Butler’s Pantry… The New Accessories Closet

Maybe it has been a revolt against the matching outfits my mother dressed my brother and I in; or that fact that they were based on her own wardrobe so she matched too!  But I blame the fact that my mother’s concept of a change bag consisted of a designer handbag and chequebook.

Yep, my mother’s idea of being prepared was she was prepared to buy anything she needed whenever she left the house.

I have heard my mother muse on more than one occasion about the three of us about town, my mother in a sweater mini dress (it was the early 80’s) with my brother and I with a coordinated look in the same fabric (his with blue trim mine was red).  It starts to rain and we are all in spring ensembles… 

There was only one thing for it duck into the nearest shop and buy something suitable to compliment the outfit and protect us from the elements.  I don’t actually remember this being tedious but I can’t imagine it would have been easy to find something that would match our outfits while maintaining the uniqueness accents of each look.

Anyway, such actions resulted in there never being a time in my life when I didn’t have issues regarding the lack of space for my wardrobe.  Dad gave me more built-ins - instantly filled; I get a chest of draws – they can’t be closed the first time my washing is put away; at university I move into the master suite at a share house – the walk-in was no match! It seems that every time I think I will have suitable to house my, what I think to be a standard size, wardrobe I am met with disappointment.

My current dilemma occurred after moving the bulk of my possessions to my house in the country.  This didn’t seem like a major exercise as after relocating to Sydney nearly 4 years ago.   All I had accumulated was a bed, a 18^th century Chippendale hall table and my clothes, all of which fit into the built-ins of my Woollahra apartment without axillary furniture.

The problem was, once I came to unpack, I have not really thrown out many pieces from my adult wardrobe that I have thrown out.  Obviously, like most people, there were a few questionable fashion choices in the late 90’s but, like all good fashionista, I try to buy pieces that are not too on trend.

Also I am not really one to take loads of photos when I am out – enough of my peeps do that – so my memories lay in the clothes that I have worn: the Gucci outfit I wore at my 21^st; the Balenciaga shirt with pussy cat bow and trousers I wore at a friends wedding; the Z Zegna silk & linen boucle suit I got for my mothers 2^nd marriage; well you get the picture.

I guess that fact that I have dropped some coin on clothes is another reason that I don’t part with it lightly. 

This has been one of usual diversions from my main point but that is me so that is what you get.  Back to the point thought…

When I came to unpack my wardrobe at the farm I didn’t quite understand how many clothes I had sent there over years.  This left me in a major pickle!  As an older style farmhouse closets weren’t front of mind when the house was built.

When I first bought the house I said to my dad that I would need to turn the butler’s pantry into a walk in closet, it shared a common wall with one of the bedrooms.

My dad thought that I was joking, and I guess that I was has – well kind of anyway – but as I began to unpack the cases and cases from my closet I quickly realised that I needed to find space and fast!

The answer?  My butler’s pantry naturally, well half of it anyway!   The shelves were not wide enough to keep any clothes but it turn out to be perfect my collection of bags, shoes, belts, sunglasses and everything else.  I thought that an accessories closet was just for fashion magazines but it turns out you could have one at your home too!