A butler’s pantry could be a strong selling point for your listing. These spaces are often used as staging areas for meal prep and typically include a countertop and cabinets for storing tableware, dishes, serving pieces, and other items. More upscale butler’s pantries may include a dishwasher, small refrigerator, or sink.
Reba Haas, a real estate professional with RE/MAX Metro Realty in Seattle, says buyers are drawn to the accessibility of butler’s pantries. “Located adjacent to the dining room or other entertaining space, a butler’s pantry allows the host to prep for meals without having to go into the kitchen,” Haas says.
But there could be other uses, too. Some owners are using the space to store pet food, toys, and medications. The extra storage can be appealing, regardless of how buyers use it. “In every kitchen, there’s competition for storage; you need everyday dishes, glasses, silverware, and pots and pans in close proximity,” says William Hirsch, an architect and author of
Designing Your Perfect House. “The butler’s pantry can become the ideal spot for storing the fancy dinnerware and linens.”
Hirsch says glass-front cabinets with interior lighting can dress up the space. Pocket doors, swinging doors, or sliding panels can help add privacy. Cabinet styles that compliment the nearby dining room rather than match the kitchen can give the pantry “a bit more formality,” he notes.
Some homeowners are opting to convert an extra closet near the dining room into a butler’s pantry. “The job can be done fairly cheaply and will typically entail removing the doors of an existing closet, filling screw holes on the door casing, stripping down the interior, and then adding back a counter-height piece of wood or remnant countertop [such as granite or quartz] and bracketed shelves above,” says Carole Marcotte, an interior designer with Form & Function in Raleigh, N.C.
Source: “What Is a Butler’s Pantry? The Multifunctional Space Between the Kitchen and Dining Room,” realtor.com® (June 15, 2017)
