Size guide · sources cited

Pantry and butler's pantry dimensions in Australia

Walk-in and butler's pantry sizes, shelf depths and pull-out pantry widths in millimetres, with a source for every number.

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Checked against sources on 27 September 2026

The short answer

The numbers that matter.

Start with the walkway: about 1000mm clear is a common starting point for a walk-in or butler's pantry. Benches are usually 600mm deep; jar and spice shelves can be as shallow as 200mm. A modest, working butler's pantry is often quoted at about 1.6 × 2.2m. A pull-out pantry cabinet can be anything from 300mm wide with one door to 1200mm with two.[1][3]

These are common sizes and published guidance, not rules. Every cabinet can be sized to the room and the people using it. Confirm appliance and fixture sizes against the exact model you buy.

The sizes

Sizes in millimetres, with sources.

Each row links to the source it came from.

Walk-in and butler's pantry

Walkway first, then benches and shelves around it.

ElementSizeSource
Clear walkway, starting pointabout 1000mm[1]
Corridor width in an Australian accessibility guideline (Silver level)1000mm[2]
Clear space in front of kitchen benches, same guideline (Gold / Platinum level)1200mm / 1550mm[2]
Bench depthabout 600mm[1]
Narrow jar and spice shelving depth200mm[1]
Modest but functional butler's pantryabout 1.6 × 2.2m[1]
Butler's nook (one run)about 1.8–2.4m+ long[1]
Scullery-style pantryabout 2.4 × 2.8m or more[1]

Pull-out (larder) pantry cabinets

From one hardware maker's planning sheet for internal-drawer larder units.

ElementSizeSource
Cabinet width with one door300–600mm[3]
Cabinet width with two doors600–1200mm[3]
Worked example

Will benches fit on both sides?

Simple arithmetic on the figures above. Swap in your own measurements.

  1. Galley pantry: 600mm bench + 1000mm walkway + 600mm bench = 2200mm wall to wall.
  2. Bench one side, 200mm shelves the other: 600 + 1000 + 200 = 1800mm.
  3. If two people will work in there at once, or someone uses a walker or wheelchair, plan on the guideline's 1200mm (Gold) or 1550mm (Platinum): 600 + 1200 + 600 = 2400mm.
What we could not verify

Limits of this guide.

  • We found no Australian Standard for pantry sizes. The walkway figures are industry guidance and a voluntary accessibility guideline (Livable Housing Australia), not building code.
  • Tall pantry cabinet height depends on your ceiling and the line of your overhead cabinets, so we have not printed one standard height.
Questions

Common questions.

How wide should a butler's pantry walkway be?
About 1000mm of clear walkway is a common starting point. An Australian accessibility guideline asks for 1200mm of clear space in front of kitchen benches at its Gold level and 1550mm at Platinum.
What is the minimum size for a butler's pantry?
A modest but functional butler's pantry is commonly quoted at about 1.6m by 2.2m, which fits a 600mm bench on one side and a clear walkway beside it.
How deep should pantry shelves be?
Benches are usually about 600mm deep, while narrow shelving as shallow as 200mm suits jars and spice bottles, so you can see everything without reaching past rows.
How wide is a pull-out pantry cabinet?
One hardware maker's planning sheet covers larder cabinets from 300mm to 600mm wide with one door, and 600mm to 1200mm wide with two doors.
All guides Pantry planner Kitchen planner Kitchen island sizes Bench height & overhead clearance All cabinet dimensions
Sources

Where the numbers come from.

  1. Butler's pantry ideas: layouts, sizes & storage — Nero Tapware, accessed 27 September 2026.
  2. Livable Housing Design Guidelines, 4th edition (2017) — Livable Housing Australia (copy hosted by Universal Design Australia), accessed 27 September 2026.
  3. SPACE TOWER order and planning specification (Australia) — Blum, accessed 27 September 2026.

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