Larders vs. Walk-in Pantries
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Creative British interior design specialists, Brandt Design, welcomes the rise in demand for dedicated kitchen storage, as homeowners seek to optimise and refine space management in the home.
Demonstrating a greater appreciation for added-value features in the ‘lifestyle kitchen’, homeowners are prompting new layouts, furniture styles and interior solutions that are pantry-inspired and provide a designated larder space for storing dry goods, long-life food, drink, and more recently, next-generation breakfast cupboards!
Julia Steadman, Commercial Director at Brandt Design says, “Being prepared seems to be more important than ever as the global pandemic has changed all our lives and when it comes to groceries, kitchens are now having to factor in space, which accommodates increased bulk buying and more frequent online deliveries. Added to that, improving our wellbeing has also become a hot topic as we all find ways to stay healthy and this is being reflected in the type of food and dietary habits that UK homeowners are exploring, e.g. plant-based foods, veganism, and new meat and dairy substitutes.”
As the number of multi-generational households continue to rise, Brandt Designexpect their customers will continue to enjoy preparing, serving and eating a greater variety of food and drink, which inevitably will fuel further attention on lifestyle-centred storage like larders and walk-in pantries. Julia adds “As concerns about food security comes at a time when inflation is at a 30-year high, we anticipate that grocery shopping will take up a greater share of household budgets going forwards, and so providing ample space to store large numbers of provisions in the kitchen and utility room will only increase.”
Brandt Design has noted two clear food storage trends step to the fore: (1) a renaissance in traditional larder storage either freestanding or built-in, and (2) the convenience of a dedicated walk-in pantry space. So how do you choose which style is right for you, and what are the features and benefits?
Walk this way
The appeal of a dedicated ‘room within a room’ to house all your foodstuffs is hard to beat, especially if you are catering for a large household. Julia explains, “The pantry has a rich and varied history in the home, and I am delighted to see it making a comeback with the ability to be personalised to suit the needs of today’s busy families. As with every kitchen there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution and we always recommend that you consider the architecture of your home to see which will work best for you. The advantages of having a walk-in pantry include the ability to keep your store cupboard essentials away from the main work area, which frees up more space for dining, relaxing and more appliances to make life easier.”
The new generation of quartz surfaces available ensure that you can have the classic ‘look and feel’ of the traditional marble counter for keeping foods cool in your pantry without the high maintenance. Your kitchen designer can help you decide how to fit out your dedicated floor to ceiling space, with shelving and cupboards to separate and manage items. This cuts down on visual clutter and enables you to store like with like and maximise your storage potential so that you can store packet foods by use by date and avoid overstocking and understocking. A dedicated area for storing multi-packs and snacks is ideal when you’re catering for teenagers and their friends.
Cupboard love
Having well-organized larder storage within your kitchen is ideal when you love to ‘cook together’ and so zoning the kitchen around different tasks is fundamental. By arranging your food cupboards next to the fridge-freezer, it’s easy to have a dedicated cooking area with everything in easy reach to make meal prep a breeze. The latest kitchen wirework and storage components mean that you make every inch of your larder count with dedicated racks, drawers and pull-outs for the ultimate in store cupboard style. Today’s clever designs ensure that all elements can be adjusted to suit you so you can store the ingredients and breakfast goods which you use frequently at a comfortable height as well as keeping recipe books and Tupperware containers to hand.
Julia says, “Centralising your larder at the planning stage sets you up for success for a well-organized kitchen living space which is truly life-enhancing. Being honest and realistic about what you like to cook and how often will help your kitchen designer to create a blueprint which is uniquely tailored to support your routine. Rather than having food items scattered in various top units or UTC cabinets, today’s highly desirable tall units work well in contemporary and classic kitchen schemes to enable smoother household management especially as the kitchen continues to function as an open-plan zone for cooking, dining, working from home and entertaining.”
Space saving solutions
Making the most of the available kitchen space means that you can bring an unused corner into play as an extra storage area. With the simple addition of customised L-shaped shelving and tongue-and-groove panels, it can be transformed into a practical place to keep your essentials tucked safely away from the main prep zone but convenient for regular use.
“We believe there are no barriers to family-friendly kitchen storage, which is why we encourage our designers to get to know every aspect of your kitchen space. Finding creative and functional solutions is something we are very proud of, as we want our bespoke kitchens to evolve with our customers’ changing needs over a lifetime, whether you have a young family, are looking to upsize or updating your forever home” says Julia.
Brandt Design project images, include the following:
1: Walk-in pantry in bespoke kitchen in Heritage Furniture, finished in Farrow & Ball’s Off Black with surfaces in 20mm Bianco Eclipsia Quartzite. Price for complete project £86,000+vat
2 & 3: Floor-to-ceiling larder unit in Farrow & Ball’s Pavilion Grey on Heritage Furniture is priced from £25,000+vat with this complete project costing £70,000+vat
4: Walk-in pantry in bespoke kitchen scheme in Heritage Furniture, painted in Obsidian Green and Shirting finishes by Little Greene. Price for complete project £45,000+vat
5: (below) Custom pantry as part of bespoke kitchen in Heritage Furniture - price on request