I have always loved a kitchen alcove. The idea of the little breakfast nook (as opposed to an entire breakfast room which would be lovely as well) just seems so homey.
The 1920’s kitchen really considered these a necessity. Homes were getting smaller for the middle classes post war and the decline in the ability to have staff made eating and prep in one room more important. The middle class family would most likely have their dinner in the formal dinning room off the kitchen, but early morning with kids off to school, father with his morning paper and Mother happy to have all her new gadgets to hand found the kitchen eating alcove a wonderful addition to her busy morning.
And when space saving is par for the course with the need and want of a breakfast alcove, why not make it do double duty: a guest bed! This would be a great solution for any small house or even for a getaway cottage. With a darling set of curtains in coordinating fabric that says pulled back most of the time, close them when your guest is in there and he’ll have a bit of old 'fashioned train sleeper privacy while you get the eggs and coffee on in the morning.;
Even when one considers the small bit of space needed, you could almost see simply adding a bump out to your small kitchen. Some 2 x 4 framing, a simple shed roof and this simple 6 foot wide by 4’10” room would be easy foe many a DIY. A 6 x 5 addition would be very low cost and probably quite doable by a family of a few Summer weekends.
I am going to share this little silent film clip which is rather funny but also a good little glimpse into an early kitchen. The clip says 1920’s but it must be very early 20’s I would almost say late teens, as the ladies hair and dress tell me late teens. You can see their higher waisted dresses, popular before the dropped waist of the 20’s. And their hair is taking on the look we will have in the cut styles of the 1920’s but were managed in the teens WWI era with still long hair but wrapped and style to frame the face.
Have a lovely day and don’t forget to put a little Vintage in your Day.
