The Evolution of the Kitchen

Ever wonder why it took so long for people to enjoy the open lifestyle of today’s kitchens?  Well, in reality, it didn’t!  Sorry, our generation isn’t the first to enjoy open concept living.  Going waaaaay back, we can find evidence that the fire pit was the first notion of open concept living.  Everyone hung out there, cooked, and told stories perhaps.  Okay; post the Neanderthal age, early farmer’s resided open with the farm animals and early American settlers built one room log homes primarily out of the resources and time available, along with the economy of having one fire and the family in one place. 

While it is a stretch to think there is any correlation because of modern living, it really is about lifestyle. Some of these one room cabins were being constructed in the late 1800’s while the American Victorian era was in full bloom, creating parlors, dining rooms and servant quarters.

What creates bigger and longer trends really depends on what is happening in the times of the trend. We are still experiencing a long term trend of people staying home more.  That love for the security of home, and renovating to enjoy that more, is now being transferred to our post-great recession drive of “experience over quantity”.  For many families, that busy life is not going to get in our way of sharing time with our children and parents because of some of life’s speed bumps like extracurricular activities.  The most desired experience right now is the time with each other.

The first open concept in the modern architectural age came during a great time in our history post WWII.  Look at postmodern ranches in the 50’s with the floor plans of open kitchen and stools at the peninsula. They are extremely close to the plans we are drawing today.  

I was recently visiting my nephew and we went to Chudnow Museum of Yesteryear.  In the attached photo, the stove boasts 2 two types of fuel available, and features any modern housewife in the 20’s and 30’s would love to have.  On one of the little fact sheets is a card that claimed in this era, a house wife worked an average of 40 hours in the kitchen just preparing meals for the family! Maybe that is why the separate kitchen was popular at that time, Mom didn’t have time to talk!