Doris Day's 1966 Kitchen

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Oh man - That tile (or whatever it is) would make me nuts.

Having used a gas 400 for a few years, and as the "proud" owner of two flairs, I can vouch for their design flaws. The Flair is 1000% better than the Fabulous 400, however.
 
Oops...

Forgot to mention my admiration for the Westinghouse Kitchen Center. Our 1954 kitchen is woefully short on outlets, and none are dedicated - something like that kitchen center would be a great alternative to chopping up all of the backsplash. Is there a contemporary version of that in production, or would it even be code compliant these days?
 
Oops...

Forgot to mention my admiration for the Westinghouse Kitchen Center. Our 1954 kitchen is woefully short on outlets, and none are dedicated - something like that kitchen center would be a great alternative to chopping up all of the backsplash. Is there a contemporary version of that in production, or would it even be code compliant these days?
 
The range has 4 burners in a line. The electric version only had one 8 inch element so I don't know if this stove had only one 12,000 BTU and three 6,000 BTU burners. In general the electric versions did not throw as much waste heat. They ran into a problem with the broilers when they were placed at the top of the gas oven cavity. So much oxygen was consumed by the oven burner that the pilot for the broiler would not stay lighted. It meant expensive retrofitting with an electric igniter in models already in use. Later models of the 40" gas models had the smaller section devoted to broiling. If you saw many Sears catalogs in the late 60s, the gas ranges of this style made by Roper had a roll-out broiler under the the oven. Yes, all of the beauty of the design was gone. I saw some Welbuilt ranges with the large oven underneath and the smaller one on top and the top oven had a burner about 2/3s of the way down in the oven so that you could broil under the burner and bake above it. Some of the cheapest SunRay electric ranges had an oven just like the gas model with a broiler element where the gas oven burner would be, a roll-out broiler and the openings around the bottom of the oven to allow the heat to rise around the edges as well as through the oven floor. With the heat focused down into the broiler compartment, it's a wonder it did not set floors on fire. It must have been sealed tighter and insulated better than the gas ovens. Wards had a few 36 inch gas stoves with a small electric oven beside the main oven in what is usually storage space. It had a heating element at just about the place where the gas oven had the divide between oven and broiler compartments. The door to it was side-swing and it allowed broiling below and baking above. It had to be on it's own 15 amp 115 volt circuit. Wards at one time had a gas dryer that used an electric element to provide heat for the delicate setting, again requiring its own 15 amp 115 volt circuit.

I think the ventilation problems were given over to that big pullout vent over the stove. It should have had a large blower mounted outside the house to cut down on noise. It is such a shame to think of how well a plain 40" range would have fit into that kitchen. Maybe DD got the Gas Assn. to replace that monstrosity with a regular stove after the pictures were taken; and maybe the dw with something that cleaned, not that she probably had to use either.
 
Amazing you noticed that.

Also amazing how home design concepts have changed over the years. Kitchens were so small back then!

If you've ever read a biography of her life, not long after this photo was taken Day's husband passed away, and she discovered he (and/or his business partner, we still don't know which) had spent her entire fortune. Day spent years doing things she didn't want to do (everything from advertising to hosting her own TV show) just to pay off her debts.

She's a real trooper, and survivor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doris_Day
 
I think that is a set

with the high ceiling, the back lit shadow and the completely covered window over the sink. It says she shows off the cabinets in her newly remodeled home but the small print says the picture is coutesy the Gas Association. I bet those were the cabinets installed in her home but the shot was taken with matching cabinets in a studio.

I can't believe her husband spent all her money just like Debbie Reynolds situation! Well in astronomy we say if you find two of something then it is common in the universe.

Jeff thanks for the link to her new hotel, I want to take Artemis there for a holiday, he'd love Carmel by the Sea!
 
Que,Sera,Sera

This kitchen looks the one in my old condo many years ago. I
hated that type of stove, you could never get a large stock
pot to fit under the top oven. But I still admire Doris' singing and acting, and lets not forget she took the time and her generous act of kindness to stand beside Rock Hudson when he was sicken with AIDS. One very classy lady!!
 
After Marty Melcher's death, DD discovered that he had committed her to the Doris Day & Friends show AND HAD EVEN SPENT THE ADVANCE FROM THAT CONTRACT. She really found the ugly side of Que sera, sera.

Jon, the note says that the DD photograph is courtesy of the AGA. I thought that meant just her likeness, not the whole kitchen, no?
 
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