We see larders and pantries appearing on more and more kitchen design wish lists. We’re going to take a look at kitchen storage and the best way to incorporate one into your bespoke kitchen design.
We’re going to blame Nigella Lawson for this one. Very early on in her TV cookery career, we saw her wandering into a beautiful larder in her kitchen, strewn with fairy lights and stacked high with the contents of a chic Italian deli. Since then, we’ve yearned to have a larder of our own. Many customers are keen to incorporate a pantry or larder into their bespoke kitchen design, and there are many options available.
Kitchen larders pre-date modern refrigerators as a way of preserving foods by keeping them cool. The name ‘larder’ comes from the lard that was used to cover meat to prolong its life. In older homes, you’ll find larders built against external walls, preferably on the north or western sides of the house where they were less exposed to the sun and remained cooler. Modern-day larders are usually just home to ambient ingredients, but marble and slate are both used to keep the contents cool.
As well as storing food, a larder can also house small kitchen appliances to help keep your kitchen counters clear.
What’s the difference between a larder and a pantry?
Image curiosity of Blackelk
Today the words pantry and larder are interchangeable, but this wasn’t always the case. While a larder was used to keep perishable items cool, a pantry was usually home to less temperature-sensitive ingredients. The name is derived from pain, the French word for bread.
Designing your perfect kitchen larder
One of the key advantages of adding a larder or a pantry to your kitchen design is that it reduces the need for wall-to-wall kitchen cupboards. It allows you to utilise your wall space differently and is particularly suited to open-plan living. By creating a more relaxed environment, it’s a nod to the kitchen’s role as a place for entertaining and socialising.
If your kitchen already has a large cupboard attached to it, this is an obvious location for your new kitchen larder. It may also be an option to partition off an area of the kitchen to make a cupboard that you can line with shelves of your choosing. Freestanding pantries are available in many different colours and finishes.
Many customers favour open shelving in their larders to maximise the storage space. These can be combined with drawers and cupboards, perfect for hiding away clutter. Decanting your dry goods from their original packaging into glass jars and canisters A pantry is also an excellent location for a wine rack, if your renovations don’t include dedicated wine storage!
When incorporating storage into your larder, don’t forget the doors. They can also house narrow shelves that are perfect for herbs, spices, oils, and bottles of vinegar.