A walk-in pantry is one of the most requested features in a new kitchen. It hides the clutter, keeps food in one place and frees up wall cupboards. The doorway is often the awkward part. Pantries tend to be small, the door opens straight into a busy kitchen, and a swinging door can clash with units, appliances or people.

That’s why so many people look at pocket doors for pantries. The door slides into the wall, so it never blocks the shelves inside or the kitchen floor outside. This guide explains how to plan one properly.

Why a pocket door suits a pantry

A hinged pantry door causes a few familiar problems:

Opening inwards, it eats into the pantry and blocks shelving on that wall.
Opening outwards, it swings into the kitchen, often across a walkway or next to an oven or fridge.
Left open, it gets in the way of everything around it.

A pocket door avoids all three. It’s easy to leave half open while you’re cooking, and closed when guests arrive. It also keeps the kitchen looking calm, especially if you choose a door that matches the units or the walls.

Check the wall first

Before falling for the idea, check that the wall beside the pantry opening can take a pocket.

Length of wall

A single pocket door frame needs roughly twice the door width, plus a little extra for the frame. Eclisse’s published table for its Classic single frame, for instance, lists an overall frame width of about 1625mm for a 762mm door. That length of wall, on one side of the opening, needs to be free of:

corners and other doorways
tall units or appliances fixed to that wall
sockets, switches and pipes

Wall construction

Pantries are often formed with a new stud partition, which is ideal. The pocket door kit is built into the studwork and boarded over. If you’re converting an existing cupboard or under-stairs space, the wall may be masonry or an old lath-and-plaster partition, which is more work. Our guides to a pocket door in a stud wall and a pocket door in a brick or block wall explain the differences.

Wall thickness

The kit has to match the finished wall. Standard kits are commonly made for 100mm, 115mm and 125mm finished walls. The pocket door wall thickness guide shows how each is built.

Don’t fix shelving into the pocket

This is the most common pantry mistake.

Pantries are all about shelving, and it’s tempting to run shelves along every wall. But on the pocket wall, the cavity the door slides into must stay clear. Screws or brackets driven into it can scratch the door, jam it or stop it opening at all.

There are a few ways round this:

Put shelving on the walls without a pocket.
On the pocket wall, use shelving that stands on the floor and is fixed to the side walls, not the pocket face.
Position the pocket so that it slides into the kitchen side of the wall, where there may be less need to fix anything.

Plan which side the pocket goes on at the same time as the shelving layout. Make sure your kitchen fitter knows where the pocket is.

Choosing the size

Walk-in pantries rarely need a wide door. Common UK internal door widths such as 610mm, 686mm and 762mm suit most pantries, but bear in mind that the clear opening of a pocket door is a little narrower than the door itself. Eclisse lists a 737mm passage for a 762mm door, for example. If you’ll be carrying shopping or trays in and out, a wider leaf is more comfortable.

For a large larder or a combined pantry and utility, a double pocket door can open the whole front of the room. Our guide to single vs double pocket doors and the pocket door sizes guide can help you decide.

Door styles that work

The door is on show in the kitchen, so it’s worth matching it to the scheme:

Painted panelled doors suit traditional and Shaker-style kitchens.
Flush doors painted the wall colour make the pantry almost disappear. A frameless pocket kit with no architrave takes this further.
Glazed doors bring light into a pantry without a window, though you’ll see the contents. Our glass pocket doors guide covers the safety glass you need.

Ventilation and temperature

Traditional larders were kept cool and ventilated, often on a north-facing wall with an air brick or vent. Many modern walk-in pantries are simply cupboards off a warm kitchen.

A pocket door doesn’t seal as tightly as a hinged door closing against a stop, so a little air moves around it. That’s usually fine for a pantry. If you’re storing food that needs to stay cool, or the pantry has no window, think about ventilation at the planning stage rather than relying on the door. If the pantry also houses appliances such as a freezer, check the manufacturer’s guidance on clearance and airflow.

Handles and closers

Pantry doors are opened many times a day, often with full hands. Choose hardware that makes that easy:

Flush pulls sit inside the face of the door so it can slide fully into the pocket.
Edge pulls let you pull the door back out of the pocket.
D-handles are easier to grab but stop the door sliding all the way in, so check the kit’s handle guidance.
Soft-close dampers stop the door slamming and help it close gently. See our soft close pocket doors guide.

Browse our pocket door hardware or read how to choose pocket door handles.

Lighting and switches

A light that comes on when you open the pantry is a lovely detail. Just keep switches and sensors off the pocket faces. Put the switch on the kitchen side of the wall away from the pocket, or use a sensor mounted on the ceiling or on a wall without a pocket. Tell your electrician where the pocket is before first fix.

Fitting it into the kitchen project

The easiest time to fit a pantry pocket door is when the kitchen is being refitted or the pantry is being built. The usual order is:

Plan the pantry layout, shelving and door side.
Build the stud wall with the pocket frame in place.
Run cables away from the pocket and board the wall.
Plaster and decorate.
Hang the door, fit the hardware and adjust it.
Fit the kitchen units and pantry shelving, keeping fixings out of the pocket.

Our pocket door installation guide covers the fitting stages in more detail, and the pocket doors for kitchens guide looks at the wider kitchen layout.

FAQs

Can I fit a pocket door to an existing pantry?

Often, yes, if there’s enough clear wall beside the opening. In a stud wall, it means opening up the wall, fitting the frame and re-boarding. In masonry, it’s a bigger job.

Which way should a pantry pocket door slide?

Slide it into whichever wall has more clear length and fewer things fixed to it. Many people choose the side where they don’t need shelving, so the pantry can be fully shelved.

Can I put shelves on a pocket door wall?

Not fixed into the pocket section. Use the other walls, or fix free-standing shelving to the side walls instead.

What size pocket door is best for a walk-in pantry?

Most pantries use a standard width such as 686mm or 762mm. Choose wider if you carry trays or shopping in and out a lot, and check the clear passage for the kit you choose.

Is a pocket door good for a cold larder?

It works, but it won’t seal as tightly as a hinged door. If you want to keep a larder cool, plan ventilation and the room’s position rather than relying on the door.

Planning your pantry?

Tell us your opening size and wall type and we’ll help you find the right kit. Browse our pocket door kits or contact our team for advice.