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Housekeeping

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Original poster

Does anyone have a built in larder? Thinking of getting rid of ours.

32 replies

Honey1975 · 03/02/2018 11:57

We moves recently into a 1960's house which has a built in larder in the corner in the kitchen.
When I first viewed the house I lives it as it reminded me of the one we had in our house growing up. It also holds a lot of stuff with its many shelves.

Now we're living here I'm not sure I like the larder. It is clearly very old, a bit grubby, musty and in need of a paint. My DH agreed to paint it this weekend so I began clearing it out and noticed something grey looking at the bottom near the floor. I thought it was mould but dh tells me it is wire wool and I know that is used for pest problems although he said there is no evidence of current activity (he used to work in this area)! So one of the previous owners must have put it there presumably because there was a problem.

I absolutely detest mice and pathetic as it may sound to some, I really have a phobia of them. Just seeing the wire wool means I want to clear all food out of there and no longer use it.

We also need more worktop space so now we're wondering if we should get the larder knocked down and add more worktops and cupboards into that corner instead.

I'd be interested to hear from other people who have or have had larders as to what you think of them. Would it be a mistake to get rid of it? Thanks

OP posts:
theunsure · 03/02/2018 12:01

I love ours!! Wouldn’t get rid, no way.
You can get mice anywhere, if there’s been mice in there they’ll still go to where you move the food too, so not using it makes no sense to me?!
Very unlikely that you have a mouse issue though, you’d have signs. Our garage is full of the buggers despite having cats but I’m fairly ambivalent about them.

DarthNigel · 03/02/2018 12:09

Well but it might just be some wire wool someone used to clean something with once surely? If you had mice you'd notice droppings and nibbled packets etc...
I'd keep the larder-I wish I had one now-we had one growing up and it was really handy.

Original poster
Honey1975 · 03/02/2018 12:11

The wire wool is packed into a gap along the skirting board area so it is clear it was put there as a deterrent.

OP posts:
superking · 03/02/2018 12:15

Interested as we are about to move into a house with a built in larder and I am also considering getting rid of it for extra worktop/ cupboard/ floor space. At the moment we manage perfectly well without a larder but I might be missing a trick so I'm curious to know what people actually use theirs for.

Pasithea · 03/02/2018 12:16

You will regret it big time. We did. Then we moved to a house with a pantry. Lesson learnt.

Original poster
Honey1975 · 03/02/2018 12:38

Pasithea what did you replace yours with, worktops? Ours isn't a huge walk in larder, it's more of a corner cupboard. I would think we get almost the same amount of storage with extra cupboards.

OP posts:
Cleanerswin · 03/02/2018 18:37

Why do you think mice will be put off by kitchen cupboards? If they’re getting in removing the larder won’t stop them.

Crumbs1 · 03/02/2018 18:38

I love mine.

Crumbs1 · 03/02/2018 18:38

Get ultrasonic pest deterrents for your ring main.

Cleanerswin · 03/02/2018 18:39

I don’t have a larder here but I have in previous houses. What did I keep in it? Pans, appliances, bulk buys, awkward shaped stuff which takes up a whole wall cupboard. Think v carefully before you get rid of it. It will hold lots more than the cupboards will. I wish I had one.

MyBrilliantDisguise · 03/02/2018 18:40

They don't always work, Crumbs1.

StripySocksAndDocs · 03/02/2018 18:42

Mice aren't visiting because you've got a larder. If they are still about, they'll still stay even if you take away the larder.

Leviticus · 04/02/2018 14:01

I would seriously love a larder!

Bluelady · 04/02/2018 20:16

I love my larder and will miss it very much when we move.

frozenlake · 05/02/2018 03:53

Our current house had a larder, our last didn't, I was very happy to get back to one. I found it much easier to manage food supplies with one, also storing large items. If you have mice a kitchen cupboard isn't going to put them off.

MacaroniPenguin · 05/02/2018 10:35

A flatpack base cupboard or tall unit is no more hygenic. They are both just cupboards. But a good built in pantry cupboard should be the best use of space really.

We did knock ours down. It had a small door and much of the shelving was round the corner so it was a really inefficient use of space. We put a fridge freezer there instead, plus some extra worktop, and gained 2 extra base cupboards from where the old undercounter fridge and freezer had been.

BrieAndChilli · 05/02/2018 10:39

You would never gain as much space as you would lose.
Ours has a large fridge, veg rack, things like cool boxes and picnic stuff, tins, crisps etc
If you are worried about mice put things in plastic boxes, all our rice, pasta etc is in big glass jars from ikea.

Myddognearlyatethedeliveryman · 05/02/2018 10:42

We had a pantry party! Stripped it out, repainted, all new baskets, took the door off.
I love my pantry!!

ForestFrump · 05/02/2018 10:43

I'm just about to have mine reinstated.

Previous people removed the shelving etc. I'm in the process of rejiggibg layout for a new kitchen and can't see a gain of anything without it in our layout .
I'm very excited about it.

Efferlunt · 05/02/2018 10:48

I’d love one. Ours was converted into a cloakroom by previous owners, but I’d love that space back of possible

blueskyinmarch · 05/02/2018 10:50

I had one in my kitchen and I took it out as it was the best place for our fridge freezer to go. I don't miss it in the slightest.

Mjnhb · 05/02/2018 10:53

Adore ours. I keep ALL our food, alcohol and everything in it and can see what we have by opening just one door. It stores so much stuff and looks great. We have no wall cupboards as a result and that makes our kitchen looks much more light and airy.

But I love our larder because it’s well designed. If your larder is badly designed then get rid.

Mjnhb · 05/02/2018 11:03

This is our larder. Bit messy sorry. It’s the door shelves that make it a very efficient use of space. We keep bread and veg in the basket draws and actually the bottom draws are kids’ art supplies.

Does anyone have a built in larder? Thinking of getting rid of ours.
AalyaSecura · 05/02/2018 11:14

We had one, it effectively sat between the kitchen and the hallway. So I blocked it up from the kitchen side and opened it up from the hallway to make a big coat and shoe cupboard - which is now amazing! Love it. I do have a pull out built in larder cupboard in the new fitted kitchen, which is a much more efficient use of space.

thelandslidebroughtmedown · 05/02/2018 11:20

Mjnbb - that's lovely but I wouldn't call it a larder or a pantry. It's a cupboard. For it to be a larder/pantry, you need to be able to walk inside it.