When you go into most kitchens, you can tell who lives there right away. It’s the heart of the home, not only because you cook and eat there, but also because you put so much love into every dish. It was also where we used to converse on the phone and complete our homework. And it was usually where our parents handled the finances and planning.
The kitchen works harder than any other room in the house! It is also the room that is most frequently remodeled, and many of the old kitchens from our childhood are no longer in use. However, seeing some of the old kitchen items or decorations immediately brings back memories of my mother’s kitchen. Here are some of the things I never expected to miss so much about this wonderful place.
Lace curtains. In addition to the other delightful elements in her kitchen, she generally had lace curtains hanging in the window. This was once true for many kitchens, but it’s now considered a more traditional touch. The big old meat grinder. I believe most people’s mothers had this beast back in the day. It had a lot of bits that no one except her knew how to put together. Bologna or ham salad was a favorite, but she used it for a variety of purposes.
Coffee Grinder. She had one of those antique coffee grinders that poured coffee into the top and ground it into a small wooden drawer. We thought that was a lot of fun as youngsters! But, as an adult, I’m happy for my electric one, which performs the job in seconds.
Her Butter Churn. She had one that worked by cranking, which was considerably more efficient than the old up-and-down plungers. It was hooked to a glass jar so that you could observe the texture of the butter as it developed. She cooked so many items from scratch that I’m surprised she had time for anything else!
The old canisters. Nothing is more iconic than antique canisters of flour, sugar, coffee, oil, tea, and cereal. There were numerous styles created over the years, but they all made any kitchen appear spacious and clean. I still use mine, although I’m not sure if these are still fashionable.
The tablecloths. She had several tablecloths since she always wanted to protect the table. I remember using the oil cloth ones more during the summer, possibly because we were home from school and made a lot more messes!
Ball Jars in Blue. I believe my mother must have picked up the old blue Ball jars whenever she saw them because she had a small collection. To me, this is a lovely method to store rice or leftovers, and the pale blue color is unbeatable.
Sink Skirt. It was a lovely touch for kitchens without a cupboard behind the sink or if the doors had been water damaged and had to be removed. We used some attractive patterns for ours, which made a difficult area appear cute and cheery.
Plants above the sink. It was a fantastic way to bring liveliness into the kitchen, especially because we had dark cabinets. The hanging plant over the window brought greenery and made the space feel more comfortable.
Bread is rising. My mother constantly had something rising or cooling, and she baked bread from scratch every week. Making your own was significantly cheaper at the time, though I’m not sure if this is still true today. In any case, she wanted a thicker loaf prepared with half whole wheat, and white sandwich bread simply did not cut it for her. If I close my eyes, I can still smell it baking!
Old-fashioned Kettle. Nowadays, it appears that everyone uses an electric kettle. But back then, all we had was an old-fashioned stovetop kettle that whistled with steam when the water was ready. It was a source of pride to keep it as clean as possible.
Herbs drying. Back then, we had a garden and there were always herbs that needed to be dried. This was done over the sink in my mother’s kitchen, and it somehow made the space feel more comfortable.
A cheerful wallpaper. Checkerboard, plaid, fruit, and flowers were the most popular kitchen wallpaper themes back then. Even if the walls aren’t coated in it, there could be some in the china cabinet or other areas of the kitchen. I recall one in blue, but my mother changed it at least once. Despite its cuteness, most kitchens today will not have this type of wallpaper.
