011 6:35 pm I find the idea of a butler's pantry a bit strange also. My parents have one (which also has their washer and dryer in it). Apart from doing their laundry and housing the cats litter trays, it doesn't get used. I've noticed some people even have their dishwashers in the BP. I get the feeling that apart from storage the idea is to hide your kitchen mess and clutter so you can leave your kitchen looking like a Vogue kitchen. This seems to be especially true with island kitchens with a flat bench so if you have a dirty dish the kitchen looks messy. Since we're downsizing and we have no kids at home I wouldn't consider having one. However, if we had hungry teenagers having lots of snacks I might be tempted to have one. Finally, I have to admit I find it very strange that homes keep getting bigger and bigger. People now have to have a lounge, family room, games rooms, kids retreat, home theatre, play rooms, media rooms. To add to that some houses have an ensuite for every bedroom. At the end of the day these things are all personal choices but I do have to wonder about sustainability, carbon footprints. Our need to have bigger and better homes is not necessarily a sign of being civilised, nor does it make us better than the rest of the world. I personally find it baffling and wonder whether we can sustain these costly lifestyles. Handover February 2011 Happy with our home Re: Do you actually use your Butlers Pantry 14Feb 02, 2011 7:52 pm veloria, our bathroom will be like that, I liked the idea of being able to have one kid in the shower, one on the toilet, and one brushing teeth I grew up with 2 younger brothers and i'm sure they'd complain about the time I monopolised the bathroom when they couldn't even get in to wash hands/teeth And, I'm having a scullery and plan to have the kettle/toaster/microwave in there, plus use that space for slow cooker/breadmaker when they are on, plus having somewhere to do prep when we have people over will be nice too. I just have cupboards and benchtop in there tho I might not end up using in the way I think, but if nothing else it'll be a GREAT storage area my new build thread- Ben Trager https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=89826 my switch build thread (2011) https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=36569 Do you actually use your Butlers Pantry 15Feb 02, 2011 8:19 pm Mine is pretty much (other then the microwave!) solely for food and appliance storage. I love being able to see everything in a glance. Especially the appliances. No more forgetting one and it languishing in a dark corner. Some things are worth waiting for. Re: Do you actually use your Butlers Pantry 16Feb 02, 2011 8:29 pm WoW Kyton- ! That's one stocked up area and clearly it suits your needs and your reasoning makes sense (things are in view so they get used) but I prefer to have things in cupboards and drawers so I don't HAVE to see everything LOL! Reading things from other people's perspective is always so interesting. Everyone has such different situations and things that may be ideal for one person may be dreadful for someone else. I guess my personal experience has only been with fairly small butler's pantries. My husband and I viewed a home that was for sale with a butler's pantry and it didn't have a window but all of the tea/ coffee supplies, toaster, microwave, small appliances like blenders, utensils etc and a small sink and so forth in this space and it honestly felt as though we were standing inside a cupboard (although I understand that it doesn't mean that ALL butler's pantries are designed that way) To me it seemed more logical to design a larger kitchen and make it more of a functional space rather than having a very small 'working area' and then a kitchen that is 'just for show'. A friend of mine has her fridge, a second sink and cupboards/ bench space in her butler's pantry and her main kitchen area is really lovely. I can't understand why she would want to work in a smaller area when her kitchen area is really lovely and overlooks the family area with view to the backyard. Although the butler's pantry is on the large side it still feels 'pokey' because so much is in there. I know everyone is different- but from my perspective it would make more sense for her to just have a nice decent sized walk in cupboard and make her actual kitchen slightly larger.....but each to their own! I think the idea is so that her kitchen is kept look schmick all the time..but I think I'd rather use a space in the main living area and just clean it up. I'm pretty "house proud" too but if your kitchen is functional and there is a place for everything to go then it shouldn't be too hard to keep clean. Having said that I completely respect that people may choose to include a butler's pantry and that is what helps them to have a functional kitchen- I guess it is about it being well designed and suiting that families needs. I must confess that I am one of those people with a vanity outside my bathroom.....which isn't necessarily everyone's "cup of tea" but we think it will be wonderful and suit our needs perfectly. It is in an area (a nook) between the bathroom and the toilet and isn't in full sight- you have to move into the area off the hallway. We have 4 kids but we couldn't justify having more than an ensuite and a main bathroom but the "powder room" area provides a place for people to wash their hands after using the toilet without people having to go into the main bathroom (so in effect visitors won't see the toothbrushes as they will be in the main bathroom area ) It also mean that is my daughter is showering in the bathroom she can have a bit of privacy and the boys can still use a vanity area to wash their hands or brush their hair etc. We have also seen powder rooms with a small basin for handwashing inside the actual toilet area but we elected to have the vanity outside the toilet so that people could groom themselves and not feel as though they were standing inside a toilet cubicle. Sorry- I got side-tracked- back to butler's pantries! lol Re: Do you actually use your Butlers Pantry 17Feb 02, 2011 8:43 pm Best wishes to all who have butlers pantries But must admit to being another who is bemused by the idea - totally cannot see the point of haveing what amounts to a second smaller hidden kitchen - and astonishes me that kitchens over last 20 years or so have become more and more open space, part of liveing area, people want sinks in island benches so they