Reimagining the Walk-in Larder

A few years ago, a walk-in larder was a request we heard once or twice a season. This year, it has been on more than half of the kitchen briefs that have come into the studio. The reasons are not surprising — more cooking at home, more bulk shopping, less appetite for cluttered worktops — but the design response has had to be more thoughtful than simply 'add a cupboard'.

Treat it as a room

The larders we are most proud of are designed as small architectural spaces, not large pieces of furniture. They have their own lighting scheme, their own ventilation, their own material palette — usually quieter than the main kitchen — and a door that closes properly so the contents are out of sight.

• A countertop deep enough for a stand mixer to live out, plugged in and ready.
• A mix of open shelving (for what you reach for daily) and closed cupboards (for what you do not).
• Ventilation to the outside if you keep fruit, root vegetables or cheese.
• A single light circuit on a door switch, warm temperature, dimmable.

The reward is a main kitchen that can stay still. The worktops are empty, the appliances live elsewhere, and the room you cook in becomes the room you also want to sit in.