7 Gorgeous Small Butlers Pantry Ideas

This blog post is all about small butlers pantry ideas.

A butler’s pantry is something that was once really common in European homes. Now with British-inspired interiors making their way into American homes, these small rooms are starting to pop up more and more in new construction homes and renovations.

If you’re building a new home or thinking about renovating your existing kitchen, there are endless opportunities for adding a butler’s pantry to your space!

So what exactly is a butler’s pantry?

Traditionally, a butler’s pantry was a room between the kitchen and dining areas used to store dishes, glassware and table linens. It could also have a sink for light washing up of tableware.

In more modern floor plans, you can find a butler’s room located anywhere just off the main kitchen area. Homeowners now are using butler’s pantries as a sort of ultimate walk-in pantry with extensive storage options for dishes and food, a sink and additional appliances.

Small butlers pantry ideas for every style

Now let’s dive into the fun part and view some design ideas for butlers pantry…

Moody butler’s pantry with sink

I LOVE a moody moment. And this butler’s pantry is an absolute jewel box of a room. The dark and moody walls blend seamlessly with the cabinetry so that the brass sink and fixtures really stand out and shine in the room.

A small butler’s pantry with patio

A butler’s pantry doesn’t have to be tucked away in a dark corner behind the kitchen. This butler’s pantry opens to an outdoor patio where the homeowners can dine and entertain guests.

Repurpose an old laundry closet into a small butler’s pantry

In our old fixer upper, we had a laundry closet located IN the kitchen. If you’ve got a small laundry closet right off your kitchen too, turn it into a butler’s pantry! One smart renovation later: it’s a bright white butler pantry complete with a small sink!

Coastal style butler’s pantry with shiplap

This walk-in butler pantry is small, but the light blue cabinets and white shiplap walls and ceiling keep it feeling light and airy.

A butler’s pantry is also a great place to feature a large farmhouse sink. I’m loving how this butler pantry floor plan incorporates the sink right under the large window!

A modern farmhouse butler’s pantry

This walk-in butler’s pantry is small but still wide enough to feel like its own special room. With white cabinets, white subway tile, and natural wood floating shelves this pantry oozes modern farmhouse vibes.

A butler’s pantry bar

Just because it has the word ‘pantry’ in it, doesn’t mean it can only store food! This gorgeous green butler’s pantry is a fully stocked bar, complete with wine fridge and glassware. The dark green subway tiles remind me of these emerald green tiles from deVol.

A galley style butlers pantry with fridge

This butler’s pantry isn’t a separate room, but instead it’s located just around the corner from the main kitchen area (not shown). The layout is a galley style butler’s pantry with a huge fridge and freezer combo.

Small butlers pantry dimensions

A butler’s pantry size should be no smaller than 5 feet wide by 7 feet long. These dimensions make it just large enough to be a functional room that can be used for clean up as well as storage.

Scullery vs butlers pantry: what’s the difference?

While a butler’s pantry is mostly used for dishes and glass storage, a scullery is a full working second kitchen that’s closed off from the main kitchen prep area. A scullery will have a sink, dishwasher and food prep area and it’s basically where the behind-the-scenes cooking and cleaning takes place.

Butlers pantry vs walk-in pantry: which is better?

Both a butler’s pantry and walk-in pantry are used for kitchen storage. A walk-in pantry is the most common form of storage space found in kitchen today and it’s mainly used just to store food items. But a butler’s pantry is used for more than just food storage: it’s can also store dishes, glassware, table linens and alcohol. A walk-in pantry won’t have a fridge or sink, but a butler’s pantry typically will have those added utilities.

What would a butlers pantry cost?

The cost of building a butler’s pantry would likely range from at least $2,000 – $10,000. The true cost will come down to whether you’re planning to add a butler’s pantry in your new construction home, or if you’re renovating an existing kitchen and need to convert or add a new space. It’ll be more cost efficient to plan ahead and include a butler’s pantry in your new build home. But if even if you are renovating and adding one later, it can still be done relatively affordable by maximizing the floor plan and choosing finishes wisely.