5 Reasons W h y Yo u N e e d A
B U T L E R ’ S PA N T R Y [ A N D W H Y YO U ’ L L T O A S T U S L AT E R ]
THE PURPOSE OF A BUTLER’S PANTRY is to store all of your cooking and entertaining essentials in a neat, organized central location within the home for easy access and simple convenience. It really is as simple as that, but for those of you that can’t decide whether to incorporate a butler’s pantry into your design plans, we have come up with 5 good reasons why this simple space is actually an extraordinary idea. Is it just trendy? Or is it pure common sense? Decide for yourself!
A B U T L E R ’ S PA N T R Y … 1)
...SAVES YOU TIME. At Classic Cottages, we know that your schedules are busy and your time is precious. We also know that the heart to any home is the kitchen which is why we spend a great deal of our own time designing your kitchen and pantry spaces to meet the at-home chef’s every want and need. By putting everything you need to feed your family and friends in one spacious, ready-at-hand place, we are not only allowing you to have more time for the people in your life that matter most but we are saving you prep and cleanup time as well.
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2) ...IS CONVENIENT. A Butler’s Pantry is most convenient in one place in the home: between your kitchen and your dining room. A good chef isn’t concerned about the mess he or she makes while cooking. A chef is most concerned about the quality and taste of the food he or she is preparing. A kitchen that is always clean is a kitchen that is rarely used. So, we understand that when you are preparing the turkey and sides for a nice Thanksgiving meal, the kitchen can get pretty messy. That is okay, but this presentation style is no way to display your home-cooked meal to your guests. That is why the Butler’s Pantry comes in handy. Not ready to place food on the table just yet? You can set the completed dishes, drinks, etc. between the kitchen and the dining room through the Butler’s Pantry. When the next course is ready to be served, it’s conveniently waiting in this beautiful breezeway.
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...KEEPS YOUR INGREDIENTS ORGANIZED. Behind closed pantry doors are your spices, beans, pastas, cereals, grains, flour, sugar, etc. All of these can be beautifully labeled and displayed in a variety of grass or plastic jars and canisters. A great chef is stocked and prepared for whatever ingredient is needed. Labeling ingredients is essential so that within an arms reach, you have every ingredient you need in just a matter of seconds.
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...KEEPS THE CLUTTER HIDDEN. To hide the abundant ingredients, serve ware, baskets, and empty wine bottles, consider putting pantry doors across the entry threshold or partition the Butler’s Pantry in half—one side has the shelving for all the ingredients with doors for closing while the other side of the breezeway acts more as a serving/wet bar for drinkware and resting prepared items waiting to be served. The layout of the Butler’s Pantry is up to you. But, hide the clutter with doors. These can be pocket doors or barn doors but either way, they close.
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… ALLOWS YOU TO STAY CLASSY & SOCIAL. Okay, this may be a given, but how many of you remember the days when a Butler’s Pantry was a symbol of class and for those who could afford it, these were a staple in every classy household. These were the days when socializing with friends and family over a home cooked meal was a weekly, weekend occurrence. Forget always dining out and spending tons of $$$ for basic entertainment. When designing and building a Classic Cottage, we sure hope you plan on spending a great of time living in this home, which includes entertaining. So, bring back your classic roots Virginia and host a dinner party with friends, family, and neighbors. Pull out the bottles of Champagne from the wine cooler in your Butler’s Pantry and pop the cork because this new home of yours is certainly something to celebrate. [You can thank us later with a classic champagne toast; we will gladly accept the invitation.]