While putting your fridge in the pantry isn’t common, this viral tip basically reboots an old home design concept: the butler’s pantry. These pantries were more common in older, wealthier houses and were a transitional area between the kitchen and dining room. It was typically used for storage and staging; you could store anything from china to silverware there, or stage the meals on the counters before bringing them to the dining room.
In some houses, the butler’s pantry was nothing more than a small hallway lined with cabinets. In others, it was more akin to a small kitchen off the side of the bigger one. And today, as pantries grow, they’re morphing into this secondary prep area, and they’re becoming more and more popular for two reasons.
First, the kitchen is increasingly becoming an entertainment space, so the messy prep work is being pushed into another area, away from the guests. And second, as it’s becoming more fashionable to have uncluttered countertops and streamlined appliances, folks are moving gadgets, such as microwaves and toasters, into their walk-in pantries. It only makes sense for fridges to follow.
