Kitchen Tour: A Hidden Walk-in Pantry in a Stylish Shaker Kitchen
A secret pantry, an airy utility/boot room and a haberdashery-style island are the stars of this modern-rustic kitchen
Having a great idea for your new kitchen is one thing; executing that idea is quite another. The owner of this Victorian house in Teddington wanted a large hidden pantry in a well-functioning yet airy kitchen, but fitting all of that neatly into the space available required a professional eye, so she called on Tim Higham of Higham Furniture to bring it to life.
“The [owner] has a very good sense of style and knows what she wants, but we had to interpret that and work with the property and the space we were given,” he says.
The team crafted a beautiful modern-rustic kitchen with an elegant, elevated island and, hidden behind cabinet doors, a warm yellow pantry with masses of storage.
“The [owner] has a very good sense of style and knows what she wants, but we had to interpret that and work with the property and the space we were given,” he says.
The team crafted a beautiful modern-rustic kitchen with an elegant, elevated island and, hidden behind cabinet doors, a warm yellow pantry with masses of storage.
The pantry is ingeniously hidden behind a bank of three double-door units at the back of the kitchen, with the middle doors leading into the walk-in space behind.
“There were lots of pillars we had to work around and we had to make sure it was done symmetrically, so getting the secret pantry doors centralised in the run was tricky,” Tim says.
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“There were lots of pillars we had to work around and we had to make sure it was done symmetrically, so getting the secret pantry doors centralised in the run was tricky,” Tim says.
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The double cupboards on either side of the pantry entrance have reeded glass doors that reveal oak interiors and neatly stacked tableware. A library ladder enables the owners to access the top cabinets.
The choice of colours for the cabinets and pantry was a collaboration between the designer and owner. Deep green units are teamed with an earthy yellow in the pantry, which has been subtly echoed in the main space. “We’ve picked up the yellow on the shelves in the glazed dressers,” Tim says.
Cabinets painted in Three Farm Green; pantry and cabinet shelves painted in Bassoon, all Little Greene.
More: 19 Kitchens With Reeded Glass Doors
The choice of colours for the cabinets and pantry was a collaboration between the designer and owner. Deep green units are teamed with an earthy yellow in the pantry, which has been subtly echoed in the main space. “We’ve picked up the yellow on the shelves in the glazed dressers,” Tim says.
Cabinets painted in Three Farm Green; pantry and cabinet shelves painted in Bassoon, all Little Greene.
More: 19 Kitchens With Reeded Glass Doors
The owner wanted to go all-in with the colour inside the pantry, so the warm yellow covers walls and woodwork. A white quartz wroktop, meanwhile, makes an easy-clean surface and adds a crisp note to the earthy scheme.
There’s plenty of storage, which takes the weight off the rest of the kitchen. The base units are open to the floor, allowing wooden crates on wheels to be pulled in and out with ease. Above, glass storage jars containing dried goods are easy to identify and grab.
Pantry painted in Bassoon, Little Greene.
There’s plenty of storage, which takes the weight off the rest of the kitchen. The base units are open to the floor, allowing wooden crates on wheels to be pulled in and out with ease. Above, glass storage jars containing dried goods are easy to identify and grab.
Pantry painted in Bassoon, Little Greene.
Back in the main kitchen, Tim has created a ‘parking space’ for the library ladder on the end of the tall run. The ladder is made from stained oak to match the island unit.
The remaining tall units, ahead, contain a fridge and freezer, plus stacked ovens with a warming drawer below.
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The remaining tall units, ahead, contain a fridge and freezer, plus stacked ovens with a warming drawer below.
Discover why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software.
The owner didn’t want an imposing island, so Tim created a table-style unit that sits lightly in the space. The glass-front drawers help to make it less blocky and add charm to the piece.
“[The owner] already had a haberdashery-style cabinet and she wanted to replicate it in the island to make [the unit] a little softer,” Tim says.
The island contains an induction hob with an integrated extractor, discreetly vented through the floor within an oak box.
M Pure induction hob, Bora.
“[The owner] already had a haberdashery-style cabinet and she wanted to replicate it in the island to make [the unit] a little softer,” Tim says.
The island contains an induction hob with an integrated extractor, discreetly vented through the floor within an oak box.
M Pure induction hob, Bora.
The oak has been stained to make it darker.
Oak island and library ladder stained with Jacobean Dark Oak wood dye, Colron. Bakes cabinet handles in Burnished Brass, Armac Martin.
Oak island and library ladder stained with Jacobean Dark Oak wood dye, Colron. Bakes cabinet handles in Burnished Brass, Armac Martin.
The kitchen side of the island contains eight roomy drawers.
