Gallery
For example, the traditional walk-in larder off the main kitchen is enjoying a renaissance with open shelving for dry goods to cater for bulk purchases, as well as providing a home for smaller appliances, such as microwaves. Consider if there might be scope to include an extra sink to enhance food prep, especially if you grow your own veg or simply to assist with hygiene.
Flexible living is essential in every part of today’s kitchen and living area, with user-friendly features like walk-in larders, breakfast cupboards and day pantries set to grow in popularity next year. This means that dynamic storage is a must have for practical and aesthetically-pleasing storage. With this in mind, we anticipate a rise in custom food management systems, multi-use kitchen islands and open-fronted storage that supports everyday life.
For instance, an unused alcove or wall space in your kitchen can be transformed into a custom-made food store, equipped with integrated knife blocks, spice holders, stainless-steel jars and dividing systems that fully necessitate a working kitchen.
Open shelving with tall larder options are proving a popular addition for the modern kitchen when catering for high-volume food storage. Small mezzanine racks provide additional storage space in cupboards with pull-out rack systems and combination shelving standing firm as a way to create one complete area that caters to multiple needs.
Everyone loves an ‘added extra’, but when it comes to larder storage, the finer details really will improve overall design and efficiency. For example, bi-fold and coplanar sliding doors are perfect if space is limited as they will resourcefully hide a variety of wares, as well as minimise noise pollution. The ‘right door’ will create a reactive environment, which is ideal when considering larder storage, as ingredients will only be required intermittently.
The larder is a place that will typically store sharp kitchen utensils and cookware, through to heavy jams and preserves and glass bottles filled with oil and vinegar, all of which add weight and need a firm footing. In order to avoid breakages and the potential for spillages, anti-slip trays and soft-close mechanisms have, therefore, become a ‘standard request’ and, notably, are a great way to improve convenience and comfort.
Paying careful consideration to lighting is a growing theme when it comes to luxury food storage. Reactive lighting that illuminates when used is ideal for larder storage, as it can be strategically placed to highlight and define certain areas of a larder’s interior via discreet light or motion sensors. We all want products that give us versatility and deliver great results, so look out for intuitive features, such as sensors and dimmers.
In terms of larder storage, lighting will ensure the enclosed cupboard space is transformed into a practical and user-friendly food store, so use it to your advantage. Incorporate plenty of task lighting in the form of under-cabinet strip lighting, which will help you when searching for certain food items, herbs and cookware. This, partnered with in-drawer and in-cabinet bead lighting, will bring added convenience to the larder space.
As long as you can achieve a balance of ambient, task and accent lighting, you will be able to benefit from a well-lit storage space that is able to take a ‘backseat’ when not in use. Task lighting is especially good for a working kitchen, whilst ambient lighting is more suited to a social space for entertaining.
As the function of kitchen storage evolves from a place to store food to an extended preparation area of the kitchen, we are seeing a trend towards combining both task and ambient lighting to create their own, more personal lighting schemes. Lighting is an important part of kitchen storage design, improving utility and your furniture’s overall impact on the room.
Paying close attention to your kitchen layout is a key part of creating a successful storage hub. Your larder will inevitably store food, groceries and other provisions, so it must remain close to hand for the culinarian and be protected against adverse conditions like direct sunlight or extreme temperatures.
On that basis, positioning any larder storage next to the fridge will ensure the pantry goods are right next to the fresh foods for optimum convenience. You can create a uniform look with your fridge-freezer unit with bespoke furniture of the same width, usually 600mm, as a rule of thumb.
Nevertheless, there is a strong trend for double-door larders. I feel this will gain more traction as organisational furniture in the kitchen continues to grow in popularity: options are usually 1000 and 1200mm wide.
This style of storage solution has become a great way to keep the modern kitchen as organised, clean and clutter free as possible, as well as giving you room to include appliances for a streamlined worktop. British architecture has always been known for an eclectic combination of styles, fostering a unique and classic look that is spot on for traditional showpieces like a freestanding larder or integrated food store with a blend of open and closed cabinetry. These classic storage options are seeing a resurgence by virtue of contemporary matte finishes, industrial-styled handles and advanced functionality, which are being used to modernise both style and use for the contemporary kitchen.