can see TV and chat to friends as they wash up or prepare meals - even raised breakfast bars are passe because they block people off from the action (although I have one myself ) - but then they make these completely shut away old time sculleries, oops butlers pantries An outdoor kitchen (which I dont have either) is different, its for meals you cook and presumably eat, outside under alfresco or such. The butlers pantry isnt in another place, like the outdoor kitchen - just a tucked away semi-kitchen off the main kitchen. Re: Do you actually use your Butlers Pantry 18Feb 02, 2011 9:10 pm to all the "butler pantry" haters!! (and you know who you are!!) lol I take it you don't have one. I only say that because if you did, you would make use of it. I have not met one person who has a butlers pantry (sink and all) and not liked it. In my case, I love it. We also have a 2nd fridge in it (small), I have sink, micro, fridge, pull out pantry, and fitted cupboards, as opposed to open. I guess it's personal choice what you want in there, but I would never doubt this decision, in fact in my home, it's one of my best decisions. We don't need exhaust because there is no open grill cooking or oven (micro doesn't generate heat or smell). I remember a thread like this a year ago or so, and someone said she wished she put the dishwasher in there, so she could shut the door at night whilst it was on, and the open kitchen situation didn't drown out the living/tv area. I thought that was a good idea, but I think mine would have to be considerably larger to cope with a dishwasher. Essentially we use ours for all food storage, baby food/bottles etc (which is where we wash/steralise them). Dry foods. etc Our open plan main kitchen has all plates/containers/pots etc. Hence the dishwasher is better suited out there anyway. We can put things away so much easier. I think BP have three great advantages: 1) more space 2) zoned kitchen storage 3) separate area for toaster/kettle etc which you like to leave out on the open bench. (and remember it does add value to your home at resale as it will be listed as a feature - specially with a sink) I say if you are considering one, and you can afford it, go for it. I must admit I would only go with a BP if you still had a large kitchen. I think a small kitchen with a BP would not work so well, or look as good. But of course, like everything in life, it's personal choice! I hope this helps you decide on getting one! A thankful person is a happy person. [/color]My hobby design blog: http://aviewondesign.blogspot.com/ Re: Do you actually use your Butlers Pantry 19Feb 02, 2011 9:15 pm Bagheera "Also wouldn't having a toaster/cooking appliances in a small cupboard , presumably with the rest of your food items, just attract mice/creepy crawlies?" . yeah I don't think I really articulated that properly. My thinking comes from having a continual war with mice in our old house. We had a 'utility' room off of the kitchen that we originally kept all our appliances in as well as two melamine cupboards that we used as a pantry. We kept getting mice and roaches in there around the toaster and sandwich press and I can imagine that if I didn't have doors on the pantry itself, they would have quite happily made themselves a home in my food stuff aswell. Admittedly it was in a run down old farmhouse so perhaps my comment isn't really applicable to modern houses. And with regard to the vanity outside of bathroom issue, thanks for those who commented, as I now have a better understanding of why you would have one. I only have two young kids and we are lucky enough to be having three bathrooms in our house, so when it comes to teenage years we hopefully won't have thoses dramas. But I can certainly appreciate people taking measures to avoid the bathroom turf war As for the toothbrush on display...well thats my own perculiar issue to deal with! Happy, Healthy Free Range Wessex Saddleback Pigs My doom and gloom paperwork nightmare viewtopic.php?f=31&t=32170 Construction viewtopic.php?f=31&t=43653 Re: Do you actually use your Butlers Pantry 20Feb 03, 2011 6:27 pm KAN Hi We are getting a butlers pantry its about 3.1 long by 2.5 wide. Water, gas, electricity points will be connected and fit it will most likely occur once we have moved in. I was thinking of a sink, large long bench with sink and underneath cupboards. And an electric oven for reheating. I have gas in the main kitchen. So, for those who have Butlers Pantries do you ever use them for cooking/ preparing. And what have you got hidden in there? K Hi KAN, we've just moved into our place with a walk-in pantry; as of today we've used it for a week. And we love it. Ours has a bench along one long and one short wall, with wide shelves underneath the bench and narrower shelves overhead. On the other long wall we have narrow shelves to the ceiling. All our shelves are adjustable. We've only put the microwave and milkshake maker in it, set up and ready to go. We're storing other less frequently used appliances in it, such as a mixer. We haven't installed an exhaust fan or fire alarm, so we're not planning to use the toaster, electric grill or similar "hot" appliances in it. Our extension/renovation blog has a Youtube video of the interior of the pantry right after the shelving was fitted out, but before the electricity and lighting were installed. A video was the easiest way to show it within a confined space that didn't have any lights at the time. We use it all the time - the separation hasn't been an issue; after all, it is only a few steps away. We have plenty of drawers and cupboards within our kitchen too and it we were to find that something should be closer at hand, it won't be an issue for us to put it within the main kitchen. Other people may not have that luxury. Good luck with designing yours. There seem to be some good books about pantry design - wish we'd thought of looking for some when designing ours; however it has turned out well. I visited a relatives house and he went with sink in kitchen and butlers, dishwasher in kitchen and butlers and has crockery spread out between the two areas depending on… 2 44064 Plasterboard Gyprock is very popular as a reveal liner these days. You need to provide a way of supporting it, we use a modified timber reveal or bracket. You will be… 1 3012 Basically. If the shelves are fixed then they will be screwed in just the same as the rest of the carcass. To re move the screws you need to remove that section of… 3 5199 |