Decades of Kitchens

[xraytech]

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.

 

[scott55405]

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.

 

[scott55405]

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.

 

[jetcone]

Love this fridge

Anybody know what maker is??

 

[danemodsandy]

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.

 

[scott55405]

..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.

 

[danemodsandy]

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.

 

[jasonl]

LOVE

Peace, love, and yellow Formica

I with my 1979 kitchen looked like this.

 

[scott55405]

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!

 

[scott55405]

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...

 

[jasonl]

I envy the kids that grew up in that house. I bet they never even appreciated what they had until it's long gone.

 

[jasonl]

The 70s became the 80s and ...

Ugh...

 

[toggleswitch2]

OMG my all-time most despised style of cabinetry.

The universe DOES have a sense of humor. That is the crap that came with my first (only) house.

UGH I get the heebie-jeebies just thinking about it!