Journal
Well thought through pantry storage solutions can make a huge difference to the organisation of a domestic space. A century ago “kitchen appliances” would have meant a kettle and a biscuit barrel. Today we can have an entire electrical department in our pantries and kitchens – gadgets for every conceivable operation from making the perfect cappuccino to extract the maximum juice from a mango.
Where we once would have had a bread knife and a carving knife we now have glittering ranges of precision Japanese or German steel, each professional piece with a specific function from boning a turbot to flawlessly peeling a kumquat.
We are masters of our kitchen universe… except all these gadgets and tools, Kitchen Aids and containers have to go somewhere; and the tendency to be untidy is an all too familiar phenomenon. The truth is that an efficient kitchen – one that inspires calm and clear thinking rather than stress and confusion – is one that’s planned. A functional space where your specific needs have been thought out in advance; a solution to your pantry storage solution needs.
A Variety Of Pantry Storage Solutions
At Guild Anderson we specialise in making domestic spaces in period houses work for modern households.
Bespoke design can add up to 40% more pantry storage space, so we design cabinetry to fit the smallest of alcoves utilising every conceivable space, making it uniquely liveable, enhancing your life.
In a hard working kitchen incorporating many different storage solutions within the design is essential. Pan drawers, spice racks, open shelving, larder cupboards, wine racks, cutlery drawers, knife racks, all help to make the room run efficiently, and by giving each area a designated function creates a tranquil space.
Guild Anderson’s founder, Nick Anderson, offers that the best pantry storage solutions are of course a cupboard with shelves or a set of drawers. However any awkward places require a more individual approach. He recommends that clients really assess what they use in their kitchen day-to-day, rather than what they have. Do you need Granny’s inherited china and silver tea service to be housed amongst your every day kitchen-ware? Can it be located elsewhere in the room, or indeed the dining room?
Zone The Layout Of Pantry & Kitchen Storage
Once appliances have been considered Nick then suggests working out where to keep your essential items by ‘zoning’. For example in the washing area; a dishwasher, bin, crockery cupboard and cutlery drawer close by will avoid one having to travel too far. Allowing for the pantry to be near the fridge means that food storage is more straight forward after a larger supermarket shop.
A larder cupboard or walk-in pantry both work well; depending on how much space one can allocate. Both can accommodate a stone shelf at counter height; traditionally built in a cooler north facing corner of the house.
In a modern larder cupboard this stone surface can incorporate plug sockets and be used to house small appliances, with internal lighting.
Provisions racks on the doors create storage for smaller jars and bottles. Below the work surface can be additional shelving, scoop fronted drawers or indeed baskets for storing fruit and vegetables.
Bespoke Storage Solutions for Narrow Spaces
Nick recommends that in a kitchen drawers are best below the work surface; be it pan or cutlery. However above the surface one can be a little more creative.
In some instances where there may be a corridor-like setting; a cabinet with pocket doors offers the perfect solution allowing the cupboard to be used throughout the day, while the doors slide seamlessly in to a pocket at the side of the cabinet, removing the look of simply a cupboard door left ajar.
For such attention to detail Nick insists that the mechanism needs to be robust to stand up to everyday wear; some lesser mechanisms have been known to shake. If there is a tall narrow space within the design Nick suggests that a pull out mechanism is used as a good pantry storage solution. This maximises the deep slim space perfectly.
Open Shelves Give An Alternative Storage Solution
Not everything needs to be hidden away; open shelving and glazed cabinets make a huge difference to the look and feel of your space.
A simple floating shelf can work particularly well in a kitchen where there are many closed cupboards taking up wall space, they lighten the room by diluting the run of cabinets.
Pantry storage solutions of all types can make a kitchen work more efficiently and calmly. Bespoke cabinetry offers a unique solution; allowing you to play with scale, design and fit; ensuring you get the very most out of your space. Shelving allows the display of significant belongings, and closed cupboards hide the essentials of daily life.
As we know, order and calm in our home can be a precious commodity that benefits all!
