DESIGNING A BUTLERS PANTRY

The only thing better than a pantry is a butler’s pantry. There are different ways to define a butler’s pantry, according to Bainbridge interior designer Molly McCabe. It can be just about anything, such as a mudroom or a place to arrange flowers.

McCabe says she “grew up around architects and designers.” When she bought her first house in adulthood, she “remodeled the whole thing.” It was a gratifying experience and led to her business, A Kitchen That Works, a full-service design-build firm that specialized in kitchens, baths and whole-house remodels. After many years in business, McCabe is morphed A Kitchen That Works into McCabe by Design, a residential design and specification firm.

McCabe certainly knows her kitchens. She says that butler’s pantries are “about figuring out what the purpose of the room is.”

“Is it to hide dishes? Is it to facilitate catered parties? Is it to facilitate cooking ethnic foods like kimchi? And it’s also to have auxiliary appliances,” she explains. “So, you might find a wall oven, a microwave oven, a steam oven or a built-in coffee machine. … It just depends on the space that’s available and then again, what the purpose is.”