Omaha daily bee., 1917-01-10
The Kitchen Workshop

An interesting bit of news in a
Chicago newspaper recently de-
scribes the difference in attitude
toward her work of tired housewife
who moved from dingy old kitchen
to an attractive new one The new
kitchen was done" in yellow, and
suggested brightness and cheer in all
its furnishings. do not doubt for a
moment the real effect of an attract
i've kitchen, but | suspect there were
two other reasons why the second
kitchen proved such stimulus. A
modern kitchen is cleanable and con-
venient, which are cardinal qualities
of modern workshop. | do not wish
to minimize the importance of the ar
tistic in kitchen, but | do feel that
the artistic side is not the only con-
sideration.
When a room is "cleanable" it not
only is clean, but is easily kept so.
The walls are washable, also the
woodwork is ashable-and where
labor is considered white enamel is
not so practical as a light color. The
woodwork has as few grooves as
possible, for grooves catch dust. The
floor is easily washable, hence never
bare floor, which requires scrub
bing with a brush A spar varnish
makes bare floor more easily
cleansed. A cement preparation
Though hard on the feet) or limo
leum covering is quite satisfactory
The inlaid linoleum keeps its appear
ance much better than one with a sur
face pattern. Cork thing is thought
/ excellent, though it is rather ex-
| pensive.
If we enlarge the term "cleanablc'
till it becomes Sanitary" we include
questions of comfort as we'll as OF
cleanliness. A kitchen must be we'll
ventilated. There should be provision
for cross-draughts to remove the
odors of cooking; and there may be
ventilating devices in the walls, open
ing directly to the outside. A hooded
stove is an aid to ventilation. The
lighting of kitchen should receive
special thought Not only should the
windows be placed in relation to
stove, sink and work table, but the ar
tihcial light also should be adequate
for working purposes. Too often the
one kitchen light is so placed that a
woman is in her own light, no mat
ter where she stands in the room!
"hen tho 1rectton of ly,tcba,, 49,,
venience is raised we come to a prob
lem that only few apartments and
very few houses have solved The
traditional kitchen was large. Why?
Because it was the family living
room as well as the workshop for
the preparation of food. The need for
size has vanished, but the tradition
fingers. The modern kitchen should
be of moderate size, nearly square,
and so planned that it is a workshop.
To be efficient-that overworked
word again-as workshop the
equipment must be carefully chosen
and then as carefully placed. Modern
kitchen equipment is fascinating
subject Who of US would not de-
light in white enamel gas stove with
fireless cooker attachment-th oven
with glass door and a thermom-
eter to gauge the temperature &C
curately? A high white enamel stool
is comfort in a kitchen. Kitchen
cabinets are now models OF magical
convenience, and iceboxes OF sanitary
wilderness have revolving shelves to
save one the bother of removing
everything to find the bowl which in.
variably is in the farthest right-hand
corner. We are now borrowing the
western idea OF cold box" which is
ventilated box built out from a
kitchen wall with door opening
into the kitchen. Thus it is possible
to keep food without ice from fall to
spring, yet without the inconvenience
of going into a cold room. More and
more we are demanding sinks with
double drainboards and sinks of the
right height for the worker. An easy
test OF correct height is to note
whether the palm of the hand
reaches the lower edge of the sink.
1t should. We cannot change the
height Of sink already placed-at
least not without a good deal OF
trouble and sxpense-but in building
we can insist upon the proper
height. If, for any reason, it is i'm
possible to have two drainboards. the
left-hand drain is of more service to
a right-handed woman, for in wash
ing dishes it is easier to work from
right IS left.
A pantry is an institution left to
us from an earier-and ditferent-day
II VIC consider the kitchen as a work
shop, why not have the signs of our
trade about US? A chemist has his
apparatus in plain sight and within
easy reach; why not a cook? Foods,
if not in an icebox or cold box, are
just as we'll kept in kitchen as in
pantry. The convenient kitchen has
built-in shelves for utensils and staple
foods, the shelves either with or with