The quartz worktop features an ogee edge to soften it. Tim has extended the breakfast bar onto this end, where a couple of stools provide a spot for the cook to rest or extra guests to perch.
The quartz worktop features an ogee edge to soften it. Tim has extended the breakfast bar onto this end, where a couple of stools provide a spot for the cook to rest or extra guests to perch.
Rather than wall cabinets, which the owners really didn’t want, Tim and the team fitted a shelf made from the same quartz as the splashback, using a clever design to avoid brackets and allow it to ‘float’.
“There’s a little groove in the splashback more or less the same thickness as the shelf. We then used an immense amount of glue and a big hammer to jam it in there,” he laughs, “so that’s how we’ve magically floated the shelf in the splashback.
“It’s not terribly deep as a shelf, as we’re not trying to store lots of stuff on it, and we needed it to fit the wall by the window, too,” he adds. The owners had lots of plants and ceramics to display and Tim also fitted a hanging rail underneath, which adds to the rustic aesthetic.
“There’s a little groove in the splashback more or less the same thickness as the shelf. We then used an immense amount of glue and a big hammer to jam it in there,” he laughs, “so that’s how we’ve magically floated the shelf in the splashback.
“It’s not terribly deep as a shelf, as we’re not trying to store lots of stuff on it, and we needed it to fit the wall by the window, too,” he adds. The owners had lots of plants and ceramics to display and Tim also fitted a hanging rail underneath, which adds to the rustic aesthetic.
The sink worktop extends right to the window and beyond. “It runs outside onto a veranda, so people can open the window and sit outside at the bar and receive drinks or food,” Tim says.
Next to the kitchen there’s a large table for family dinners and entertaining. Three rise-and-fall pendant lights allow the couple to set the mood, depending on the occasion.
Equilibrium pendants with Cupola shades, Pooky.
Equilibrium pendants with Cupola shades, Pooky.
Across from the table is a bar area that makes entertaining easy. The mirrored glass back creates depth in this spot and reflects the garden.
Shaker cupboards, one of which contains a small fridge, echo the main kitchen cabinets. They’re painted in a toning but darker green and topped with a brass sink and worktop.
Shaker cupboards, one of which contains a small fridge, echo the main kitchen cabinets. They’re painted in a toning but darker green and topped with a brass sink and worktop.
The floor plan shows where the hidden pantry was carved out and how the utility room wraps around behind it.
In the large utility room, the washing machine and tumble dryer are stacked behind a pocket door that can be opened and slotted out of the way, as seen here.
The cabinets are painted in a lighter, but again toning green. The handles, originally from Armac Martin, were repurposed from the old kitchen.
The clothes airer makes use of the height of the room, with drying clothes easily whisked out of the way.
Cabinetry painted in Ambleside, Little Greene. Sink, Villeroy & Boch. Ionian 4193 deck-mounted tap in Aged Brass, Perrin & Rowe. Clothes airer, Sheila Maid.
The clothes airer makes use of the height of the room, with drying clothes easily whisked out of the way.
Cabinetry painted in Ambleside, Little Greene. Sink, Villeroy & Boch. Ionian 4193 deck-mounted tap in Aged Brass, Perrin & Rowe. Clothes airer, Sheila Maid.
On the other side of the room, against the pantry wall, is a bespoke unit giving every member of the family their own cubbyhole. Each is fitted with antique bronze hooks and includes a cupboard above and a drawer below, so all outdoor gear can be tidied away.
The owners are thrilled with the results. “It’s all looking great – thanks very much for our beautiful kitchen,” they said, adding on Houzz, “Fantastic service from start to end. The craftsmanship of the kitchen is superb.”
Coat hooks, Alexander & Wilks.
Tell us…
What do you like about this kitchen? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
The owners are thrilled with the results. “It’s all looking great – thanks very much for our beautiful kitchen,” they said, adding on Houzz, “Fantastic service from start to end. The craftsmanship of the kitchen is superb.”
Coat hooks, Alexander & Wilks.
Tell us…
What do you like about this kitchen? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
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Who lives here? A family with three young children
Location Teddington, south-west London
Property An 1870 Victorian house with six bedrooms
Kitchen-diner dimensions 46 sq m
Designer Tim Higham of Higham Furniture
Project year 2024
Photos by Paul Craig Interior Photography
The owners of this newly extended house wanted a warm, welcoming, modern-rustic look for their new kitchen, as well as a large pantry and utility room.
The extension had expansive steel-framed windows and doors and oak parquet flooring, so the space was light and airy. The owners were keen to maintain that, so Tim positioned taller cabinets towards the back of the space and kept the area framing the island free of wall units.
Walls painted in Slaked Lime Mid, Little Greene. Original Vintage oak parquet, Broadleaf.