17 kitchen larder ideas (and why every home needs one)
Kitchen storage can be a bugbear for almost everyone because, no matter how much space you have, stuff always seems to expand to fill it. Those of us with small kitchens can only dream of the days when every kitchen accessory and appliance will have its own dedicated home, rather than cluttering up the countertops. One of the latest trends in kitchen design is particularly covetable for storage-seekers: the kitchen larder. Calling it a new trend is actually rather misleading, as larders have been around for centuries, but we’re very glad to see them making a comeback.
Originally, larders were stone-walled storage areas where meat could be preserved by covering it in fat or lard – hence the name larder. Before the days of refrigeration, meat and dairy products had to be kept as cold as possible away from the warmth generated by cooking in the kitchen. As such, these small rooms close to the kitchen often featured cool quarry tiled flooring, a fixed metal window (perforated to let in the cold air), stone slabs or ‘thrawls’ to keep food fresh, pine shelving, and pale blue walls because Victorians reportedly believed that it kept the flies away. Ice would be harvested in the winter and kept in the larder surrounded by layers of hay insulation to protect it through the warmer months, when keeping food cool was even more important.
Today, larders have taken on a somewhat different function, becoming a close relation to the pantry, which was traditionally where dry goods would have been stored. With our kitchens now invariably kitted out with fridges and freezers, larders are rarely required for meat and dairy products – but a cooler room (on an external wall, for instance) can come in handy for those items that benefit from being at a lower temperature than our warm kitchens. However, most of the larders we see in modern homes are used for dry foods, canned goods and even small appliances and additional cookware.
Many kitchen designers have now started incorporating freestanding or built-in larders into their schemes: floor-to-ceiling cupboards, sometimes deeper than the surrounding kitchen cabinets, which include shelving, drawers, and often a countertop as well. The range of freestanding and built-in pantry units by Smallbone is particularly appealing, with a wide range of arrangements and finishes to suit your needs and preferences.
One of the most memorable examples from the pages of House & Garden is the separate larder area in Angus and Charlotte Buchanan’s kitchen in London. ‘When we designed the house, the first thing we knew we wanted was a larder. With two kids and a love for cooking, amazing food, and great products, it was something we really wanted to try and fit into the space,’ says Angus. ‘Built with bespoke joinery and french doors that match the kitchen, it’s versatile – able to be part of the room or tucked away. Design decisions, like the fluted glass and our skirt curtain in Buchanan Studio’s “Ticking Rose”, look good but are also perfect for hiding away any mess when we have guests over.’
Indeed, larders or pantries can be an attractive design element in themselves. Using refillable jars and bottles is a great way to organise your larder in an eco-friendly and visually satisfying way. As Christabel Chubb noted in her ode to the refillable kitchen, we’re not the only ones waxing lyrical about larders and pantries. ‘A well organised cupboard or pantry is one of those aspirational things to which people dedicate Pinterest boards and appreciation on Instagram,’ she writes.
Colour specialist and founder of Atelier Ellis, Cassandra Ellis notes that many home owners choose to rip out existing larders or pantries to regain some kitchen space. Instead, she recommends embracing these original features, and suggests adding a splash of colour by painting it in a warm colour such as a deep red. Much like utility rooms (which have grown in popularity too), it’s not only organisation that the larder provides, but also the opportunity to experiment with different finishes, accessories and even textiles. Why not experiment with pretty additions like under-counter curtains, wallpaper and gloss colours.
Kitchen larder ideas from the House & Garden archive
Rachael Smith1/15Though this example made by Plain English for fashion designer Wiggy Hindmarch’s Queen Anne Thameside house is primarily used for tableware, its brick walls and good ventilation could work well for a more traditional pantry or larder.
James McDonald2/15Pantries and larders are not just for traditional houses. In this unusual contemporary house designed by architect Alex Michaelis for his own family, one corner of the kitchen has been carved out for dedicated food storage. With a porthole above and plenty of windows, it is filled with natural light, making it a useful space for any preparations. The oak cabinetry is by JFB Joinery, which worked on the whole house.
Christopher Horwood3/15We love the idea of bringing interesting colour and pattern into your larder or pantry, which Lucy Cunningham has done in this room off the kitchen of a Cotswold house. The woodwork is painted in ‘Sage Green’ by Little Greene with the walls behind in Susan Deliss’ ‘Orto’ print, which together create a warm, inviting feel that contrasts with the light and airy kitchen.
