I think it depends on how you entertain. I don't think you'd end up washing the glasses there. If you entertain casually a lot, it's in a great spot to also have a small beverage fridge with ice and a bar sink for rinsing, and for quick clean-ups. That way it can serve the family room and also be a butler pantry, and keep people out of the kitchen.

Hi, Sarah--

Agree that this would likely be a useful feature, but not for heavy washing-up duties! However, I see this as a really useful plus in large-scale entertaining: you can also always use it as a built-in beverage tub to ice down containers, give a quick rinse to something spotted, a liquid disposal path for cocktail creation, or even just a place to set down a dirty container that you wouldn't want to dirty up a clean counter. Helpful, versatile functionality that's having its day again. Cheers!

For how we live, this is a bit of a strange layout. Traditionally, a butler's pantry was a galley-style transition hallway between the kitchen and dining room. The good china was stored there, so it would have cabinets on both sides of the "room", and of course now these spaces are set up so that caterers can stage and clean up.

But in your layout, you just have the one wall side? That's not a pantry, it's a potential bar area that's open to the great room. If you would use it as such, great. Personally, I think in our house it would be a dumping ground for dirty dishes when we were entertaining in the dining room and no one wanted to walk all the way to the kitchen. :) Except at some point, it all has to go to the kitchen to be dealt with, and if everyone moves to the great room to visit after dinner, then we all walk past the dirty dishes! So I don't see any point, really.

I don't understand the purpose of the cabinets on the back side of that space, either; they just look like they block the flow from the mudroom. I'd likely want to take that space out completely, bring the dining room wall up to match the end of the mudroom entrance to the kitchen and simplify things.

That said, we have a third sink in our pantry, where the coffee station is, and I too thought it was getting a little ridiculous to add the extra sink. But we use every sink in our house all the time, so, generally, as the above posters have said, a sink is always useful for something! :)

I agree with backuardfeast that this doesn’t really look like a butler’s pantry. As others have said, though, it does look like a good spot for a beverage center with mini fridge and sink with filtered water tap, perhaps an ice maker, too. I would probably not center the sink, though, so as not to make it the focal point of the space, given that it faces directly into the great room.

Nothing to do with above: Why a door from great room into guest bath? You HAVE a powder room. Lose that, close it up. Open to guest room only. No sink on the so called "butler".

Close that guest bath......................to the great room. PLEASE

Why does it need "more use" ?? You want to stare into a bath from a great room? No.......you don't. Your kids can make it to the powder room, and no adult guest WILL use it unless they are sleeping in that bedroom. Dumb door is what it is : )

Our last home had a sink in the butlers pantry. The only thing it was ever used for was when we entertained we would feel it up with ice and drinks , like an open cooler to pull from.

Yup - built in ice tub with drain..... ;-)

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

If this were my house I would possibly consider, making room in that area for a sink, dishwasher, small frig and storage for the entertaining dinner service. Maybe that is trying to be too much in a small space and a normal person would choose one or the other function. It may be too much to have a clean up area and bar service area together but to me, (and possibly because I'm lazy as crap, although I prefer to think of it as efficient and energy conserving....) it's a long way from your dining room to the dishwasher in the kitchen. In my great room, open kitchen/dining design. I have a clean up sink and dw in my prep area for everyday use and then a larger sink clean up/dw area closer to my entertaining area. I load the dishes straight away ( as I clear) and the sink is extra deep which hides bigger platters. The plates all go back in that section.

Perhaps you can add a half wall or bar counter to the space on the great room side, which will give you more storage space and an additional counter, serving area.

Will you have a dishwasher in the pantry? If so, you need a sink. I like the bar area idea.

I would not add a sink there. Get a drink fridge with a panel door so it doesn't scream fridge. Use that area as a buffet counter while entertaining. Family will find their drinks in that area without bothering to come in to the kitchen. Store your prettier dishes there out of sight, give it a good (and pretty) purpose. Have fun!

Added to your previous question: there are under counter fridges that have wine storage on 1 side, cans on the other. Under $2K, might be more if panel ready.

I agree this is not a true butlers pantry and did you actually use a kitchen designer or did your architect or contractor design this. That guest bathroom is just awkward. As for the space you are asking about at best a bar area for entertainig .As for the kitchen layout I always get my clients imagine making a simple dinner , how many steps do you use for that purpose. I always do this when clients have some idea in their head they saw in a book that is just not practical. A kitchen needs to be designed for function first .If you have kids that mudroom is way too small what is the 3 x 3 space next to the PR IMO this house is a huge amount of wasted space with poor design.

built in ice tub with drain

Or you could get an ice bucket. Cool vintage, MCM, etc. Cheaper than a sink.

" . . . or did your architect or contractor design this."

I caught that Patricia. : ) I hope an architect didn't design that. I hope the OP is erroneously referring to her designer as an "architect". Please tell me the designer of this house is not an architect. Not all architects are created equal.

Following....

As others have said, you don't have a butler's pantry. I don't either, but I'd kill to have one, and have stayed many times in two houses that did. They are a room for ones best china and silver and crystal. They usually had a sink in them for hand washing these items. Now, there is sometimes also a dishwasher as many prefer to put all crystal glassware in such.

You have an area that will be very useful for a drinks bar when entertaining. DO NOT put a sink there - just something else to get dirty, clogged up (think citrus peels) etc. When entertaining, put an ice bucket out and a nice pitcher of water. Keep your bar/wine glasses in the cabinets. It will keep drink-making out of your kitchen area and be quite useful.

Below is an illustration of an exercise I sometimes go through on a project to point out the efficiency of the layout, how much of the house is dedicated to circulation space and how much room there is for furniture. Circulation space is unavoidable but the less there is the more efficient the layout is.

And the list is longer but I have to get back to work.

We opted not to put
the sink in the butlers pantry since the kitchen was a few steps behind it and
added it in the breakfast bar with a smaller fridge.I plan on using the
counter in the breakfast area as a bar area since it is right next to my patio.
(looks like that is similar to yours).

That's an exagerated drawing of a work triangle, Mark.

. She HAS a prep sink planned for the island. Let's hope she has a trash pull out there too:)

I would NOT put a sink in that space. If the countertop is clear, it makes a great place to serve buffet food, appetizers, coffee/desserts, or set out drinks/glasses/alcohal to keep it separate from the kitchen, which is great for hosting parties. You lose all that flexibility if you put a sink in, and you've already got two in close proximity.

If the double bowl sink is not part of the work triangle then it can be eliminated, and then maybe the prep sink should be located at the window.

Also, your French doors for the family room need to open out toward the screened porch and deck. On your plans, the doors can't be left open, and when open all the way will hit your fireplace. Or you could use a nice slider instead, so you can have a screen to the deck.