STREAMLINE KITCHEN

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 104, 26 January 1935, Page 16

STREAMLINE KITCHEN

Woman Designer’s Exhibit “A lovely .. . kitchen.” Surely a hitherto unheard, comment in the highly artistic precincts of the Royal Academy of Arts in respect of a kitchen; although the word “lovely” may have been ofttimes heard with regard to portraits of beautiful women shown at Burlington House, writes Ann Sheraton in the “Daily Telegraph.” Yet this was the comment of many feminine visitors when they viewed the “streamline” kitchen, which is one of a series of modern rooms, each one designed by a well-known architect, for the Art in Industry Exhibition which openeil with the New Year at the Royal Academy. The rooms were arranged in settings on either side of one of the larger galleries, and the scheme included a din-ing-room, living-room, bedrooms, bathrooms, a nursery, a garden terrace at the end of the gallery, and the kitchen. This kitchen was designed by a woman —an authority on domestic architecture, who realises how great is the need for efficient equipment in the kitchen, be the space available large or small, and equally so the need for .bright and charming surroundings. One of the great attractions of the “streamline” kitchen was the continuous table-top which went all round the room, leaving a clear space in the centre of the floor. This fitment had an array of covered-in space below designed with plenty of compartments for stores and utensils. All the fitments were .built in, at the right height for working, in a streamlined effect. The walls were covered with easily cleansed tiles, which had an attractive eggshell gloss, in an original effect of a Scotch plaid design in white and soft reds, set in a surround of pale dovegrey tiles bordered with silver lustre. There was an electric clock set in an arched alcove. Even the gas cooker looked its streamlined part, for w it was designed on the lines of a fltted-in part of the kitchen without any harsh corners, ridges, or skirting to collect grime. The colour scheme was white and black, and it was very modern in appearance with sunk handles and controls. An important feature was that, like all the other fitment in this kitchen, it was designed to obviate stooping. Among points that appealed to the practical housewife was the drop floor, opening at the top, which formed a useful shelf for the observation of dishes at intervals during the cooking processes. A specially large grill simplified grilling—there was plenty of space to manipulate dishes. No outside pipings and a covered-in top, with self-lighting boiler rings, accentuated the streamlined look of the cooker, which also had a hot closet for keeping meals hot or casserole cookery. In the kitchen special cookery ventilation was arranged, in addition to the windows, which were designed with a particular application to good lighting on all types of kitchen work while cooking preparations were In action at fhe sink. And, as in all good kitchens, the artificial lighting scheme was shadow! ess.