Shelving vs a pantry "system" addresses accessing the contents in your pantry. However, the storage containers used to hold your food may or may not maximise the best usage of the space in your pantry. This last aspect deserves careful consideration if you are designing a pantry space. I moved house a few months ago and am still tweaking my pantry, which consists of shelves (deeper on the bottom half and narrower at the top half). One of the best investments I've made over the years are Tupperware Modular Mates storage containers. The containers can be labelled, contents seen and are stackable. I can stack them to maximise the full height of shelves and sometimes have stacks in front of other stacks for items used less often. I also have many open plastic containers for food packets, bottled items, very large spice containers, etc. These containers prevent packages, which don't stack easily, from falling everywhere and can be easily pulled out to access the item of interest. I bought some tall containers at Howard's Storage World and some large Sistema containers at Target and Woolworths (during their 1/2 price sales). Sistema containers are stackable, too. Smaller spice containers (stackable Tupperware Modular Mates again) have been placed on a round wooden carousel in one corner of the pantry.

H Tracey, When you have males in the family you need an extra loo, they tend to like to use that as their reading room!! Our house has beautiful parquetry floors as well and we love them wouldn't have anything else. Love that window so can see why hubbie was wanting to sit by it and read, but not really the best quiet place in the house, so thinking again. but did think that would make a great pantry to the kitchen and if the door was left open at the other end of the pantry that's what you would see. Also a great spot to continue a bench from the kitchen (as per photo) that you could sit at and ponder what to cook for dinner while searching the internet Just like corner cabinets in a kitchens which I hate and think are bad design, I prefer not to have islands that only give you one way access it's too restrictive, a free standing island is far more functional by giving easy access to the meals and the family area, and in my opinion looks better and up to date if you're looking to update your kitchen. Keeping mind that the old Pantry is/could be load bearing I still think it's a better use to have the pantry over a reading room, even with the lovely window, perhaps you could move it to a better place where it could be enjoyed by all. Cheers,

Personally I love angles & splays, BUT they have to have purpose and be functional. Without seeing more surrounding context hard to comment but i can't help wondering why this all being so squeezed in one area, but then almost wasted/under-utilised space in-between the island and the table - it's like the pantry's boxing/internalising the kitchen which is not ideal.....either way I'd make sure that it flows and is functional and not awkward anywhere

Thanks dreamer, might look into a sliding window for the splashback. And have put the benchtop as 650mm for now, may increase further. Thanks siriuskey. I am leaning towards your design and using the corner as appliance/pantry. The bifold from bench height up would certainly work really well functionally but I’m not sure I’d like the look. I’ve sketched up having the area 800 deep to house the fridge and to have a step in pantry/appliance cupboard (500 deep bench, 300 step in cavity). 2 variations of the cupboard, first with sliding doors opening from centre (approx 1m opening so might feel a bit pokey), or second with perhaps stacker doors to right or bifold (this would block off bench space between pantry and sink when open though). This cupboard would be pretty big (2280mm) so don’t think we’d need the appliance cupboard next to dining area. And could have oven under cooktop. Dining and kitchen could be separated by small wall.