• Cart
  • Nav Social Icons

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Blog
  • Shop Our Home
  • Design Services
  • The Home Theology Shop
  • About Home Theology
  • Mobile Menu Widgets

    Search

Home Theology

Home Theology

Design, Blog + Shop

  • Blog
  • Design Services
  • Shop Our Home
  • About

Creating A Butler’s Pantry Out Of A Small Hallway

November 20, 2023

Pin

I’m so excited to give you a tour of our new pantry today! What was once an awkward hallway with unusable space is now a beautiful, functional extension of our kitchen. It’s also a great example of how space planning and designing a space to function and flow efficiently yields better results than simply taking down walls or creating more space. All sources are linked at the bottom of the post!


before

Our home is 1917 Craftsman. While the overall layout of it is actually very conducive to modern day living, it still has its quirks. The main one being the space that was between our kitchen, basement and tv den. After doing some demo, it looked like this space may have housed a half bath (there was a window framed up in the far pantry wall, which would be the other side of our full bath) and over the decades this space has become a hodgepodge of doorways that have been added to the original structure.

To start, we actually divided the space in two, creating a pantry separate from the basement and tv den access. Creating a closed off space for the pantry allowed us to make the most of the space by designing cabinetry that would run from wall to wall and hide some of the existing radiator plumbing that we didn’t’ want to move. Sometimes adding a wall actually creates more opportunity and functionality for a space!

Once framing was finished the space ended up being about 6′ long by 3′ 4″ at its narrowest point. In rooms that have limited floor space, making use of the vertical real estate is the best way to create a more expansive feel to the room. It shows that although there may not be a lot of floor space, the room still has a lot of available space to work with. It may seem counterintuitive to fill small space with more, but without a doubt it makes the space feel larger than it appears. So, we designed the cabinetry appropriately to fill each wall and hide the radiator plumbing in empty cavities.


after

This is definitely my favorite before and after. I love taking a space that’s lacking in function and giving it purpose in a way that makes a home work better. And, of course, it’s such a beautiful room now!

The lower cabinets are about 16″ deep while the upper shelving is 12″. This still allowed for plenty of storage space and room to be in the pantry without feeling too crammed. We used 5″ vertical shiplap behind all of the shelving to mirror the shiplap on the opposite kitchen wall and range hood.

My favorite detail we added to the cabinetry was incorporating a plate ledge in each shelf for leaning platters, cutting boards and plates rather than setting them flat on the shelves.

When designing the pantry, we made sure there was plenty of space for small appliances to be stored. I love having our microwave tucked away in here that the kids can easily access.

The wallpaper by Cole & Sons is clearly the star of the show. It adds so much to the space and really draws you in when walking past the pantry.

I wanted to make sure the pantry tied into our existing kitchen while still feeling like its own space. The wallpaper ties in beautifully to our kitchen cabinets, which are painted Benjamin Moore Hale Navy and Simply White.

All of the doors in our house have original hardware on them, so I wanted this door to look as if it’s always been a part of the house. This vintage replica doorknob matches our existing door hardware almost exactly.

This pantry pulls double duty for us by storing most of our food along with my serving dishes, table linens, bakeware, etc. I organized all of our food into clear containers and used these clear lazy susans for cans, snacks, condiments and other spices for easy access.

Thanks so much for all of your excitement for this project. And even bigger thanks to Ty for renovating the space & working hard on this with me, and to my Mom who installed the wallpaper. This little pantry turned out better than I had hoped and am so grateful to get to use this pretty space everyday.

For a full video tour and more details on this project, head to Instagram


iPhone shots

sources

Cabinet, trim & ceiling paint
Sherwin-Williams Shiitake in semi-gloss

Pin

By: laurenmacke · In: Blog Posts, Design, Featured, Grove Street, Portfolio

you’ll also love

One Room Challenge Week 3 Bathroom Progress: Installing A Custom Shower
How To Make Your Own Antiqued Paneled Mirror
Friday Focus: February 17
Next Post >

New Project Reveal: The Anna Circle Living Room

Primary Sidebar

Most-Loved Posts

  • An Honest Review of Our Butcher Block Countertops (And If I Would Choose Them Again)
    An Honest Review of Our Butcher Block Countertops (And If I Would Choose Them Again)
  • How to Use Pleat Hooks On Ikea Curtains For a High-End Look
    How to Use Pleat Hooks On Ikea Curtains For a High-End Look
  • How to Make Your Own Dining Chair Cushions
    How to Make Your Own Dining Chair Cushions
  • Our Backyard Patio Makeover
    Our Backyard Patio Makeover

want even more design advice & behind the scenes?

Join Lauren's weekly newsletter for access to exclusive, never-before-seen content, design discussions and more personal musings.

follow along on instagram

This is probably the prettiest room in our house. This is probably the prettiest room in our house. And I *may* or may not sit in here sometimes to hide for a moment of peace 😅

#pantry #pantrygoals #pantrydesign #pantrymakeover #pantryorganization #thisoldhome #oldhomelove
A moment for my latest @facebook marketplace find A moment for my latest @facebook marketplace find 🫶 this wrought iron chaise for $50 + new cushion from @walmart is going to my mvp this summer. I rearranged the back patio a bit and I’m loving how it feels. Just a little reminder that it doesn’t take big bucks or an overhaul for something to feel fresh again!
A moment for the sconces in our dining room 😮‍💨 the only lights I keep on all day, everyday. This was a project that didn’t take too much time and was 1000% worth it! The lights are from @etsy and so beautiful and affordable. Comment SHOP below to receive a DM with the link to shop our dining room on my LTK 🫶

https://liketk.it/5aFsQ
There is a beauty and ease that comes with life by There is a beauty and ease that comes with life by the sea, whether it be on northern or southern shores. Seashells are a quintessential beauty that are worn by living creatures, eventually discarded for us to enjoy or broken down to become one with the earth. They’re a reminder of the beauty of life and how powerful nature can be. And because of that, I think they’re a perfect addition to any room – no matter where you live!

Comment SHOP below to receive a DM with the link to a big roundup of beautiful shells & clams 🐚 

https://liketk.it/5bUbl #ltkseasonal #ltkstyletip #ltkhome
We started planning and renovating this space abou We started planning and renovating this space about two years ago and I have a few takeaways now that we’ve lived with it:
- so glad we fit as much shelving into this space as possible
- storing our microwave in here is 👌
- I toyed with the idea of adding an ice maker in here…kinda wish I would have
- the wallpaper was the best splurge
- removing walls isn’t always the answer (we split a hallway in two to create this space)

You can read all about this project on the blog! Link in bio 🫶

#pantryorganization #pantrydesign #butlerspantry #smallspacedesign #pantrygoals #pantrymakeover
I think I will live in terry all spring (and summe I think I will live in terry all spring (and summer) long 🫶 our bedroom gained this pretty @studiomcgee x @target thanks to FB marketplace. Now I just need a little something to kick my feet up!

terry sweatshirt by @seaquelle 🤍
Happy Easter 💛 Happy Easter 💛
Come on in for Easter brunch around our table 🌷 Come on in for Easter brunch around our table 🌷 

#eastertablescape #easterweekend #easterdecor #easterinspo

Copyright © 2025 · Theme by 17th Avenue