Does this butler pantry addition add or detract from my kitchen?
rockybird
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
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Jillius
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
1920s Inspired Blue and white Kitchen/Butler's Pantry Finished!
Comments (48)Late to this thread but your BPantry shares a lot in common with what we're contemplating. Can you share dimensions of: 1. width of floor 2. width (i.e., depth) of each countertops 3. width (ie, depth) of cabinets? And do you recommend any changes to those for a de novo project? We're considering: 40-42" for the floor width - do not want it too wide or there is lost efficiency of movement; but of course do not want to be confined when a drawer is opened; 18" deep countertops - this is, after all not the kitchen, but is a clean-up and storage area. But if we do not place the d/w at the nether dead-end of this long room (we may or may not), then at least one counter will of course need be the requisite 24 for the d/w 15" & 18" deep cabinets. Thanks for your and any others' advice...perhaps we will begin a thread of its own....See MoreLarge kitchen with separate Butler's Pantry & 2nd Kitchen....help!
Comments (11)Thank you all SO very much for your thoughtful comments and time. I will post some layout pictures here (just met with our Kitchen Designer yesterday again.) We are going on Year 5 of living here this fall, and I have given constant thought as to the space & use since we have moved it. We have had a project going 100% of the time since we moved in due to the original state of the house. Now it's time to upgrade vs "fix". We are overdue! I've toyed around with ALL ideas (removing walls, extending the bar/not pictured-discussed, etc). For the most part, we like the layout and decided the pantry/2nd Kitchen are functional as is, although I love ideas, thank you all for your thoughtfulness. To answer other comments, I don't need 2 Kitchens + Butler Pantry. But that is the existing layout and it's easier to leave as-is than remove any of these large walls or areas, and I do use the space. I don't need 10K sq ft of house either, but it's what we have. (FYI it was a foreclosure we got for $360K on 25 Acres in Rural Indiana; about $100K put in initially to make liveable, and now we are just slowly chipping away at projects). I am going to reuse a lot of these cabinets in a basement storage room & garage. I hate to get rid of them! The Corian should hold up well in the transition too I think. Here is a picture from standing at the Main Island, looking OUT to the rest of the eat-in kitchen. We'll be adding a furniture-style cabinet piece where the additional cabinets are on the left. This bulkhead we may remove. They are big aren't they..? I have no clue what the $-tag would be to remove all of them (this one cheap likely.) I'll get a quote out of curiosity. My gut feeling just says it will be $$..... Just through that hallway to the left is where the 2nd Kitchen & Butlers Pantry are. I can't wait to get rid of this ugly dark red color. Existing Kitchen. Proposed is moving the Fridge from where it is now (right picture, where proposed Wall Oven & MW are - across to other side). Adding 36" rangetop. I can't go much bigger given the space there and existing gas line. We'll be moving our existing GE Induction, Wall Oven, MW to the 2nd Kitchen so did decide to just do 1 Wall Oven + MW in the Main Kitchen. Thanks for your comments on that! You're all right - as we grow/change, we will need that in the kitchen for sure. I was torn on leaving the 48" Fridge in the Main Kitchen, but it helps me avoid re-doing cabinets in the next picture..... as I have a 48" slot with non-working Fridge. Having a 42" and 48" seems to be plenty, vs adding two 48"s. See below. Here is the before of 2nd Kitchen (Please Excuse the Mess - this was previously a child craft room/nanny area). We would paint these cabs and re-do the ugly hood. Existing Wall Oven + old MW would go in here too on the far left replacing that cabinet. And the other side. Little pocket glass door to the bar. Non working 48" SubZero. 2nd Dishwasher, 2nd Trash Compactor, and Sink. Everything in the existing MAIN kitchen will come into here which is nice. No appliance worked when we moved in but I wasn't ready for a full remodel then. But glad to not be wasteful with those purchases. I have always loved the cabinets/style despite being so wood-heavy, so we are just going to paint these to match the main kitchen, new countertops, new backsplash. PROPOSED: And the Butler/WD/Toilet Room. This is on the other side of the Main Kitchen (behind Range/Wall Oven Area). There is a single toilet behind that far wall. And the other side. Here I don't need a 3rd Dishwasher but am struggling to figure out what to do with that space. I could add another Wine Cooler but seems odd to have in the Laundry/Butler area when we have a Bar. Trash Compactor will become pull-out Trash Bin. Ideas for filling the DW space? Again this will be all painted cabs, countertops, backsplash. But see the big bulkhead in here too? I don't want to take that out. We have 6 Bathrooms to remodel in the near(ish) future. I have to be frugal in some areas if I want other areas to pop more. Layout for these 2 pictures: Comments/ideas/suggestions are all ultra welcome. I will put a separate post about some of our semi-final decisions to our next steps in the remodel and would love your criticism....See MoreWorth having sink in butler’s pantry??
Comments (33)Below is an illustration of an exercise I sometimes go through on a project to point out the efficiency of the layout, how much of the house is dedicated to circulation space and how much room there is for furniture. Circulation space is unavoidable but the less there is the more efficient the layout is.This just addresses efficiency. Other design flaws I see are how insect screens are handled at the double doors in the dining and guest bedroom? Why are there doors there and not windows? Where will a guest entering from the front have their coat hung? If the door from the guest bath to the family room survives, where will the light switch go? Why such a big work triangle in the kitchen? Work triangles work best when they are a triangle. And the list is longer but I have to get back to work....See MoreTo add a bulkhead in my new kitchen or not? Additional cost of $1300!
Comments (31)Are you adding a light rail to the bottom of the cabinets (to hide UC lighting)? That might account for the extra inch to make the cabinets the standard 42" tall. Does the mfr or contractor offer taller pantry and fridge cabinets? Unless you are very short in stature, you could raise the upper cabinets a couple of inches, but that would affect the way they line up with the pantry and fridge cabinets. Also, if you like the style, you could raise the uppers far enough to add a 'cup shelf' under them, which would take up some of the empty space. Then you could add a trim piece between the cabinets and crown. As for the layout, if you moved the DW to the end (with return panel), then the sink, and put the range between the sink and fridge, the layout would be improved....See Morerockybird
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