The 1920s Kitchen (which is better than what we have)

According to Edic and Edic (1999), our 1920s kitchen, which is now gutted and waiting for us to put it back together, wasn't the greatest plan in its day: "Until the 1920s, most kitchens were inefficiently laid out. Families that could afford cooks had large storage pantries removed from the cooking area. With servants doing the work, there was little attempt made to provide convenience and comfort for the homeowner. In poorer households, the kitchen was a corner of the living area, which often resembled a basement sink area more than it resembled our idea of a kitchen.

In the '20s and '30s, a new kitchen design emerged based on the efficiency methods being employed in industrial assembly lines: separate work areas for washing, preparing, storing and cooking. Unfortunately, the work areas remained on opposing parts of the room, separated by runs of open wall space. The sink might use one wall, the stove another, the pantry would be around the corner, and the ice box would sit near the door for accessibility to the iceman's deliveries. The cook did a lot of walking. (Edic and Edic, 1999. 'Kitchens that Work: The Practical Guide to Creating a Great Kitchen' pp. 8-9)