How to design the perfect pantry

Pantries and larders were once a feature no home could do without, offering somewhere cool and away from bright sunlight to store both fresh and dried goods in the absence of modern refrigeration methods. They also reflected the way we used to eat far more seasonally than we do these days, allowing people to tuck away fruit and vegetables, as well as cured meats, for when food was scarce or harder to come by in the colder months.
Nowadays we shop till we drop and perhaps that bulk buying has necessitated the perfect spot in the kitchen to store our supermarket haul.

Where to start? In this case, the size of your kitchen will have an impact. If you are blessed with a cavernous space then the world is your oyster, partitioning walls to create full walk-in pantries that wouldn’t look out of place in Downton Abbey is a real thing in town and country. However, for those of us with kitchens that have less ballroom like proportions, a walk-in can also be created using a corner larder. If you do so happen to have a separate space that can be partitioned, then consider a few items that will make your pantry work harder.

1. No radiators or heating – tiled or stone floors work well to keep things cool

2. Against outside walls is preferable

3. Consider adding work surface – cool marble is fantastic for rolling out pastry and dough

4. Shelve to the ceiling – make every centimetre count. And keep a step stool handy for when you need the hard-to-reach items

5. Glazed doors are the ultimate in luxury pantry design now but if you don’t have your own butler to keep it spick and span then reeded or frosted glass will save your blushes when you have guests over. Sliding or pocket doors are great when space is a little tighter.

The option that will work with most kitchen layouts is the integrated or freestanding pantry or larder cupboard. These hardworking beauties will keep your dried and even fresh food like vegetables organised and arranged like Marie Kondo’s closet.
If you want this element of your kitchen to sit quietly then keep it in the same colour palette as the rest of your cabinetry for a sleek uniform look. Standing tall and sentry-like next to your built-in appliances looks great in either a traditional country style or a sleek handle less rail.

To add a bit of colour to your kitchen why not have your pantry or larder painted in a contrasting or complimentary tone. We just love some of Burbidge kitchens pantry perfect colours like Pale rose, Tuscan red and Charcoal. With a modern contemporary kitchen use an accent colour or look at the range of alternative finishes such as marbled or timber veneers. 

Let’s talk internals – it’s what’s on the inside that counts and we have that nailed here at Paul Rowles kitchens. Whether freestanding or integrated our larder cupboards can be full height shelved, shelving at the top and internal drawers at the bottom or if you are tight on space a larder style effect can be achieved by adding a dresser unit to a pan drawer or standard base cabinet.

Oak drawer fronts are a beautiful touch to a full height pantry cupboard and don’t forget the oak door storage for those easy to reach spices and oils. The shelving can be designed to work with your needs – shallow depth for those smaller items such as condiments or extra depth and height for those family sized cereal boxes. Then there’s lighting and electrics for those pesky appliances you would like hidden away. These are the things you would expect to talk to us about in your showroom appointment.

For a contemporary take on the larder – look at the amazing range of KesseBohmer pull out storage solutions some of which you can try out yourself in our beautiful Northamptonshire based kitchen showroom.

Whatever your needs, a whole new kitchen, or a free-standing pantry cupboard to compliment your existing cabinetry, give us a call and book in for your complimentary consultation with one of our design team.

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