Kitchens

5 Butler’s Pantries That Will Give You Some Serious Kitchen Envy

These prep spaces are as stylish as they are functional.

By Kaitlyn Funk /

Butler’s pantries, intermediary spaces between a kitchen and dining room, were once a staple in grand estates and mansions—but we’re seeing them more and more in modern homes now. And we can understand why. They not only give you a ton of extra storage space but also keep messy meal prep hidden (in other words, they’re an entertainer’s dream). Keep on scrolling to see what we mean.

Kitchen Butler's pantry
Photo: Ema Peter

Mind Your Manors

Kelly Deck leaned into the manor-house aesthetic when designing this stately West Vancouver residence, incorporating a fireplace in the foyer and also a butler’s pantry. The latter, decorated with vintage ceramics and lamps, looks as if it’s been plucked straight out of the English countryside. Check out the rest of this whimsical family home.

Photo: Ema Peter

Roll With It

A Beauty and the Beast-style library isn’t the only way to incorporate a rolling ladder into your home! Exhibit A: this butler’s pantry designed by Stephanie Brown. In addition to providing the homeowners with a practical way of reaching the sky-high shelving, the ladder adds a sense of charm to the space. Find out why this butler’s pantry earned a WL Design 25 award.

Hide and Sleek

A butler’s pantry doesn’t need to be its own room—as evidenced by this Okanagan home. Designer Nicky Prentice of Nik Interiors managed to hide one in plain sight behind the kitchen’s cloudy blue-grey cabinets. Hello, secret storage! Step inside this stunning lake house.

Wok This Way

This no-holds-barred kitchen designed by Kelly Deck has it all: custom millwork, made-to-order appliances (read: a rotisserie oven) and a stand-alone prep space. With an extra cooktop, this wok kitchen redefines the humble butler’s pantry. See what else makes this West Vancouver kitchen so special.

Design in Plain English

Homeowner Sally Kaldor Douglas had a clear vision for her kitchen renovation: “I’m English, and I wanted a plain English kitchen,” she says. “Nothing superfluous to the requirements of a beautifully functioning kitchen. Simple, elegant and warm.”

It’s why designer Juli Hodgson decided to convert a bathroom on the main floor into a butler’s pantry. Here, small appliances and dry goods can be stored out of sight. Tour this traditional-yet-modern kitchen.

Kaitlyn Funk

Kaitlyn Funk

Kaitlyn is a design-obsessed writer, editor and content manager based in Vancouver. When she's not busy swooning over gorgeous homes, you can find her reading, hiking and befriending as many dogs as possible.