The Homeowners Call This Combo Bar, Pantry, and Prep Space Their "Fancy Pantry"
Shortly after designer Katie Davis purchased a 1920s Craftsman bungalow in the historic neighborhood of Houston Heights, Texas, back in 2016, she doubled the square footage. This allowed room for an additional bedroom, bath-and-a-half, and—most importantly—a new kitchen and accompanying "fancy pantry," as the family calls it: a combo bar, pantry, and butler's pantry for prep work.
Recently, she revisited the minimalist room—which had been designed in a simple gray-and-white color scheme during the reno/addition build for simplicity's sake—to give it a pretty refresh. Covering the back wall in a hemp wallcovering with a stylized floral pattern, Indian Flower in blue from Jasper Fabrics, Davis also lacquered the millwork in smoky gray-green. “I wanted to fully commit to the ‘fancy pantry’ nickname,” she laughs. Here's how the functional room feels now.
On one half of the galley-style space, a bar boasts an under-counter fridge while glassware is displayed in open shelving above. “We serve drinks from here during parties,” Davis says. “This is where the magic happens.”
Paint: Card Room Green, Farrow & Ball. Wallpaper: Jasper Fabrics.
Just across the aisle, pantry items stock the cabinets and china hides in the drawers. “We use the space all the time,” the designer says. The white subway tile backsplash, classic white countertop with gray veining, and unlacquered brass hardware were installed during the first renovation.
Backsplash tile: Daltile. Hardware: House of Antique Hardware.
Ample counter space allows for charming vignettes and creative serving presentations.
Q & A
House Beautiful: What was your starting point or inspiration for the refresh?
Katie Davis: I have always loved the Indian Flower print in blue from Jasper Fabrics. I pulled the paint color, Farrow & Ball’s Card Room Green, from the fabric. It feels cohesive with the rest of the house, but still stands out and provides drama. It is now truly a jewel box.
HB: How does the space function better now?
KD: When this space was a kitchen prior to the reno, we called it our ‘one butt’ kitchen, because two people could not comfortably be in there at the same time. Since the renovation, we have used this space as the bar and pantry. Now that it’s all dressed up, we get so much more enjoyment out of using it.
HB: Where did the majority of the budget go?
KD: The lacquer.
HB: Did you encounter any challenges in the design process?
KD: Lacquering is for the birds, Ha! It took them over a month, it stunk up the whole house, it was extremely expensive, and my husband wanted to kill me. But I would do it all over again.
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