From Coffee to Flower Arranging // The Butler’s Pantry Transformation
Transforming half of our Butler’s Pantry to a Flower Arranging room was a really great idea. I love that I have a place to store all of my flower arranging supplies and arrange my flowers!
It was almost a year ago when I realized for the first time there was a National Coffee Day. Believe it or not, that was the day I decided to get rid of the coffee station in my Butler’s Pantry. Why?
Because I replaced it with a flower arranging station. In my house, it’s all about flower arrangements.
Before you think I am crazy, let me explain.
I love coffee. I really do. And any morning I don’t get to enjoy my morning coffee at home, with my daily Sudoku puzzle in hand, is usually the start of a bad day. Many of you have seen the gorgeous Italian copper latte machine that my husband gave me twenty years ago. The only problem is it doesn’t work. And it hasn’t worked for about ten years. (I do need to admit that it apparently needs a minor fix and I did find a place in Los Angeles where I can get it fixed. My bad.)
Also, my husband rarely drinks coffee, so I don’t want to make a full pot. I don’t own a Keurig machine because I like to make a large cup of coffee and my mug won’t fit under the spout. So here is what I do every morning to make coffee. I grab a Rae Dunn mug (based on my mood of the morning), open up one Starbuck’s Via Instant coffee packet and add hot water from my instant-hot faucet. The total time to do this takes less than a minute.
So why did I need an entire coffee station to make a cup of coffee in less than a minute?
Hence, my brilliant idea for my flower arranging station.
I love flowers. And as Monet said, “I must have flowers always and always”. But the “arranging the flowers“ part has never been my favorite thing to do because of how it always disrupts my kitchen. So I now have the perfect place to arrange my flowers. I have a large countertop with a hundred-year-old working sink, with all of my vases, pots, and tools nearby.
I was so excited about this that I sort of renamed half of my Butler’s Pantry to the Flower Arranging Room. And I am still trying to do a bi-monthly blog post on making flower arrangements for my home! This was so perfect for me. Because I knew I would spend more than a minute in the room formerly known as my Butler’s Pantry to play with flowers every day. Even if occasionally I am even creating faux arrangements.
My only dilemma is what to do when I get the copper latte machine fixed. It’s too gorgeous not to have a nice spot in our home. I just need to figure that out. Because it’s been a year and I haven’t gotten it fixed yet.
Until then, I must have flowers and flowers.
So do you think I am crazy?
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No I think that’s a brilliant idea!! How cool to make good use of that unused space.
Random question…are those red oak floors? Do you recall the stain? I have similar/sane floors but they are orange and blahand looking to restain them. Love your color!
So beautiful Leslie! Have fun!
I love a good coffee bar, but I have to say that I love this idea! Looks beautiful, Leslie!
Darlin it’s your home and if that works best for you then that’s what’s best for you! It’s lovely!!
They are not red oak. And I am so sorry I don’t know the satin. I would guess a medium brown perhaps?
Oops! I meant to type “stain”!
At one of my first openings (I am a pastel artist) a very distinguished gentleman and his male friend were leaving the opening and he said “Finally, someone has created art for the butler’s pantry!” I took it as a compliment.
This is beautiful, I’d love to do flower arrangements in there. I’m looking into doing that on one side of laundry room. Old Formica out!
I do love your flower arranging room, but I can’t do w/o my Keurig…so much so, when searching for a vacation home to go skiing last year, I asked if they had a Keurig. The base of the Keurig slides out for taller mugs. We use the 20 & 30 oz Yeti mugs for our coffee, both fit perfectly in the Keurig!
We use the “pour over method” for coffee. Makes the best coffee and so simple and no need to store anything but a small plastic or ceramic filter holder and #2 paper filters. You place it directly non top of the mug/ cup of choice and pour hot water over it. Saves money, space and the need for Keurig pods.
Love the flower station idea! Reminds me that I need to take more time for this that brings happiness. 🙂
I think its genius! I’m the only one who drinks coffee in my house and A Keurig portion is never big enough for me. Even when Id make a pot of coffee even with around starbucks beans it was never as good as Starbucks. I started buying packs of Via in Costco and it was delicio0us! I always have one in my purse and travel with them too. If you can figure out how to make an insert to drop into the sink, it can be a gift wrapping station too!
I love your new flower arranging station! Such a good idea. We are moving into a new home next month and you have given me many good ideas for it already! I love arranging flowers too and I’m thinking I could do this in my laundry room. No sink though☹️ but I’ll make it work . Ha
Thanks for all your inspiration !
Brilliant – like your variety and love the wall picture about flowers!