Separate larder or not?

[Sinkingfeeling]

We're planning building work to the back of our house later this year to extend our kitchen (currently a 1950s time warp) and add an open-plan seating area next to it with French doors overlooking the garden. We like the idea of a separate, walk-in larder to store all our dry food, but aren't sure whether it would be better to have a larger kitchen instead with larder cupboards along one wall. Any views?

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/28640429/kitchen-no-larder.jpg Plan of kitchen without separate larder

Plan of kitchen with separate larder

[ChaosTrulyReigns]

Yup, we're hopinh to extend this year and a separate pantry is so on my list.

I'd like it unheated and full of homemade lovely things and it will stay organised, oh yes it will.

Your plans look uncannily simialr to mine.

[Sinkingfeeling]

Sorry - This is the plan without the separate larder. :)

[Tory79]

We have recently moved in to a house with a separate larder and I LOVE IT. We will be extending and redoing the kitchen later this year and definitely want to keep it.

[firsttimemama]

no larder looks better to me

[duskymoon]

In you case I would go no larder - it eats into thr room too much.

[wetaugust]

No larder gives you a lovely spacious kitchen.

I took my larder out.

[butterfliesinmytummy]

I live in the USA and have a separate pantry, it's a godsend. All my appliances (kitchenaid, slow cooker etc) and wine rack are on the floor, baskets of fruit and veg on the next shelf, baking ingredients and sauces on the next etc etc. It's truly amazing and if I ever designed a kitchen myself it would be the first thing I add (as well as a waste disposal system)

[TarteAuxRiz]

We have a pantry, which is big enought o out the fridge, chest freezer, bin and some robust shelving for food in. I love it as it keeps all (well, some) of the clutter out of the kitchen...which makes it seem much bigger than if all of those things were visible.

[TootlesPootles]

If you click on my name and look at my profile I have redrawn your plan to combine the utility and larder and move the toilet.

It's not a great resolution but I think its clear. By combining the utility and larder you maximise the usable walls.

The toilet would end up with no external window but you could put some sort of internal glass panel between the toilet and utility/larder.

I put a pocket door between the utility/larder and the kitchen as it saves space and frees up more 'wall'

I have a big sink in my utility room and use it all the time for laundry or soaking pots and pans. I think you should be able to fit one in.

It might be good if you could move the boiler but if it's already there I would try and work around it.

[SaggyOldClothCatPuss]

Oh God!
I REALLY want a larder. Our kitchen is a perfect square though with annoying doors and window. and Im not sure where one would fit. Im planning on remodelling if we get our re mortgage, and Im going to try my damndest to get one in!

[OnePlanOnHouzz]

Hi ! I've used the existing walls to create a pantry within the kitchen - and added an island as a 'go between' area between the pantry and fridge area ... Also added a prep sink on the cooker run for safer emptying and filling of heavy pots .... Suggest the sofas in the family room part of the kitchen are moved closer together - as drawn they are too far apart for normal conversation! Swapped main sink around so DW Can be left open and not impeded walk space !

pinterest.com/pin/440930619739392111/

[butterfliesinmytummy]

Mine is a built in larder with double doors at the end of a run of top and bottom kitchen cabinets on a very long wall. It's big enough to step in and close the doors as the shelves are all on the back wall and goes up to the ceiling (we have very high ceilings) you don't need much space....

[TootlesPootles]

A corner larder as suggested by onePlanBYHouzz. would be a good choice too. It's much better use of space than the long thin larder.

[OnePlanOnHouzz]

Thanks for that tootlespootles !
I was winding down after a design session via email with a client in America - the time difference is a bit of a nuisance - but the end result for them was soooo worth it !
This is a great size kitchen - so I think it could cope well with the pantry this size ! Perhaps using the storage either side of fridge as appliance storage - with appliances on pull out shelves for use in situ maybe ( ok - maybe not a big heavy mixer !!)

[TootlesPootles]

I have updated my initial plan (now deleted) to include OnePlanOnHouzz corner larder but rearranging the utility room.
I think this gives more storage space and allows direct access between the utility and the kitchen.

