We've Come A Long Way. . . Before the age of electricity, running water and modern appliances, there was no bathroom and no kitchen, per se. There was a hearth for cooking, perhaps a table or cutting board for preparation, and a dining area in a central gathering place. The bathroom. . . That's anybody's guess. A space common to all peoples, the kitchen embodies the cultural history of domestic life: how people around the world acquire, prepare, cook, serve, eat, preserve, and store food; what foods we eat and why and when; what utensils, cutlery, decorations, furnishings, and appliances we create and use; what work, play, chores, services, and celebrations we perform. The history of the kitchen reflects human ingenuity solving problems posed by daily necessity and the human desire for social comfort and continuity. Kitchen history also tells us much about our interaction with others and with other cultures as well. Cooking food was once accomplished over an open fire or in a fireplace. The invention of the kitchen stove allowed heat to be retained within a concentrated space and greatly changed how food could be prepared. Heated through the centuries by wood, coal, gas or electricity, these appliances have become an indispensable part of the modern kitchen. A kitchen stove is a heat-producing appliance that is used for cooking. While it has undergone a number of incarnations through the centuries, the basic function remains the same: cooking food in an enclosed oven or with burners on the top of the device. The Chinese are credited with developing iron stoves around 220 B.C.E. The Romans used stoves that were made of tile and clay. Kitchen stoves were not widely used in Europe until the 1700s. Microwave technology was originally developed to help the British detect Nazi warplanes. Once the rapid heating capabilities of microwaves were recognized, the first microwave oven was marketed in 1954. At the beginning of the 20th century the kitchen came to be defined as a separate room for food preparation. The kitchen continued developing its independent identity into the 1970's and 80's. This also included some "interesting" colors. Kitchen and Bath Technology Technological advancement introduced new appliances, which constantly expanded the square footage needed in an average kitchen. Generally, the kitchen was hidden away due to the fumes and clutter caused by food preparation. There was nothing visually attractive about the kitchen, so home owners used it only for preparation. Dining was done in a separate space. The Bathroom Comes Inside It’s usually the smallest room in the house and a close second to kitchens when it comes to being updated. The bathroom has quite a history which makes us the civilized people we are today. With the newly perceived need for hygiene in the late 1800's and the use of in-house plumbing, the bathroom (or wash closet as it was commonly referred to) became a standard room in the urban home by the 1920's. The earliest bathrooms were more antiseptic and strictly functional by design. It was the most used room in the house, but Victorian etiquette made it the least talked about. The plumbing fixtures were white glazed or enameled tubs, toilets, sitting tubs and sinks with nickel hardware. Smooth, hard, and white surfaces were chosen because they were considered sterile. White-glazed porcelain tile was installed on the floors, in shower basins, and on the walls. White Carrara marble slabs were the preferred choice for counter tops. Cabinetry and trim work were painted in high-gloss white paint. If the walls were not tiled they were usually painted white. Rarely a pale color was introduced as an accent. More commonly black accents created a pattern or a border in the hexagon mosaic tile floors or the subway tiles on the walls. Recessed medicine cabinets and vanity cabinets provided storage. Linen storage was provided near the bathrooms in hallway built-ins. The light fixtures were surface mounted on walls and ceilings and matched the polished nickel of the plumbing hardware. As for the toilet, originally just high-tank versions were available, but due to rapid progress in the redesign of the toilet, a low-tank version was created and both were readily available. Tanks were metal lined and made of oak, ash, cherry, walnut, and sometimes mahogany. The high-tank toilet was a popular choice until WWI and then the ceramic toilets we are familiar with became the standard. Functionality gave way to aesthetic appreciation in the beginning of the 1930s. The style of the ‘30s is called Deco and introduced geometric shapes and patterns as well as colors such as sea foam green, pink, pale yellows, and robins-egg blue. Ceramic or glass tile was the dominant choice for wall, floor, and counter surfaces. It was during this time that color was introduced into the plumbing fixtures and they tended to match the color of the tile and the walls. The cabinets were mainly built of wood but sometimes they were made of painted metal. Chrome was introduced for the hardware. Often handles for faucets, door and drawer knobs were made of pale pastel-colored glass. Chrome medicine cabinets with integrated sidelights, hidden toothbrush storage, and recessed toilet paper holders were fun accessories. Planning Makes Perfect If you're painting a wall or two, you can probably make all your decisions by looking at the a few color swatches. But if you're planning a remodel or major redesign to your kitchen or bath, it's a good idea to have a floor plan on paper for reference. It used to be that you'd have to use graph paper and cut out shapes to move around the paper to work on your layout. From Cut-Outs to Software You'd locate windows and doors and then try to figure out if your pieces will fit in the space you have. Or you might have drawn the floor plan several times on the graph paper, erasing and changing as pieces fit or didn't fit. Today, all that paper planning can be done with decorating and design software and online programs. Most programs are easy to learn and easy to use. Here's a few programs that we've found are easy to work with and inexpensive for kitchens and bathrooms. Software 3D Home Iterior Design Design Your Kitchen and Bathrooms Here, Design Any Interior In Realistic 3D www.plan3D.com Smart Draw Easy to use software for all your designing needs. www.smartdraw.com
Today's Kitchen and Bath
As you can see from some of the segment on Welcome Home, today's kitchen is changing, people have changed their cultural habits, and kitchens have become more attractive than ever. The kitchen is now the center and most important part of a home - the central gathering place. Small or large families alike gather in or around the kitchen for various activities, whether it's grabbing a snack near the island or children sitting at the dining area to do their home work while their parents chop a salad. And, when entertaining a larger party, the island/peninsula area acts as the buffet table for guests to gather around. The kitchen today is just as much a gathering place as it was for families over 100 years ago.
Changing Habits
Our eating habits have also changed. Families don't dine together everyday anymore, and it's very likely that each member of the family has a completely different diet. Frequent smaller snacks, rather than large meals are often characteristic of most busy New York teenagers and young adults. Welcome Home will be filming segments at the 2009 Kitchen and Bath Show in Atlanta. We'll bring you the latest in technology, design and engineering for today's kitchens and bathrooms. |