Pantry: the small room facing north

A pantry in a small cottage. It's a small room, just over one ping (approx. 3.3 sq m), next to the kitchen, deliberately built on the north-facing exterior wall. It has a small screened vent to let in cold air—because in the days before refrigerators, this was the only place to keep things cool. Inside, three walls are floor-to-ceiling wooden shelves, painted off-white; the bottom shelf is a thick stone slab countertop, the coldest spot, holding dairy and meat. The shelves are lined with glass jars, ceramic pots, tin boxes, hanging hams, and a string of onions. The floor is brick. There are no curtains, and light leaks in from the small vent. Avoid: making the room large and bright, using modern shelving systems and plastic containers, adding refrigerators and modern appliances, making the storage into enclosed cabinets.

Translated from Chinese by AI.

一間小屋的食物儲藏間。它是廚房旁一間僅一坪多的小房間,刻意開在朝北的外牆上,有一扇小的紗網通風口讓冷空氣進來——因為在沒有冰箱的年代這是唯一能保冷的地方。裡面三面是從地到頂的木層架,漆成灰白;最下層是一塊厚的石板檯面,溫度最低,放著乳製品與肉。架上排著玻璃罐、陶罐、鐵盒、掛著的火腿與一串洋蔥。地板是磚。沒有窗簾,光從那個小通風口漏進來。避免:把房間做大做亮、使用現代的層架系統與塑膠容器、加入冰箱與現代電器、把儲藏改成封閉的櫃體。