Keep or bin the 50s pantry?

[DitaVonCheese]

Just bought and completely renovating a 50s semi. It hasn't had anything done to it in years (we found papers from 1949/1950 under the old lino today ) so needs a lot of work.

In one corner of what will be our dining room there is an original built in pantry. It's about two foot square and I think the outer side is actually a brick wall, with a wooden door. There's a concrete slab at about waist height, for keeping things nice and cool, and then two small shelves above that which are solid wood and very well made.

Really can't decide whether to leave it in or rip it out. DH wants to keep it as he thinks it will be useful storage space but I think it's quite a crap shape plus there's a large wooden cupboard built in in the opposite corner already. My main reason for keeping it would be that I think it's quite nice to retain some original features but then I also think I'd quite like my 4 foot of dining room back!

Any thoughts? Ta

[SchnitzelVonKrumm]

Keep it, definitely

[solo]

Absolutely keep it. I'd love one of those.
A good friend of mine has the original cold larder and storage cupboards and they are just fabulous and hold so much!

[iamfabregasted]

Keep it, they hold TONS

[Drayford]

Keep Keep Keep!!!! I have an original larder/dairy in my house (georgian farmhouse - yes before you ask - I do have a real farm!)

Larders/pantrys are great for storing jam, pickles, left overs, milk, copious amounts of canned tomatoes bought at bargain prices at Lidl, etc and any other stuff you have around the house (hoover, mop, boots etc) Bread, however, does need to be stored in a bread bin otherwise IME it goes mouldy really quickly!

BUT ... if you'd rather have a bigger dining room, all the above can be stored in the kitchen...!!!!

[mrslurkalot]

keep it! I'd LOVE a 50's pantry!

[mymatemarmite]

Keep - no question about it!

[GrendelsMum]

Keep it - we too have a larder and a pantry, and they are incredibly handy for storing stuff that should be kept cold but doesn't need a fridge.

[randomimposter]

keep - SO useful, and a lovely old feature.

[ReshapeWhileDamp]

I'd keep it - I love houses with old pantries. Shame it's not in the kitchen, but I'm sure you'll still find a use for the storage.

[pebblejones]

I would love a pantry in the kitchen, but in a dining room? I think that would be a little odd.

[MrsBadger]

hmm

if it was in the kicthen I'd def say keep it as we have a fabulously useful larder

but in the dining room is just abit awkward.. you wouldn;t use it for fresh food really, woul dyou?

[domesticsluttery]

KEEP!!!!!!

I grew up in a house with a pantry, with a proper cold slab to keep things cool.

I really miss it in my new build

[elliepac]

I have a pantry and I love it! I use it to store all manner of tins and kitchen paraphernalia plus mops, brooms etc. I would keep!

[ib]

Where is it relative to the kitchen? Quite close or miles away?

[BikeRunSki]

Keep! I had one in my stooodent flat and have missed it every day since I graduated 12 years ago!

[VoidofDiscovery]

Keep.

Seriously, there are so useful and keep things at the right temp, esp. cheese which should be too cold. As for it being in the dining room, that's ok as things like condiments, left overs (meat) can be just popped back in there rather than taken back into the kitchen.

Maybe you could get rid of the other cupboard if it is not being used?

[teta]

I would say remove it as it is such an awkward position.Yes they are useful,but not so much for todays lifestyle.You can subsitute a fridge and a larder cupboard.We have one and the slate shelfs are useful for keeping things cold and for parties - which we rarely have!.We are converting ours to a cloakroom as our front hall is drowning in coats and shoes [due to 4 dc's and associated friends].Get some 50's furniture instead to add character - this is becoming very fashionable!.

[DitaVonCheese]

Wow, that seems fairly unanimous! It's right next to the kitchen (or the dark hole where the kitchen will one day be anyway). We can always change our minds later I suppose. And we already have some 50s furniture

Right, off to Toolstation Thanks all

[Broderie]

I love pantries

[matumble]

keep it lose the wooden cupboard instead?

[ivykaty44]

Keep it as it will be a really good space for storing food when you have a party, you know when it just will not all go in the fridge

Plus you can keep cheese in there much better than the fridge.

We didn't have a fridge until I was about 15 as we had a larder and a pantry so no need

[QueeferSutherland]

Keep it for your spare crockery/ramekins/christmas linen/posh cutlery/bloody great tureen/candlesticks etc.

[DitaVonCheese]

Noooooo I love the wooden cupboard - it's huge and so sturdy and though currently poo brown will be lovely when stripped back to wood or cream, plus it's behind a door type of thing so not taking up space we would otherwise use.

Might see if we can put bigger shelves in the pantry, as there really isn't that much storage space in there atm - just two narrow shelves and the big concrete slab. Like the idea of slate ones!

[FreeButtonBee]

Keep it; I have a big cupboard in my dining room which is also right next to the kitchen.

It's about 5 foot wide, six foot tall and about 1.5 foot deep. It holds LOADS. I get a big internet shop once every 6 weeks and buy tons of tins of tomatoes, coconut milk, fizzy water, pasta, rice, flour etc etc. It all lives in there. Also good for storing potatoes and onions and garlic plus anything else that you don't use every day.

It also holds all my wine glasses, serving dishes as well as candles and other dining stuff. I love it and it would be fair to say that I bought the house partially because it was there!

It means that my (v v v small) kitchen contains only the things that get uses every day plus the currently used bag of pasta/whatever.

[solo]

I think those shelve sizes are the norm in larders for some reason. Maybe to assist air flow?