FUNCTIONABLE FARMHOUSE KITCHEN

THEY COOKED MORE & HAD LESS

I’m always fascinated by these house hunters that complain of the kitchen spaces always being too small. The fact that in the 1800’s & 1900’s women fed their families of 8+ in a space the size of a postage stamp (average kitchen size was 70 square feet).

They made daily bread by hand on a fold down table since counter space was either non existant or very limited, big cast iron washboard sinks cleaned freshly butchered chickens and filled large stock pots over open flames, in between washing out cloth diapers they stocked their larder with hundreds of jars canned with harvested vegetables and jams from their gardens.

They cooked more. Fed more. In a space much smaller than anything we would desire now.

Our Ranchy 1960’S Rambler

Our house was built in the 1960’s by the owners at the time. Through chatter of neighbors, the house was originally constructed without running water. I LOVE old houses- a Craftsman style Bungalow to be specific is my dream home.

When we moved into our house I knew a home like this was not on the Magnolia home theme that is raging right now, but rather a history piece of the 1950’s & 60’s that was pleading for a restoration– NOT a renovation.

I was highly inspired by the true American Farmhouse, but the second you pop that into Pinterest, hand painted signs reading “Gather” and “Farmhouse”, subway tile and the infamous shiplap flood the screen- which is not the historical Farmhouse I’m going for… Therefore, I set out on a Google quest to look and tour old homes online and research.

What was a functioning kitchen in the 1900’s?

In the 1950s, kitchens were a “woman’s workshop,” where housewives prepared meals in isolation. Today, open concepts rule the kitchen is meant for socializing as much as it is for cooking.

A wood-burning or coal stove or range would be fitted into a large fireplace in the center of the wall. On the other side might be a dish cupboard. The stove might be connected to a hot water heater that would bring hot water to the kitchen sink and bathrooms.

Speed was key: the faster a wife could move about and make meals, the more time she would have to devote to her other responsibilities.

The appliances and sinks at this time were still all on tall legs, and were separate units. The legs were there to make cleaning under them easier, and the material of choice for cabinets was steel. Countertops were often covered in linoleum, also the most popular flooring of the time.

There was often a closet with shelves for storing foodstuffs and a walk-in pantry next to the kitchen.

Wealthier homes had iceboxes, lead-lined cupboards with a block of ice below keeping food cool in a compartment above.

Design on a dime

One of the first things we did to our kitchen was strip the grandma apple theme wall paper off. There’s no pleasant way to do this. It’s a b. Blast the radio and buy some wine- that’s my advice to make the best of it.

After the never ending scrape job, it was onto the cabinets! You can see more in depth the process about how we updated our kitchen cabinets here.

Our flooring was really nothing to write home about, not to mention the linoleum was peeling up on all edges of the room so the previous owner tacked it down with 2×4 boards that really scream tacky.

Our budget for new flooring was about the size of a floor tile itself. For under $100 I tore up all of the linoleum and painted the plywood subfloor in the kitchen. It isn’t my final flooring choice but is enjoyable for the time being!

Now, is a space ever really finished? Not in my mind! I still have a few more things I’m keeping my eyes open for to collect!
*Vintage (working) Stove
*Cast iron Sink
*Hutch (this would be in my dining room, not kitchen)

I can’t wait to keep updating our kitchen piece by piece with modern amenities but keeping that old class 1900’s working kitchen charm.