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History of kitchens in the United States

This gallery shows a selection of design elements which are typical for certain decades in the history of home kitchens in the United States, beginning in the late 19th century. The intention is to give some clues that may facilitate the age determination of individual kitchens.

The examples which were chosen on this page to illustrate those elements are neither necessarily from the United States nor from the decade in which the element became mainstream.

19th century

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    Franklin stove, the first stove that didn't smoke a lot (for heating)
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    Rumford stove, adaption of the Franklin stove for kitchen use
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    Oberlin stove, a compact adaption of the Rumford stove (1834)

1890s

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20th century

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1900s

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    Indoor plumbing
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    Modernist built-in cabinets, white, reaching all the way up to the ceiling
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    Hoosier cabinets
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    Stainless steel countertops
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    Nickel countertops

1920s

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    White ceramic tile countertops
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    Beadboard panel backsplash
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    General Electric "Monitor Top" refrigerator (first available in 1927)
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    Component cabinet frames (first available in 1927)

1930s

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    Countertop height become standardized, the surfaces become continuous
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    Appliances start to not look like furniture, but like streamlined machines
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    Coldspot Six, the first streamlined refrigerator, marketed by Sears (1935)
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    The Standard Gas Equipment Company's Oriole Stove, the first modern gas stove (1936)
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    Westinghouse dishwasher (1939)
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    Wall cabinets are being mounted below fur downs
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1940s

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    Plywood cabinet doors (first available in the late 1930s)
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    Overlay doors (after WWII)
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    Laminate ("Formica") countertops, with metal edge molding

1950s

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    White-enameled steel cabinets (first available in 1948)
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    Pastel shades of colors
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    "Formica" countertops in "sea mist" light blue; profiled metal edges around laminate countertops; petal pink kitchen appliances
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    Turquoise blue kitchen appliances
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    Laminate ("Formica") countertops in "cameo" pink, green, or faux marble in pink or yellow
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    "Formica" countertops with Skylark/Boomerang pattern (first available in 1951)
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    Checkerboard linoleum flooring

1960s

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    Rustic stain-grade slab, plank style or panel doors
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    Laminate countertops with an integrated 4" backsplash
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    Avocado green or harvest yellow appliances
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    Open floor plans, with kitchen peninsulas
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    Ceiling-mount upper cabinets
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    Colors blue (early 1960s), orange, mustard
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    Combinations of avocado green, yellow, and brown (late 1960s)
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    Separation of range and oven
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    Built-in appliances, in order to support an overall streamline appearance
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    Pendant lights
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    Patterned wallpapers

1970s

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    Dark stain-grade wood
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    Copper brown or almond appliances
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    Granite countertops
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    Stainless steel sinks
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    Addition of a second oven
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    Vibrant wall papers
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    Live kitchen plants, often hanging in baskets

1980s

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    Dark stain-grade wood (oak), with crown-molding
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    Slab doors with minimalist laminate fronts and no handles
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    Solid surface countertops ("Corian", made of natural mineral and acrylic resin)
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    Sinks that were dropped into the countertop
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    Ceramic tile countertops
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    Omission of colors
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    Butcher blocks, later followed by kitchen islands
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    Bisque or almond, then white, then black, and finally stainless steel appliances
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    Refrigerators with exterior ice and/or water dispenser
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    Microwave ovens (available since the late 1960s)
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    Industrial stoves
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    Chateau Farmhouse look, with rustic, if not medieval props and decors such as pot racks (late 1980s)

1990s

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    Open floor plans became mainstream
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    Crown molding on cabinets
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Late 1990s
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    Stainless steel appliances
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    Farmhouse sinks
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    Apron sinks
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21st century

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2000s

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    Engineered stone ("quartz") countertops (first available in the 1970s)
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    Industrial stoves
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    Covered range hoods
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2010s

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    Wood countertops ("butcher's block")
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    Countertops of marble
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    Countertops of quartzite
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    Countertops of lava, concrete, stainless steel, porcelain slab, soapstone and other natural stone
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    Industrial refrigerators
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    High-arc faucets
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    Late 2010s: Waterfall edge countertops
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2020s

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    Combination of different cabinet front colors
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    Combination of different types of countertops
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    Visual disintegration, avoiding of uniform cabinet fronts
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    Black stainless steel appliances
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    Refrigerators with see-thru doors
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