How To Create A Butler’s Pantry On Wheels

There’s something to be said about a scattered collection. The beauty about collecting is to group it together and display it in a way that doesn’t look jumbled. Try as I might to keep my collection of plates and tableware together so I can see what I have – grab and go – it was my flatware, silver and serving pieces that were tucked away in various drawers and spots. I’m embarrassed to admit that I had an asparagus server stowed in the drawer with my socks. Yes, I know, even my eyes are rolling.

I needed a hard working storage solution to keep my collection of flatware and serving pieces together in one spot. My mom keeps all of hers in a piece from Bombay Company that she’s had for as long as I can remember. I wanted something like this, and set out to find it. Then, I stumbled across a genius idea that I found in Eddie Ross’s book that was right up my alley; a repurposed tool chest.

Brand new, these things aren’t cheap, so I turned to flea markets and Craigslist, where I always find my thrills. Though these tool chests are a plenty, I needed to find the Goldilocks of them all – not too rusty, plenty of drawers for storage, and it had to be mobile.

There she blows, in the lot of an eclectic collector’s stuff, tucked behind an aluminum phone booth with a naked mannequin making a call. It was just right, very little rust, an easy clean up and where a coat of paint would do wonders. Taking out the drawers was a challenge, and I created a how-to video to make things easy for you.

For a clean look (and since I have yet to see a white utility cart), I sprayed it white. I lined each drawer with anti tarnish fabric (you can find that here), to help keep things shiny. You can also use felt, but the anti tarnish fabric is a little insurance policy to help keep your silver shiny longer.

For a little whimsy, I lined the inside top shelf with a leftover scrap of wallpaper, and attached a small mirror with velcro.

I have filled the cart with my collection of flatware and serving pieces that I use the most. Now, I don’t have to go searching the sock drawer for that one specific serving piece. Finding smart and hard working storage solutions is the key to making things easier on you, and too, while you’re entertaining. Just because something is designed for one purpose doesn’t mean it can’t be used for another. Always keep this in mind.