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DIY Butler Pantry Reveal for Under $650

DIY Butler Pantry Reveal for Under $650

I cannot believe the day has actually arrived, but I am elated to announce that my DIY butler pantry build is finally complete!  Beginning to doubt that this project would ever come to an end,  it actually feels quite surreal even typing these words. 

Sure… it might have taken half of a year to complete this room, but it did eventually come to completion. And if you forgot about the project altogether, I totally don’t blame you. You can read the original plans in this post.

So this all got me thinkin’….

You know the One Room Challenge (ORC) which most ambitious bloggers participate in each year (the one where you complete a full room renovation in less than 6 weeks?)???

Yeah…that shiznit is never happening in this household. NEVER! EVER!

If I am being totally honest, that just sounds like the catalyst of a nervous breakdown- why put myself thru all of  that unnecessary stress?

Given this endeavor has taken 6 freakin’ months to execute, I thought I should probably refresh your memory of what I was originally working with…

Before Butler Pantry Build:

butler pantry plans

Located directly off of the kitchen, this space was originally designed by the previous owners to be a mudroom/laundry room. And while that suited our family quite well, this wall of Ikea shelving was awkward.

Sure…. the extra storage provided by the shelving unit was nice to have, but the depth of the unit overwhelmed the space and the orientation of the open door made it completely impractical.

After researching solutions for almost two years, inspiration finally struck when I came across a butler pantry/mudroom combo designed by the queen herself, Ms. Emily Henderson (you can see the original inspiration here).

It was clear that the ill-fitted shelving had to go….

Butler Pantry Progress:

cheap and easy diy cabinets

Not only did the shelving have to go, but the existing flooring and popcorn ceilings. (You can read the ceiling tutorial here and the flooring post here).

After that, my husband, who is NOT a professional carpenter,  built cabinets and countertops for under $250 total. (You can read the cabinet tutorial here and the countertop tutorial here). He then built open shelving (click here for the shelving tutorial) and DIY-ed the necessary electrical work (which I will be writing a future tutorial for) and -voila- you get a Modern Farmhouse butler pantry…

My Modern Farmhouse Butler Pantry…

diy butler pantry

Serving as an extension of my kitchen, this new configuration has allowed me much more cooking/counter-top space.

(Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this post for decor sources and cost breakdown!)

diy butler pantry

Not only does the new arrangement allow me to store smaller cooking appliances away from the kitchen (and off of the kitchen countertops), I decided to add a beverage station/coffee bar component to the space.

diy butler pantry

While I would have loved to incorporate a tile back-splash here, this project was confined by a strict budget where the new flooring ate up most of our resources.  However, if you won’t need 300 square feet of entirely new flooring, this project could be completed for under $650!

diy butler pantry

Wanting there to be a continuous flow from the kitchen flooring to the mudroom/butler pantry flooring, I decided to go with the same LVT flooring that we had installed in my kitchen (you can read that post here).

farmhouse coffee bar

I love how the mini-fridge frees up some space in our kitchen fridge. (Be sure to scroll to the bottom for the list of products I used!)

farmhouse butler pantry build

And while it may be completely logical to assume the fridge is only stocked with wine, the majority of it is actually filled with La Croix (for the sake of my waist-line, I am trying my best to cut back on the booze).

Most all of the styling accessories here were purchased on clearance at Hobby Lobby.

And just so you can see the mudroom portion, here is the wall directly across from the new cabinetry….

modern farmhouse mudroom of Designing Vibes

So now I hope you see that butler pantries are not just for rich b*tches.

And to further prove my point, I am including a cost break-down and list of sources at the bottom of this post so keep freaking scrolling…..

modern farmhouse butler pantry

(Keep scrolling down for product sources and cost breakdown)

DIY Butler Pantry Cost Breakdown:

DIY Cabinets- $200 (tutorial post here)

DIY Countertops- $50  (tutorial post here)

Open Shelving – $40 (tutorial post here)

Sconce Lighting-  $100 (how to install sconce electrical junction post here)

Mini Fridge- $250

New Flooring (optional) – $700 for about 300 square feet (tutorial post here)

Total Project Cost with new flooring:$1,340

Project Cost without flooring: $640

Shop the Room Sources:

*Click on name of the shop to be directed to the affiliate link*
Paint – Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace
Cabinet Paint- General Finishes Driftwood
Flooring-  Mannington LVT in the color Stucco
Cabinet Hardware- Wayfair
Rug- World Market
Mini Fridge- Amazon 
Sconces- Beautiful Halo 
Chandelier- Amazon
Styling Accessories- Hobby Lobby

**UPDATED 4-15-21** See how my butler’s pantry DIY cabinets are holding up after two years by clicking here

a review of my diy kitchen cabinets

I hope this post has inspired you!

Now get out there and design some good vibes. And thank you so much for supporting this little blog of mine by sharing with a friend or on social media.

diy butler's pantry on the cheap
selfie

Welcome!

My journey in interior design and home improvement began with transforming my first fixer-upper home, all while managing a budget and raising two young boys. My work, a reflection of my passion for creating beautiful, uplifting spaces, has been recognized by top publications like Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, HGTV, and more. I invite you to explore my site and witness the transformation of my home and the vibes we've designed.Read more...

Julie S

Wednesday 19th of June 2019

Wow, it may have felt like forever but you have great taste and made it come out so nicely! Both sides look like they function well too. I totally thought that was a wine fridge, ha ha. Hubby's beer fridge in the garage is half LaCroix too. Anyway, you encourage me with your small budget total DIY room redos at non-hgtv pace - we have a hall bath that is painfully being dragged out of the 80s and into today, whatever it takes me.

Designing Vibes

Thursday 20th of June 2019

I absolutely love how you said "non-hgtv pace" ..bahaha! This is how we do things in real life, my friend-right? Your bathroom will be done soon enough. Hang in there! I also just think as DIY-ers (non-professionals), it takes a little longer to figure things out. The wait will be worth it.

Kathy

Wednesday 19th of June 2019

You did a beautiful job!!

Designing Vibes

Thursday 20th of June 2019

Thank you so much, Kathy! Hope you are doing well.

ashley allen

Wednesday 19th of June 2019

It turned out so good Erica! Your husband did such a good job on the cabinets and I love the sconces you went with. I'll definitely be looking forward to the electrical post as well.

Designing Vibes

Wednesday 19th of June 2019

Thank you so much, Ashley. It feels so good to finally get that project behind us. Wishing you an incredible week.

Angela

Wednesday 19th of June 2019

Erica, this looks fantastic! So much usable space now and so attractive. Good job and congratulations!

Designing Vibes

Wednesday 19th of June 2019

Thank you so much, Angela. I thought we would never finish, but the wait was totally worth it. I hope you are having a great start to your summer.

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life

Tuesday 18th of June 2019

Oh wow, this is amazing and I love the mud room section too. Your new Butler Pantry is perfect. So much extra storage and all that fabulous counter space too. You outdid yourself. Love it.

Designing Vibes

Wednesday 19th of June 2019

Thank you so much, Marty! I am super happy with how it turned out.