A Butler’s Pantry: Yay or Nay?!

One trend I’ve noticed in recent years, is the inclusion of a butler’s pantry in homes.

If you have been following The Block you will know just what I mean. I think every single one of the contestants this year featured a butler’s pantry as part of their kitchen space!

And to be honest, I can’t decide if I love it – or hate it!

The Pros of a Butler’s Pantry

On the one hand: I get it.

Life can be so busy and hectic, and kitchens in particular seem to collect mess! How wonderful to be able to stow all the dirty dishes out of sight, until you do have time to clear things up.

There is nothing more depressing than getting up in the morning to be greeted by mountains of washing up waiting to be done …

And should unexpected visitors arrive, you can relax, knowing everything (that they can see, anyway) is neat as a pin!

Plus, no matter how hard the designers might try, kitchen appliances just aren’t a great decorative feature. So it’s nice to think that the toaster, juicer, food processor, air fryer, kettle etc can be stowed away somewhere yet still be easily accessible.

Why I’m Conflicted about Butler’s Pantries

But at the same time, I hate what the rising popularity of butler’s pantries represents.

For starters, only a very privileged few even HAVE a butler – or any domestic staff or help. So that means it’s just us, doing the washing up.

Personally, I’d rather do my washing up in the “heart of the home” – with others around to talk to, or as I gaze out at the back garden or even the TV – than be closeted away in a space with all the charm and outlook of a jail cell.

I can’t help thinking back to when I had small children. Cleaning up the kitchen was one household chore I could complete, while keeping an eye on my little ones as they played or watched The Wiggles. Imagine what they could get up to while I’d been buried in the depths of a butler’s pantry instead?!

And what does it say about our modern society, that it is a no-no to have all the detritus of a regular household in plain sight?

When did we become so obsessed that our homes always have to look perfect, that we now go to the trouble of developing special rooms to hide our mess away?

Whatever happened to houses being for LIVING in?!

Are our kitchens now just for decoration?

As you can see, I’m feeling quite conflicted.

If my next home should magically include a butler’s pantry, I wouldn’t say no 😉 … but I’m still not sure that I’m a huge fan of this sign of the times!

What do you think – a butler’s pantry – yay or nay?!