The pantry

The Pantry

A small but mighty room, the pantry is an incredibly hard-working space in this home. Part of a series of 'back of house' rooms that I was inspired to create by the old country houses of Britain.

The pantry

• Having a pantry takes some of the heavy lifting away from the kitchen, as it offers an additional storage space for dry foods and drinks.
• A pantry offers what we call 'quiet luxury'; they aren't glamorous or glitzy spaces, but it's the real workhorse of the house and quietly enables us the luxury to live happier, more organised lives.

The interior architecture

• Patterned floor tiles add a sense of fun into the room.
• To give the charm and character of an old house, we used tongue-and-groove boarding to cover two of the walls and metro tiles to cover the others.
• Inspired by historical houses, we incorporated glazed screens into the design to give light and airiness to this series of rooms.
• Mirroring our choice in the kitchen, we have chosen the same marble for our worktops.
• I find drawers to be more practical and easier to use than cupboards. In drawers, everything is easy to see at first glance, whereas in cupboards you often have to bend down and empty them to find something right at the back.

Storage

• Gathered counter curtains conceal shelves filled with baskets for lots of storage space.
• Tall cupboards on the other side of the room include a freezer, drinks fridge and larder items you don't require every day.
• The larder cupboard is particularly special, with layers of shelving that can be opened up so you can access items at the back easily.
• Beyond the pantry in the hallway, we installed a glazed cabinet with sliding doors to house glassware. The sliding doors are great, as you don't need to obstruct the hallway to access the glasses.

Lighting

• The lighting in a pantry should definitely be functional, but I also love to introduce decorative lighting too.
• The downlights in the ceiling provide practicality, while the wall lights give a slightly unexpected decorative element, as well as a lovely atmosphere at night.

Colours and fabrics

• As well as the interior architecture, we also paid close attention to the interior decoration. These are the extra elements of softness that really make a room feel like home.
• Opting for blue across the cabinetry and shelving gives the room a strong overall look.
• Counter curtains and a simple roman blind on the window soften the look.

The pantry scheme

• Cabinets: Henley kitchen, by Neptune painted in 'Stiffkey Blue' paint, by Farrow & Ball.
• Counter curtains: 'Portland' fabric in yellow, by Baker Lifestyle at Jane Clayton
• Roman blind: 'York Stripe' fabric in L-064, by Fermoie.
• Tiles: Peronda Casablanca Ziane tiles, at CGMOOD.