30 Cover Feature
company, Symm, based in Oxford, is larders for 30 years, from the first days
seeing among at least half of his clients. of his firm. “larders have always played
Often a room considerably larger than a part in the kitchen, we’ve always had
three-by-two is specified, and while larder units in our range.”
he cannot give more than anecdotal Wilkinson builds three distinct types
evidence, he thinks the larder renaissance of larder: “the larder unit, quite common
is upon us. “Certainly our larger projects in most kitchens; alternatively, a larder
are dedicating space, or maintaining dressing-unit performing the function of
existing space, [as larders],” he says. the old walk-in larder; and yet another
“Why do we do the things we larder behind floor-to-ceiling doors,
do?” he asks, noting that the current opening up to give you what is, in effect,
generation, unlike its predecessors, lost a room behind.”
the knowledge of how to preserve and he says that for the top-end kitchen
store food without destroying its taste a large larder has never gone out of
in the fridge. We’ve been beguiled by fashion, and that for the mid-range,
whizzy technology, he explains, “and the trend is only now catching up. but
as a generation, never thought about he does make the point that it is far
food storage very carefully. Whereas the cheaper to build a ventilated larder at the
previous generation did, out of necessity, beginning of a refurbishment – or new-
and were very much more careful and build – than it is to purchase a fabulous
precious about food.” larder dresser after the event.
And yet Mark Wilkinson, bespoke not that he’s advocating the
furniture designer, has been building approach, he says, but a walk-in larder
is “just shelves. you can put shelves with
scaffolding on concrete blocks, and it’s
a rather more user-friendly way to store
stuff without opening and closing doors.”
“AS A generAtiOn, We’ve never
in his own black-beamed, low-ceiling
house built circa 1420, “wall units would
thOught AbOut FOOd StOrAge
look like socks on a chicken,” he says,
explaining why he has a walk-in larder
very CAreFully... the previOuS
of his own. but in many ways, regardless
of your resources or available space,
generAtiOn did, Out OF
Wilkinson believes we are in something
of a golden age of storage. “We’ve never
neCeSSity, And Were very
been in a position to have so many diverse
products in need of storage, and we’ve
MuCh MOre CAreFul And
never had such a richness of options.”
preCiOuS AbOut FOOd”
Cool green
but for all the options, it is a growing
awareness of green-living that elevates
the larder in environmentally concious
minds. Mention the walk-in larder,
and debates about food miles, power
consumption and green energy are never
far behind.
there is a lifestyle connection here,
agrees Mortimer. “not using energy to
store food, buying fresh produce, using
food quickly after purchase. thinking
about the issues that surround food, and
energy use, i’m sure, are linked,” he says.
likewise, Alan Crawford groups
today’s lifestyle ambitions and green-
living options together: open-plan spaces,
allotments, larders, farmers’ markets and
renewable power are all part of a quality-
of-life evolution. “i think it all relates
to some extent. We are becoming more
conscious – in a roundabout way – of
things we used to take for granted in the
past,” he explains.
So the generations to come may
once again keep cheese cool rather than
cold, and perhaps, for the first time since
the 60s, our children will raid the larder
instead of the wall units when seeking
that ever-so-reminiscent midnight snack.
designer
Larder.indd 30 22/7/08 09:45:32
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84