Decades of Kitchens

Gather App
Automatic Washer - The world's coolest Washing Machines, Dryers and Dishwashers

Help Support AutomaticWasher.org:

And now . . .

Here’s the after pic, now that the kitchen’s been dragged into the 21st century. It’s actually sort of Mid Century now, but the owner’s happy and so am I – he wanted something very modern and elegant. Cabinet finish is quarter-sawn oak with a very dark stain to contrast with the stone top and splash.

hydralique++7-16-2009-20-11-41.jpg
 
Hydralique.

What a transformation!

I must be getting old! That 80's kitchen is not THAT awful to me! LOL Get rid of the return separating the kithcen from the table area and cover that awful blue floor abortion of a stencil and it'd be livable to me!

With regard to the 21st century re-do: to me the sink and center island should be facing the other way (180* rotation) to give the cook better access to the cabinetry, ref and stove. This would also serve to give the chef a view of the outdoors. Interesting to note the base cabinets on the left are only 1 foot deep (30cm +/-) and not the standard 2 feet deep (60cm +/-). Good design is a beatifful thing; but not when it trumps practicality, ergonomics and functionality! Still, very iimpressive.

I dont know about California, but now in my area these high-end features that were just a year ago or so ago considered "mandatory" are now, in light of the economic near-collapse, considered showy excesses.
 
ooh... and I'm hoping there is a microwave oven and an electric convection oven tucked away somewhere!

With an industrial-type gas range (read: pours out TONS of heat) one would think there would be a Fujitsu Mr.Slim (or equivalent) split-system (read: near-silent) supplemental A/C in the kitchen!

:-)
 
LOL!

I love the 80's kitchen!!!!

Oh I think its SO interesting your new kitchen tho, cos I look at it and think it looks just like lots of European kitchens - seriously if you showed me that kitchen I would swear it was in a British house!.

HOWEVER Our kitchen was chosen because it looked like an American kitchen!!!! LoL

I LOVE the 1948 kitchen tho, its beautiful!
 
LOL!

I love the 80's kitchen!!!!

Oh I think its SO interesting your new kitchen tho, cos I look at it and think it looks just like lots of European kitchens - seriously if you showed me that kitchen I would swear it was in a British house!.

HOWEVER Our kitchen was chosen because it looked like an American kitchen!!!! LoL

I LOVE the 1948 kitchen tho, its beautiful!
 
But(t) can you just picture the look on someone's face if they should happen to see the grid patten of those chairs imprinted in your rear-end!
 
I want a window

over the sink! Previous two kitchens did not have a window or other view over the sink, and it was just too depressing.

No window over the sink here, but the next best thing....sink looks into the rest of the apartment.

Of the slides, I like the late 50s to mid 60s kitchens the best.

This kitchen does not have much naturally occurring counter space. I put the cooling racks for my baked goods on top of the washer, and my KitchenAid mixer is on top of the dryer.

Lawrence/Maytagbear
 
I hate those cabinets with a curved line in it.

LOL Louis! A family friend had a cabinet maker tell her a secret - when you want to save money, just turn those curved carved doors inside out. The inside usually is a simple squared off pattern.

I agree guys - the 80's kitchen above seems fairly practical for typical family use. But, I think most would agree when I say that we here at aw.org have unusually un-typical tastes :D

At least the 80's kitchen above didn't have the clutter of this one!

swestoyz++7-17-2009-09-00-40.jpg
 
LOL!

I'm loving the vintage PC in the kitchen! Of course a stand alone non internet computer could do SO much in the kitchen in the 80's!!! LOL

Oh I just love it!
 
Now Mr. Sparkle,

You know that PC is located in the kitchen because that is where your secretary sits and takes dictation as you test recipes for your latest cook book. Also where she can retrieve any old recipes you may be wanting to make or revamp.
 
That was a wonderful group of photos MSN had, and that red kitchen shown above was indeed one of my favorites. I remember those monstrosity PCs and I giggled to seeing that in the kitchen.

No reflection at all on Hydralique's work or craftsmanship, he's just following the wishes of others, but all I would have done in that house was a different floor. I love the before kitchen, the after not so much. About all I like is the countertop/backsplash material. At a minimum, the island would have to be turned around the other way so the sink faces the window. I despised dark woodwork and cabinets in the 70s and don't like them any better now, and perhaps because I like to bake, I prefer the wall oven/cooktop arrangement to a free standing range.
 
Maytagbear, windows above kitchen sinks

One of my mom's friends had a kitchen sink with no window above and the backsplash was off white formica. So she got some of those snap in "squares" that people put in their windows, hung those up to make it look like a "window" and put kitchen curtains on it to match the ones on the kitchen window she did have. It was a fun idea, looked kind of like what they used to do with dept. store displays for curtains.
 
Another Truman-Era Beauty

This is from the cover of the 1949 introductory brochure for the KitchenAid KD-10. This kitchen was absolutely state-of-the-art at the time, more fantasy than reality for most people. Most people today would be able to work in it without too much of a learning curve, which you can't always say for kitchens of earlier eras. The only thing that would be problematic for a lot of people today is that lino on the floor - most people today wouldn't know how to take care of it. Of course, a lot of people then didn't know how to take care of lino, either.

danemodsandy++7-18-2009-23-06-24.jpg
 
..and she got the clean dinnerware results she was admiring in 45 minutes, if that! I love her colorful (Melmac perhaps?) dishes. Hopefully they are not LuRay, my collector friend would not like seeing them in a machine! LOL What is the proper way to take care of a floor like that? I like the look of traditional venetian blinds in a kitchen.

Jon, for some reason the name "Revco" rings a bell as a brand I've seen advertised with a refrigerator like that. It was interesting how many of the mid century kitchens in that MSN collection of photos used stainless steel appliances.
 
Scott:

Lino took three basic steps:

- Frequent sweeping and damp-mopping, to keep dirt from abrading the surface.
- Use of water-based wax (like Glo-Coat) to protect the surface - solvent-based waxes softened the linseed-oil components of the lino.
- Keeping it dry, except when you were cleaning it. Lino would rot very quickly if it was kept wet. Bathroom installations were very problematic, especially around toilets.

Sounds simple, but you'd be amazed how much worn-out and rotted lino there used to be out there.
 
Jason, that's so funny: when I looked at that particular kitchen when I found this on MSN, I remembered your interest in 70s decor and thought of you!
 
Interesting, thank you Danemodsandy! Most people's I saw looked fairly good (and I do remember Glo-Coat!) but I think I've seen a few of those problematic ones of which you speak, in bathrooms as you mention...
 

Similar threads

thatwasherguy
Another one followed me home today…
Replies
2
Views
340
tomturbomatic
T
phillymatt53
The Home Entertainment Industry
2
Replies
59
Views
3K
phillymatt53
phillymatt53
T
Built-in Frigidaire system from 1926, repair for 100th year anniversary!
Replies
12
Views
640
turbokinetic
T
thatwasherguy
Celebrating the Holiday With Avocado Green
Replies
2
Views
583
wayupnorth
wayupnorth
A
In Search of 1957-1960 Era Thermador "Bilt-In" Refrigerator with Bottom Freezer!
Replies
7
Views
675
apppliancenerd
A

Latest posts

Sponsored
UnlistMe
Back
Top