There’s a new trend in today’s modern kitchens–or rather an old trend resurfacing. Butler’s pantries, prep kitchens, and walk-in pantries are coming back into style, and for good reason. These hard-working rooms allow you to up your entertaining and cooking game and are eye-catching additions to your home.
There’s a reason that remodeling your kitchen raises your Joy Score more than any other type of remodel. Kitchens today are more than just places to cook. They give us space to spend time with family and friends, to treat ourselves to good food and drinks, to engage in hobbies like baking bread or mixing drinks, and to store appliances, dishes, and food in a way that keeps the clutter out of sight. These three kitchen additions make all this possible.
Want to learn more about these functional and stylish rooms? Read on to learn the difference between these three rooms and discover if a butler’s pantry, prep kitchen, or walk-in pantry might be exactly what your home needs.
What is a Butler’s Pantry?
Back in the old days, a butler’s pantry was a hallway between the kitchen and dining room that had locking doors on both ends (and only the head butler had the key!). The family’s expensive silver and china were stored there, and the butler would use the space to count and polish it. It was also often used to arrange food on platters and plates before carrying it into the dining room to serve.
Today’s butler’s pantries are similar but without the locking doors. They are usually small rooms or wide hallways off the kitchen or between the kitchen and dining room. Many butler’s pantries have a small sink and counter space to be used as extra space to prepare food. Sometimes they also include a small refrigerator or a wall oven. They can serve as a staging place to plate food before carrying it into the dining room. And often, butler’s pantries have cabinets that are used to store items that aren’t used as often, like large platters, holiday dishes, or wedding china. Many butler’s pantries also offer a wet bar or coffee station.
What’s a Prep Kitchen?
Also known as back kitchens or sculleries, prep kitchens also harken back to times past. They were small rooms off the main kitchen commonly used for doing the “dirty work” of cooking–the majority of the food preparation and all the clean-up would take place in the back kitchen.
Today, prep kitchens are growing in popularity again. They are small, functional kitchens that are connected to the main kitchen. A prep kitchen will usually have a sink and dishwasher, possibly a range or oven, and often another fridge. It will also give you more counter space for cooking and room to store bulk items and appliances.
A prep kitchen is especially useful if you like to entertain. You want to be able to spend time in the main kitchen, maybe have your guests sit at an island and visit with you while you put the final touches on the meal–but you don’t want to be looking at a sink full of dirty dishes or a stove spattered with tomato sauce. If you’ve done the bulk of the cooking in the prep kitchen, the mess is hidden until you’re ready to deal with it, and you get to enjoy your guests and a clean kitchen while you eat.
Many of today’s homes have open floor plans, which feel spacious and are wonderful for encouraging conversation and spending time together. But they’re not great for concealing storage and work zones. Prep kitchens solve this problem.
What is a Walk-In Pantry?
One of the hottest trends in kitchen remodeling, walk-in pantries are small rooms (sometimes with windows!) that offer tons of storage. Many of them have shelves, drawers, cabinets, and countertops (or a combination of those). They provide storage and organization, and often also some extra food prep space. Many walk-in pantries are also outfitted with a coffee bar or small fridge to store drinks.
Walk-in pantries are great for large families, people who like to entertain, bakers, coffee aficionados, and those who love clean and clutter-free kitchens to work in. Today’s walk-in pantries are stylish and appealing, functional spaces that are both hardworking and gorgeous. While a pantry cabinet may be enough storage for some people, if you want to store appliances, kitchen tools, food, and extra dishes, a walk-in pantry might better suit your needs.
Do I Need One of These Rooms in My Home?
If you’re planning a kitchen remodel, you should definitely consider adding a butler’s pantry, prep kitchen, or walk-in pantry to your home. While they may not be for everyone, they are at least worth considering.
Do you love to entertain?
Do you like to hang out in your kitchen–not just cook there?
Do you cook or bake a lot or have specialized kitchen tools?
Do you love having a coffee bar or a wet bar?
Do you shop for bulk items for your home and need a place to store them?
Do you have multiple cooks in the home and want to spread out when you’re working?
Do you have heirloom china or other special items that need to be carefully stored?
Do you like to have a place to hide dirty dishes and kitchen messes until you’re ready to deal with them?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, adding one of these rooms to your kitchen plans might be the right move for you. While butler’s pantries, prep kitchens, and walk-in pantries have different designs and meet different needs, the thing they have in common is this: they give you more space. And since many kitchen remodels aim for more space and functionality, these three types of rooms often provide what you need.
What Are My Next Steps?
How can you add one of these rooms to your kitchen design plans? Talk to your designer or contractor for ideas (click here for help in finding the right building partner for your project!). Sometimes you can rework existing rooms by remodeling a hallway, closet, or mudroom into space for your kitchen. Other times, you might need a bump-out or addition.
If you’re ready to get started on your kitchen remodel or addition, or you want to discuss your options, reach out to us today. We serve the DC area, Virginia, and Maryland and we’d love to help. Your dream kitchen is within your reach!