Kitchens: Then and Now

Kitchens have come a long way since the 20th century – back then typically used for the sole purpose of preparing and cooking food in our home. Today, kitchens have evolved into one of the most social rooms in the house.

Historically, house design in North America and parts of Europe included a dining room to be separate from the kitchen. Often, the kitchen would be the smaller room separated by archways and enclosed in walls. Typically, these old traditional designs allowed for a small table to be placed in the kitchen for less-formal dining. Built-in-place cabinetry used to be considered more practical and there was not much desire or need for aesthetics. The kitchen archway would often lead to the dining room where family, or other formal dinner guests, were waiting. This 20th century custom has been replaced by open-concept design which adds functionality, aesthetic appeal, and an increase in value to your home.

In recent home remodeling trends, unnecessary partitions are often removed, as they are viewed as social barriers dividing the kitchen and formal dining areas. We now allow friends and family to engage in cooking and conversation in the kitchen instead of waiting in a completely different room. Our kitchens have become the focal point of our homes – they are now, in most cases, the biggest room in our homes. It shows our class, our social skill, and most important of all, our hospitality.

Kitchens are a wonderful way to represent your home and yourself. Most of us are attracted to modern kitchens these days. It is, after all, the first thing we notice when we enter a house. Though, as aesthetically pleasing as they are, the practicality of the storage and work surfaces has improved a great deal since the 20th century.

For example:

• Walls can be removed to create an open-concept living area.
• Incorporate an island into your layout, fit with bar-seating to entertain.
• Drawers getting “stuck” or opening loudly on unresponsive slides – this is a thing of the past. We use ball-bearing slides with dampers that allow them to close smoothly and quietly.
• With the evolution of under mount full extension slide hardware, drawers can hold more items than ever before, and in plain view, making access very convenient.
• The days of cupboard doors closing with a crash, rattling your dinnerware, are in the rear-view mirror. Modern kitchens uses soft-close hinges.
• With a little creativity, your designer has ample products to choose from to make use of previously unused, or hard-to-get-at, cabinet corner storage. The possibilities are endless and the amount of storage that can be achieved, even in a smaller kitchen, will amaze you.