Pantries can work for homes of all sizes

The word ‘pantry’ comes from the Old French word ‘paneterie’ meaning ‘the place where bread is stored’, from ‘pain’ the French word for ‘bread’. Pantries were once integral to kitchen design, but with smaller homes coming into vogue, they largely disappeared from architectural plans except for houses with really big kitchens.

Now pantries are making a comeback, with cabinetry having evolved to a point where space-saving hardware and innovative design allow better optimisation of smaller kitchen spaces.

“Novel designs create pantries that are hidden from sight, while still forming part of the all-important work triangle,” says interior designer, Hendrik Weideman.

As spaces become smaller and demand for space-saving designs increases, more and more of these solutions are starting to surface – from larder units with pullout drawers to entire pullout pantries

 “We are also experiencing demand for more allocated pantry spaces planned in newer larger homes for families of four and more. In this case, they also serve as decluttering solutions, providing space for additional microwaves or secondary fridges and freezers.”

Benefits

Weideman says a pantry enables the design of a more minimalist front-of-house kitchen, with added counter space for preparation work and easy cleaning. Pantry spaces can also serve as additional storage for items like brooms, vacuum cleaners, and other cleaning equipment, which further allows for a more functional kitchen space.

“A well-designed pantry helps keep all grocery items organised, easily visible, and easy to access. Within the actual kitchen space, we usually opt for a dry-pantry as well as a dedicated pantry for storing everyday food and preparation items within arm’s reach of the preparation area,” he says.

“Dedicated spaces with electrical plug points for appliances like blenders, grinders, and food processors means they can be stored and used within the pantry.”

Options

A number of standard pantry options are available:

• Freestanding pantry. If you have space for a tall cabinet along a wall, this would be the ideal position for a freestanding pantry with pullout drawers.
• Portable pantry. A specially designed tall cabinet on sturdy castors can be pulled into the workspace when preparing food and moved out of the way when not needed. A portable pantry can also be a useful addition to outdoor entertainment areas.
• Pullout pantry. Pull-out pantry units allow you to slide the entire pantry out of the cabinet to easily access the contents.
• Traditional pantry. A minimum aisle width of 30 cm is recommended for a walk-in pantry with shelves on both sides. A smaller pantry with storage space on one side only should have an aisle of at least 23 cm to enable one person to move around freely.

Design

Before designing your pantry, you need to consider how the kitchen space will be used and how the pantry will fit into the work area.

Take the following into account:

• The number of family members – Large families usually need more kitchen storage space.
• Age range of family members – A mother, father, and two small children will have different requirements to those of a family with teenagers or older people.
• Shopping habits – Do you shop weekly or monthly, or less frequently. This will influence how much storage space you need, as well as the types of items to be stored.
• Food preparation preferences – Some people cook several times a day, whereas others may prefer to cook a few times a week and freeze meals to reheat.
• Baking – If you do a lot of baking you may want to consider a dedicated pantry for ingredients and baking utensils.
• Pets – Do you need to store large containers of dog and cat food, or other pet accessories?

To work well, a pantry must be integrated into the design of the kitchen, says Weideman.

“Ideally, you should try to design the pantry as part of the kitchen from the outset. However, the addition of a pantry to an existing kitchen will add value and turn the space into a functional room that is a pleasure to work in.”