The pantry was always a main staple room in many of the older homes that many of us grew up in. These pantries varied in look and function. I grew up in one where the sink and fridge resided. It had the old style metal cabinets with the full porcelain sink/top. The stove sat by itself in the kitchen area where the kitchen table was. Our pantry didn’t have a lot of cabinets in there but it served its purpose for function and some storage. Many other pantries boasted a lot of open shelving where you stocked the foods and items that were used daily. My favorite pantry though has always been like the butlers pantry that we created for a client in the picture shown. These were meant to house fancy cabinetry where we displayed our best plates, glasses and some foods. This style pantry was always considered one of the formal rooms in an upscale home years ago.

Fast forward to today and pantries still take on many functions. Still meant for the storage of food and plates, there are a variety of designs that you can take on. I like designing pantries that mix all of the above styles. Fancy but functional and lots of storage is the theme I like to take on. A good farmhouse style pantry has some open shelf areas and some closed areas for the not so pretty food items. These are also used to house the microwave and various small electric appliance like the mixer and food processor. These days we don’t mind showcasing our fancy retro style appliances on the counters in these rooms because it makes it easier to use. Microwaves take space out of the main kitchen so what better space to take up space than the pantry area.

Every once in a while we will design a nice all open shelf pantry room. These are still functional for all types of storage from food to plates. Counter space is usually limiting in this style room that people designate mostly for storage. These rooms typically have an entry door to them so that you can close off to hide your food items where other ones are kept open to display the fancy cabinetry that you are so proud of. If you do decide to put a door on the room, I love the one with the frosted glass at the top that has the word pantry etched into the glass. This gives you a really old retro feel.

Whichever pantry you decide to design, it’s important to figure out what your pantry is mainly going to be used for. Rule of thumb, for more storage, pantry will have mostly open shelves. For looks, pantry will have beautifully crafted cabinets closed with glass doors and limited counter room. For function, pantry will have more counter area with some closed and open storage. Your taste and style will determine the look and style that you decide on. Whichever one you choose, you will have a beautifully functional room that you will cherish for years to come.

Bon Appetit!

Tim Holick

This entry was posted in Kitchen Design on September 10, 2015 by THblog.