I have assumed that there is a shower unit in the toilet?

This arrangement means guests don't have to walk through your utility room. (Although you could put the toilet door in the utility if you are really keen to have easy access from the garden to the toilet)

You could consider a pocket door between the utility and kitchen. I would also gave a sink in the utility.


The plan is HERE. I couldn't attach a photo to my profile and I don't have pintrest or Dropbox.

[Mordirig]

Our new house is coming with understairs storage in the kitchen, the current owners use is as a larder/storage area for kitchen equipment and tins but there is not a lot of shelving, do you think a carpenter could do shelving in it and a few cupboard/draws on the bottom for pans etc?

Not sure what kind of layout it would have though :S

[LondonGirl83]

I like your plan with the larder and kitchens that are too large become difficult to use efficiently-- too much time walking back and forth. However, the corner larder is really appealing as you'd be able to access it more easily from the kitchen. Also you might be able to squeeze in a little breakfast table since your dining room is a little distance from the kitchen which can be easier in the mornings with kids. I love that both your utility room and loo have windows. Don't change that. However, unless the house is a bungalow, I wouldn't bother with a shower room downstairs if you have at least two else where in the house. It would be better in my view to use the space devoted to the shower area in the bathroom to storage or to make the utility room larger so it can incorporate a sink.

Your designs look great though. Good luck

[wetaugust]

It's now in a better location. I know a very similar kitchen and it works well.

[Sinkingfeeling]

Thank you so much for your comments, everyone - especially Tootles and OnePlan. I love, love the idea of having a corner larder and I think it could be a great bridge between the two plans. DH wants a separate larder to store his home-made products and to keep all our dry foods well organised at eye level. I'm more worried about distance from larder to cooker, but also like the idea of keeping all the food easily accessible in one place.

OnePlan - I love your island unit (DH hates them though for some reason he can't really explain!) and also the idea of having a separate, smaller prep sink near the cooker. You're right about the current position of the sofas - the architect showed them on the plans, but we really only envisage having one sofa at the far end of the room as that gives the best view of the garden. On the other hand, two sofas closer together probably give us more options for entertaining, and are more sociable.

Tootles - I didn't mention it in the OP, but we have already done some work in the front half of the house, and fitted the utility room and downstairs shower room last year, partly so we can use it as a base while more major work is done on the house later this year. We do have a sink in the utility room, and decided against separate access to the downstairs bathroom so that we could have as big a shower as possible. Guests do have to go through it to use the downstairs loo, but it's a very beautiful utility room .

LondonGirl - Good point about a breakfast table, though we might be able to use an island unit for informal seating (our dc are upper primary/secondary age). We think we'll get a lot of use from our downstairs shower room as we only have one (large) family bathroom upstairs and no plans for a second one. The dc play football and are generally mucky creatures, so I do sometimes make them strip off in the utility room and shove them straight in the shower.

Will keep you updated on progress!

[LondonGirl83]

Yes, if you go with an island then no need for a table. We've done the same-- kitchen with island and family room off the garden and then a dining room (though ours is off the kitchen).

[Sinkingfeeling]

Do you use your dining room every day, LondonGirl or do you have quite a few meals at your island?

[OnePlanOnHouzz]

Hi - your question seems to have been lost amongst the others ! IMO a handy person should, quite easily , be able to modify your under stair pantry area to suit you - with pull out shelves / drawers maybe even lighting that comes on when you open the door ! There are may things that are achievable !! Maybe, if you can , sketch an elevation of the size to scale and figure out what you would like were - to suit what you need to store ! Have fun ! :-)
Karen
OnePlan
Dewlish

[OnePlanOnHouzz]

Oh ! I thought I'd messages that the Mordriig ! Whoops !
Glad the sketch gave you food for thought Sinkingfeeling

[LondonGirl83]

We use our dining table for most meals-- it is connected to the kitchen just not fully open plan. The island is more for weekday breakfasts, drinking a coffee (or wine!)