We Toured This Custom Kitchen — Then the Butler’s Pantry Stole the Show
We at Home Channel TV recently toured a new custom home by Matt Keim Builders, and the kitchen is the room we kept talking about after we left.
It is not just pretty. It is a working kitchen with a few upgrades that make new construction feel truly custom; and then it opens into a butler’s pantry that is doing a lot more than storage.
Custom Kitchen Design Tour, has AMAZING Butler’s Pantry!
The kitchen that sets the tone
The first thing that lands is the color story. The cabinetry is chosen to work with the wood beams in the adjacent great room, so the kitchen does not feel like a separate box dropped into the open plan. Wood floors run through the space and keep going into the living area, which is one of those quiet details that makes the whole main level feel finished.
Then comes the contrast. The island is a matte-black statement against lighter perimeter cabinets, with gold hardware on the dark island. That combination is doing the heavy lifting: warm wood, quiet cabinets, and one bold piece that anchors the room.
Other details worth stealing:
Quartz countertops throughout
Stainless steel appliances
Matte-black hardware that matches the island mood
A custom wood range hood / stove cover that sits between the upper cabinets and gives the cooking wall a crafted look instead of a builder-standard metal hood
That wood hood is a smart move. It ties the range wall back to the beams and floors instead of letting the cooking zone go all stainless and cold.
The butler’s pantry is the real headline
This is why we wanted to share the kitchen on its own.
A pocket / in-wall sliding door tucks the pantry out of the main sightline, then opens into a second workspace that is actually usable. Inside you get:
Cabinets everywhere - this is not a closet with shelves
Another full refrigerator
More quartz surfaces
A small prep sink
Vertical tile that gives the backsplash a clean, tailored look
That is the difference between a pantry and a butler’s pantry. One stores cereal. The other hides the mess, keeps drinks cold, and gives you a second prep zone so the show kitchen stays clear when people are gathered at the island.
If you entertain — holidays, game days, or just a house that is always full — this layout is the feature that pays for itself every week.
What to take from this kitchen
A few ideas that travel well whether you are building with a custom builder or remodeling:
Give the island a different finish than the perimeter cabinets. Contrast is what makes the room photograph and live well.
Match something in the kitchen to the architecture — here it is wood on the hood, beams, and floors.
If you have the space, put a sink and a second fridge in the pantry. Storage alone is not the upgrade.
Use a pocket door so the pantry can disappear when you want the kitchen to look calm.
Matt Keim Builders is known around Kane County and nearby Illinois communities for this kind of custom work - kitchens that look designed, not catalog-selected. This one is a good example of that.
Watch the full walkthrough and tell us which detail you would copy first: the black-and-gold island, the wood hood, or that butler’s pantry.
Comments