Pantry & Back Kitchen Design

A pantry is usually centred around food storage, small appliances and keeping everyday kitchen supplies organised and accessible. A back kitchen tends to do more. It may include preparation space, a sink, additional refrigeration, a dishwasher, hidden appliances, or overflow storage that takes pressure off the main kitchen. 

The two can overlap, but the right answer depends on what you need the additional space to handle. 

A walk-in pantry is a separate room or enclosed space, which gives you more flexibility in how it is organised and what it holds. Fitted pantry cabinetry sits within the main kitchen footprint, typically as a tall larder unit or a run of floor-to-ceiling storage, designed to work hard in a smaller area. 

Both can be highly effective. The right choice depends on what space is available, how much the pantry needs to carry, and whether you want it to feel like a room in its own right or an integrated part of the kitchen. 

Yes, and an extension project is often the best opportunity to create one. Rear extensions in particular can generate spaces that are easy to overlook but well suited to a pantry or back kitchen role, such as a section of wall behind the main kitchen run, a return off the principal room or a space adjacent to the new build. 

Getting that conversation in early means the layout, the relationship between the rooms and the service routes can be shaped properly, rather than trying to fit a pantry into whatever space is left once the main kitchen is resolved.

Often, yes. It depends on the space available, but pantries can be formed from underused rooms, alcoves, cupboard areas or spaces close to the kitchen that are not currently working very hard. We look at what the home can realistically support and design from there.

That depends on the household, but common features include open shelving, tall food storage, drawers, basket space, worksurfaces for decanting or sorting, and areas for small appliances used regularly. 

The design should make everyday items easier to find and use, not just hide them behind more doors. 

A back kitchen can support a wider brief: preparation space, a secondary sink, refrigeration, coffee-making, dishwashing, baking storage, crockery, serving pieces or overflow from entertaining. 

The point is not to duplicate the main kitchen, but to support it in a way that makes both rooms easier to use. 

That depends on how it sits within the home and how you want to use it. Some pantries are working spaces, with practical finishes, open shelving and utility taking priority over appearance. Others, particularly walk-in pantries that open visibly off the main kitchen, benefit from being more considered: materials and detailing that feel connected to the kitchen without replicating it, and a sense of organisation that still feels composed when the door is open. 

We will help you work out which approach suits the role the space needs to play. 

Yes. In open-plan homes, the main kitchen is often on view from dining and living areas, so it helps to move everyday overflow elsewhere. Small appliances, dry goods, bulk storage, preparation items and less polished tasks may sit more naturally in a pantry or back kitchen, allowing the main kitchen to feel more purposeful. 

The range is wide because the scope can vary considerably. A compact fitted pantry sits at a different investment level from a larger back kitchen with appliances, sinks, worksurfaces and extensive cabinetry. 

The best way to understand what is realistic for your home and budget is a design consultation, where we can talk through the options openly.

It helps to have a rough sense of the space you are working with: dimensions, photographs and any drawings if you have them. More useful still is a clear idea of what the main kitchen is not doing well. What gets cluttered? What do you find yourself moving from room to room? What do you wish you had space for? 

The clearer your picture of the problem, the more useful the design conversation tends to be. If the project connects to a wider kitchen or extension scheme, bring those drawings too.