The Reason Joanna Gaines Chooses This Pantry Style Time And Time Again

Fueled by charm, practical advice, and shiplap pixie dust, Joanna Gaines has made an empire for herself and her family by turning everyday properties into alluring bastions of modern luxe. In all her design projects, the kitchen tends to be a focal point, and she pulls out all of the stops to make it feel warm, expansive, and inviting. Gaines' top tips for vintage kitchen remodels include making the space work for you, creating a functional layout, and selecting a neutral color palette. And one old-fashioned element she's gone back to repeatedly on her hit show and in real life (including in her own space) can serve every household in a very personal way: a butler's pantry. 

Butler's pantries date back to the 1800s, when well-to-do families had to account for staff who needed both their own workspaces and access to household supplies and servingware. At the time, butlers often had keys to a special storage area, hence the name, where expensive items such as china and silver were stored. Designers like Gaines are bringing these convenient storage areas into modern homes with a hint of contemporary style.

According to a post on Gaines' Instagram, she added her butler's pantry when her son vacated a bedroom near her kitchen. A butler's pantry is often adjacent to the main kitchen space, basically a dedicated overflow area meant for kitchen storage and staging. An accompanying post on the Magnolia blog describes her goals for her own pantry as "tucked-away, inspiring, charming, and creative." 

At their most basic, butler's pantries serve as overflow storage for everything kitchen- and service-related and keep the main kitchen uncluttered. They often utilize basic but timeless storage options like open shelving, which can easily accommodate oversize and occasional-use goods ranging from a month's worth of flour to lobster pots. But Joanna Gaines envisions butler's pantries in a more holistic way, one that's a direct reflection of the homeowner's tastes and interests, whether you're a burgeoning bread baker, a coffee connoisseur, or a smoothie aficionado.

That's why Joanna Gaines is such a huge fan of them. On her hit show with hubby Chip Gaines, "Fixer Upper," the Gaines have added a butler's pantry to at least four homes. And in addition to the home they live in, the Chip and Joanna Gaines have added a butler's pantry to a flip they did of an abandoned Waco landmark that looks like a castle (appropriately nicknamed The Castle). Given that most homes don't have room for a butler's pantry, that probably qualifies as adding one every chance she gets. 

For Gaines and her clients, the design and stylistic details of the butler's pantry can be a point of personal joy. For the Fuchs, Gaines added reclaimed wood shelving, installed built-in cabinets and bench seating, and added a sliding entryway door at the clients' request in season 2, episode 12. And in season 4, episode 1, Gaines added a butler's pantry featuring a wine service area to the Chapman's home. Each of these butler's pantries serve their intended purpose of keeping the kitchen clutter-free while allowing the home's occupants a space to get creative and indulge during downtime.