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We had a summer house that was a center-hall Colonial like the OP describes, stunning house.
The kitchen had white cabinets with some glass doors, zinc and marble countertops, a big farm sink, black and white tiled floor, I basically channeled that house, lol
It also had hand painted wallpaper in the dining room, marble showers, a butlers pantry, and the most incredibly beautiful drawing room, I loved that house!
I loved that house, it sat in the foothills of the Ozarks, it was originally the summer house for the Brown family (Buster Brown Shoes).
We had it for 5 years, sold it, and the University of Missouri bought the farm it was on for an experimental farm and tore the house down in the 80s.
This is the home we want to own. Look at the cabinets... Maple, I think. They were installed in 1974!!! They lok like brand new- inside and out! Timeless, I think! But the rest of the kitchen needs help!
This is the home we want to own. Look at the cabinets... Maple, I think. They were installed in 1974!!! They lok like brand new- inside and out! Timeless, I think! But the rest of the kitchen needs help!
Too much wood, what kind of shape is the floor in? Perhaps an indoor/outdoor rug if the floor is in good shape to cut all that wood.
Lose the overhead cabinets on the peninsula, some new knobs on the cabinets, maybe new counter tops, cant tell what kind of shape the counters are in.......some barstools that dont blend right into the cabinets......update the wall color.
Too much wood, what kind of shape is the floor in? Perhaps an indoor/outdoor rug if the floor is in good shape to cut all that wood.
Lose the overhead cabinets on the peninsula, some new knobs on the cabinets, maybe new counter tops, cant tell what kind of shape the counters are in.......some barstools that dont blend right into the cabinets......update the wall color.
I'm not gonna hijack chiefy's thread, but since you mentioned it... What? You don't like the wall paper? The Kelvinator refrigerator? The country barstools? Haha! Me either! They aren't mine! They belong to a 90 year old lady. Thanks for the input. Will start my own thread later. I appreciate chiefy's good thread here about not wanting to be stuck in 2011 20 years from now... to go classic!
How many years have stainless appliances been popular? I believe it has been at least 15 years (and longer for commercial kitchens). So how long before a trend becomes "timeless?"
I was thinking the same thing. Stainless has been around commercially for decades. Gold/Green/Brown appliances were in style for what, 10 years at best? I don't really see where the color trend of appliances could go next, but I did see all copper-colored appliances in a model home recently. I thought they were ugly!
I was thinking the same thing. Stainless has been around commercially for decades. Gold/Green/Brown appliances were in style for what, 10 years at best? I don't really see where the color trend of appliances could go next, but I did see all copper-colored appliances in a model home recently. I thought they were ugly!
Copper was actually popular back in the 60s, what you saw in that house was oiled bronze.
They were introduced just as the housing market went south, I've used them in a couple of houses since they came out, they look great in the right setting.
I travel a lot and one of my favorite things to do is tour historic homes. I especially enjoy looking at the kitchens. (At Winterthur in Delaware, it's possible to see American kitchens from the Revolutionary War period to more modern times.)
I have found that kitchens in the homes of wealthy Americans didn't change that much from the beginning of the 20th Century to the post-WWII period. And, as seen in the beautiful photos posted by PlaidMom, they could still be lived in today. What they have in common:
Large size with good working spaces, room for a simple table and chairs
Butler's pantry and/or scullery kitchen (often with a second sink)
White cabinets, many uppers having glass inserts
Carrera marble counters
Black and white ceramic tile floors (wood used in earlier part of century)
White cast iron farmhouse sink
If there was a backsplash, it was subway tile, often crazed
Hanging light fixtures in what is today known as the "schoolhouse style"
Swinging-style doors often seen in restaurants today
Although the dining rooms were usually wallpapered, kitchens weren't
These kitchens are utilitarian and closed off from the rest of the house, which is why I believe they are not so popular in these days of open concept homes. But they certainly have their own beauty and still have a place in the traditional home. The appliances in these historic homes are antiques (often finished in a color of baked enamel) and wouldn't be useful to most contemporary cooks unless they are restored. Stainless steel appliances fit in these kitchens quite well today, as they are utilitarian in nature and white appliances are awfully harsh given how much other white is in the kitchens.
If you want timeless, and your kitchen isn't part of your family room, this is the way to go. They were only supplanted post-WWII when many styles, from faux-Colonial to mid-century modern to the 1960s jet-age style to the pickled wood and shiny brass of the 1980s came into vogue.
Last edited by Jukesgrrl; 07-27-2011 at 05:13 PM..
Reason: added something
I travel a lot and one of my favorite things to do is tour historic homes. I especially enjoy looking at the kitchens. (At Winterthur in Delaware, it's possible to see American kitchens from the Revolutionary War period to more modern times.)
I have found that kitchens in the homes of wealthy Americans didn't change that much from the beginning of the 20th Century to the post-WWII period. And, as seen in the beautiful photos posted by PlaidMom, they could still be lived in today. What they have in common:
Large size with good working spaces, room for a simple table and chairs
Butler's pantry and/or scullery kitchen (often with a second sink)
White cabinets, many uppers having glass inserts
Carrera marble counters
Black and white ceramic tile floors (wood used in earlier part of century)
White cast iron farmhouse sink
If there was a backsplash, it was subway tile, often crazed
Hanging light fixtures in what is today known as the "schoolhouse style"
Swinging-style doors often seen in restaurants today
Although the dining rooms were usually wallpapered, kitchens weren't
These kitchens are utilitarian and closed off from the rest of the house, which is why I believe they are not so popular in these days of open concept homes. But they certainly have their own beauty and still have a place in the traditional home. The appliances in these historic homes are antiques (often finished in a color of baked enamel) and wouldn't be useful to most contemporary cooks unless they are restored. Stainless steel appliances fit in these kitchens quite well today, as they are utilitarian in nature and white appliances are awfully harsh given how much other white is in the kitchens.
If you want timeless, and your kitchen isn't part of your family room, this is the way to go. They were only supplanted post-WWII when many styles, from faux-Colonial to mid-century modern to the 1960s jet-age style to the pickled wood and shiny brass of the 1980s came into vogue.
Excellent observation, and what I recommend for a timeless look.
I love those old house museums, btw!
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