no, I think I saw another LO here recently with a desk area in the pantry.

Thanks desertsteph! I am hesitant to put the desk out of the kitchen - I heard from my kitchen cabinet maker that 'the new trend' is NOT to have a real desk in the kitchen, but I really like a place with a chair to sit and organize paperwork, check the computer, etc. It seems the new thing is 'message centers/stations' as opposed to desk areas?

It's YOUR kitchen. put in what YOU want! over the past 6 months or so we've had several with desks in the kitchen and at least 1 w/it in the pantry (huge pantry tho).

you could probably find a few by going back 10 pages or so and looking at threads of those newly posting their finished or almost finished kitchens or those posting their LO for design help. the 'desk in pantry' was on a LO, not a finished kitchen.
one posted her almost finished kitchen - the far wall wasn't done yet - she planned a pantry (cabinet one) and a desk for that wall. It was posted in the past wk or so.

here's one linked that was just posted in the last few days - desk in kitchen.

Here is a link that might be useful: colibri kitchen desk

Thank you - I need to get a backbone sometimes! It is so hard to remember to do what we love vs worry about the kitchen dating itself. There was a really good thread a few weeks ago about what would seem dated in a few years - but I know if I love the kitchen it will work for me and the next owner (whenever that is) will have to renovate to meet their own taste! BTW - what is a "LO"...I also have trouble searching in the finished kitchens section...is there a trick?

The reason people are not doing desks anymore is b/c most people have found that a desk is a "clutter magnet". So, they take them out and replace them with Message/Command Centers.

What's the difference? Well, there's no place to sit and there's more storage...a full base cabinet below & usually a partial or full upper cabinet above. Usually they also have "planned" functional areas...phone/answering machine space, phone/camera/iPod charging space, calendar and/or noteboard space, mail space, etc. If you have the space, you can even make it a tall cabinet and shut the doors when people visit (hiding the "mess" that often accumulates--see Sweeby's Organization Closet in her pictures, linked in her finished kitchen in the Finished Kitchens Blog (FKB)).

However, if you have found a desk to be useful for you and not a "clutter magnet" (or the clutter doesn't bother you), then go ahead and put in a desk. We're here to give you pros & cons and then it's up to you and your family to decide what's best for you (this should also be your KD/cabinet maker's goal).

FWIW...I use our peninsula for my laptop, but a desk may be better for you...only you can determine that!

Good luck! (and stand firm!)

BTW...there's a pantry thread in the Gallery that has a lot of pics & information for designing a pantry (thanks to RHome410!)

Here is a link that might be useful: Pantry photos/pics of pantries

"Thank you - I need to get a backbone sometimes! It is so hard to remember to do what we love vs worry about the kitchen dating itself."

your welcome. and yes, it is very easy and gets confusing when others are telling you things. if it's something you love and it's works for you/your family, I wouldn't worry so much about it getting dated. Just be sure it isn't something you will regret in 2 yrs. That'd be a bummer.

it's good to make a list of pros and cons of things you've heard, read or learned. Somethings here are for function and make sense - and some still won't work in everyone's kitchen. As long as you have the info and weigh it for your situation.

my sister very sternly told me last spring 'don't you DARE put in 2 different counter tops'. huh? why not if that's what I want? I don't and I just laughed at her. but some kds and gcs (from my reading on here) get pushy and overrule the owner. not a good thing. it seems they might do that or tell you 'it can't be done', etc because THEY don't want to bother with it, fix it, do it right, etc.

I've seen a lot of beautiful kitchens on here - but most would not work for me. doesn't mean they aren't beautiful or don't work for THEIR owners. just not me.

I do like the idea of having a desk area behind doors. maybe a slide out work top (like those keyboard slide outs) that you can shove in and shut the doors. will keep kids eyes and hands and company eyeballs off of your private info too.

so, take ideas given here and use if they can work into your space... but when it says on here to put drawers in base cabs instead of doors - that you need to do!!!

lol! j/k! but they do make the best sense in most cases.

btw, 'LO' = layout

I have a pantry a that is similar in size to yours, but mine is not a walk thru. I have a desk, computer printer and home files on one side and a true baking/storage pantry on the other. Here is the link. Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Butler's Pantry

I think it's a great idea and I can totally picture it. It sounds like my layout in a way. We have an area that is approx 8' x 7' off of the main kitchen that we use as the beverage center/garden sink area. And then off of that is the mudroom. I could totally see that area being used as a combination pantry/desk area. Would you have cubbies for mail? A place for cell phones and charging them? Maybe that's where you put your cook books. I think having a place for everything to be organized is the way to go. Not that the family always puts stuff where it's supposed to go but at least they could if they wanted too ~sigh~

I thought I was losing my mind but now I am sure. A few weeks ? ago I saw pantry photos and now I can't find them. There were 2 and one had beadboard and corbels. If anyone can lead me towards the light I will be so appreciative. Thanks.

did you check the pantry link buehl posted above?

So glad willow popped in and posted a link to her beautiful pantry/desk because it was the first thing that I thought of. Definitely check hers out!

Thanks desert and Anna. All the links say whoops. Maybe I have had the pantry on my mind for so long, I dreamed it.

buehl's link doesn't get you to the pantry thread? it got me there... there are more links to others in that thread.

try by cut/paste:

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/gal0214583516468.html

>'don't you DARE put in 2 different counter tops'

Should have put in 3... :-P

Hi desertsteph. I got into that thread but couldn't access any of the links. They all said whoops. It just isn't destined to be.

allora - oh no! that's horrible. a crisis!! those are priceless threads!!!! darn it...

---'don't you DARE put in 2 different counter tops'

Should have put in 3... ----

I know... imagine that! if i ever get to the point where i'm actually gonna finally move there, I'll have to razz her about it. I don't plan on an island but i can pretend to waffle on it... 'maybe i should and put soapstone on it...'. I should ask her WHY NOT? all I did was laugh. I'm used to her after all of these yrs.

ok- i searched google for something from this site - looked up thru p15 with no luck.

so, go to the organization forum here and search pantry - some are showing up there. probably those posted directly there. if they have links inside of them those might not be accessible tho.

This may help. I searched under this forum only and through this forum. Finally figured out how to do that.

http://ths.gardenweb.com/search/nph-ind.cgi?term=pantry&forum=kitchbath&forum_name=Kitchens

Here is a link that might be useful: Search within Kitchen Forums for pantry