Paul Massey4/15The kitchen is the first room you enter when you come in through the front door of Cath Kidston’s west London home, so keeping everything neat and tidy was a priority. All the hardworking, practical elements of the kitchen are conceal behind traditional panelled doors painted in a calm neutral, including this pantry cupboard. It is used for small appliances as well as providing a place to store dry goods and condiments – the rack on the back of the door is a particularly good addition, and great for smaller spaces.
Christopher Horwood5/15In the kitchen of a writer Jane Moore’s house in Notting Hill, reeded glass doors conceal what she and her husband Stephen describe as an ‘Italian larder’. It houses a coffee machine and essential cocktail kit, and is one of their favourite things about the kitchen.
Christopher Horwood6/15The owners of this London house by Laura Stephens wanted a walk-in pantry that was open, so Laura used reeded glass panels to let the light through, and give a glimpse of what lies beyond without creating an overly cluttered look. ‘I felt it was quite brave to just put everything on display like that. But they are very tidy and organised, and keep everything in pretty jars,’ says Laura. Like the kitchen, it was created in collaboration with Boffe Design.
7/15Farrow & Ball brand ambassador Patrick O’Donnell has turned a cupboard in his dining room at home in Worcestershire into a very useful – and impeccably organised – food storage area. It is tucked behind a pocket sliding door in the same colour as the walls – Farrow & Ball's ‘Biscuit’ in dead flat – which contrasts with the dark wooden shelves inside the cupboard. Having breakfast staples and condiments in the dining room is also very useful when it comes to setting the table.
Dean Hearne8/15Most people tend to go for a fairly standard configuration of cabinets in their kitchens, but thinking slightly outside the box can have transformative results. Floor-to-ceiling cabinets can be a brilliant solution for a small space. We love how in her Notting Hill apartment, artist Daisy Sims-Hilditch has adapted Neptune’s ‘Suffolk’ kitchen for her compact space, with a full wall of cabinets and a larder in the middle, plus a ladder for reaching the top of the units.
Yuki Sugiura9/15Designer Matilda Goad’s imaginative, stylish Victorian terraced house is packed with clever and unexpected ideas. In her larder, she has used red grout between the white tiles for a fun and expected contrast, which also avoids the sad discolouration that can occur with pale grout. The curtain is in a Jean Monroe fabric from Turnell & Gigon.
Paul Massey10/15In the kitchen of Sarah Corbett-Winder’s north London house, an internal window introduces light into the larder, which is hidden behind a playful folding door in a deep red gloss. It sets the tone for the matt purplish red within the larder itself, which contrasts with the brighter, architectural white finish on the walls and built-in shelving units.
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British Standard Cupboards11/15The bright blue pantry in Lisa Mehyedene’s London kitchen proves that such spaces lend themselves to experimentation with playful colours and fabrics. It is painted in ‘St Giles Blue’ from Farrow & Ball with Howe at 36 Bourne Street’s ‘Folies Bergère’ fabric under the counter and tiles by Wayne Pate for Balineum above the work surface – both pretty and practical.
Simon Brown12/15Dark wood, flush edges (like around the microwave) and spotlights by Jim Lawrence make for a very smart finish in this example. The bespoke cupboard is based on an antique original and serves as a larder in the tranquil London home of Kerri Lipsitz.
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Michael Sinclair13/15A large freestanding cabinet has been converted into a glorious larder for dry goods in this 18th-century house in Bath designed by Patrick Williams of Berdoulat. A light, minty colour on the exterior is complemented by a darker teal inside. This is also smart as it helps to hide oil stains and other inevitable marks.
14/15Under-stair storage is put to clever use in this Plain English kitchen: ‘All our food is stored in this beautifully designed walk-in larder, which contains a honed Carrara marble worktop and shelves alongside practical details, such as a wine rack and space for baskets,’ say the owner. The marble shelves are not only beautiful, but practical because they keep food cool and fresh.
Tom Mannion15/15A slanted ceiling creates a perfect nook for a simply designed pantry in this Max-Rollitt-designed house in Oxfordshire. The rudimentary, rugged materials used (like the bricks and no-frills shelving) create a useful, practical area for preparation and storage, and stylistically link back to the original Victorian pantries.
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