Pre/ After WW2 Kitchen

phoebe1989seb

vintageteainmywardrobe wrote: »

We thankfully don't have a galley kitchen, though the house originally would of had one, because of the 2009 extension, which I wish wasn't done but if I ever have kids I'll be glad. I think the measurements of the kitchen is 9sq metres

Do you remember what didn't work? Was it the storage or just moving around?

I'd love to see your sons kitchen, that sounds ace!

He and his partner sold the flat this year after their first baby was born and sadly I don't have any pics on my phone etc. I was going to share a link to the Rightmove details but it's one of those annoying sold listings where there are no accompanying pictures

Theirs was a galley - well, actually space for kitchen cabinets on two walls at right angles - and fairly small. On the longer wall they had one large pine dresser base which DS fitted a slate worktop to and in which they stored crockery and cutlery, plus a smaller pine cupboard which DS adapted to take a single butler sink. Along the shorter wall was the oven with a small freestanding cupboard each side that housed pots, pans, baking stuff. On the opposite long wall was a tiny original built in cupboard just large enough for the washing machine and above this they stored glassware and food. Further along that wall they hung open shelving for more plates, mugs etc. The large, retro style fridge freezer was at the opposite end on the short wall next to the door to the hallway.

Going back to ours - it wasn't a galley, but a small square room of about 8' square, although with three doors (to dining room, conservatory and pantry) plus one corner (where we stood our freestanding oven) was cut off, it felt much smaller.

Why didn't it work well for us? I think it was too tiny - DS was two when we bought the house and nearly eight when we sold it, plus we had a dog who always seemed to be underfoot - as we both like to cook and there was very little space to move around. It definitely wasn't a *two butt* kitchen, lol! The only useable worktop/prep space was the carpenter's workbench (topped with an offcut of granite) which we used to prep all meals as well as DS eating breakfast there on cold days. We did have an old scrubbed pine kitchen table in the adjacent conservatory but this was only useable (mainly for breakfast as we had a formal dining room elsewhere) on warmer days. Our fridge freezer was in the walk-in pantry which had ample shelving to store all our food stuffs. Later on we bought one of those vintage larders (it stood in the conservatory till we moved to a house with a bigger kitchen) in which we kept all our baking equipment. I remember trying to sell it on eBay in the early noughties and there being no takers - we had to dump it eventually

The (single, retired) woman who we sold our house to put in a (very ugly) faux wood fitted kitchen with ugly worktops and a stainless steel sink/drainer that was virtually identical to the one we ripped out. Whilst that created *slightly* more worktop space, it was only ever going to be a kitchen suitable for one cook. The only other identical house in the road has been altered with the kitchen being moved to one of the three large reception rooms - much more appropriate for a four bed family home. I'm guessing the new owners of our old house - it was sold again five years ago - will have done similar.

In a larger space than what we had I think it can work well. Our space was too disjointed with the table for baking being in another room.

In our current two bed cottage we have the luxury of a large, eat-in kitchen with an island for prep and a sofa by the wood burning stove - our cabinets (Handmade Kitchens of Christchurch that came unpainted) are almost like having a freestanding kitchen (till recently we also had a vintage dresser and small painted larder cupboard) and for us it's the best of both worlds Neither DH nor I would ever choose a *modern* fitted kitchen with long runs of wall cupboards or glossy, handleless cabinets. Instead we have an old style plate rack over the butler sink and a couple of unmatching wall cupboards, loads of deep drawers, range cooker, retro fridge freezer and a 5' wide x 7'6 high larder cupboard that DH made. It works well for the two of us as well as when we have guests.....

Love hearing about everyone's take on a retro kitchen

DIYdad101

Rather than getting an unpainted kitchen, you could try classic kitchens direct in Christchurch who also make handmade kitchens, but paint them for you.

monnagran

Are you mad?  I was brought up in the 30s and 40s,  in a 'modern' kitchen which was built in 1937.  To go back to that is the stuff of nightmares.
OK, it was a tiny kitchen in a small bungalow and I think that the kitchen was about 8ft x 5ft.  Once the tiny kitchen table was in, and the larder cabinet and gas stove there was barely room for the sink and single drainer.  There was just room to stand between the sink and the table.  Oh I forgot to mention the gas copper which resided in the corner behind the back door.  The mangle with the huge wooden rollers was housed in the lean-to shed, along with Dads bicycle.

Sorry.  It may be unromantic but give me my fitted kitchen with easy glide drawers and cupboards, a fridge freezer and easily cleaned counters any day.  And you take my washing machine away from me at your peril. 

greenbee

I'm with Monna. I haven't had a proper kitchen for the last 6 years and am hoping to get one installed this year. If you actually cook (rather than just reaheat), then you need plenty of work surfaces that are easy to clean. Easy to clean means no cracks, gaps, splits etc where germs can hide and multiply. Cupboards that you can actually put things away in and are easily cleaned out (my stuff currently lives in crates/baskets/boxes under tables and it gets grubby). I'm looking forward to the easy glide drawers, big cupboards and easily cleaned work surfaces sometime later this year...

carrielovesfanta

I will offer a word of caution about having open shelving. You can't see the grease in the air in a kitchen, but if you stand on the work top and look at the top of any wall units, you may have a nasty shock! Open shelves will need regular cleaning so if your heart is set on some, you may want to consider how much you store on them and how often it's used.