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Read the rest of this series, which covers kitchens and bathrooms all the way back to 1900.
Knowledge is power, and understanding different periods of design and architecture will give agents an advantage with clients, both sellers and buyers. Housing styles, materials, sizes and features have changed over the decades to meet new demands in families and society.
The 1920s was a transitory time as many families were comprised of multiple generations living under one roof. Many families still had servants, whether part-time or full-time, live-in help, which influenced daily life.
The one consistent element in the kitchen and bathrooms of the 1920s was the desire for sanitary conditions, as maintaining good health was essential. White kitchen and bathrooms reigned, with very little deviation.
The “classic” black and white tile floor, larger tiles, 9″ by 9″ or 12″ by 12″ in kitchens, and smaller tiles, 1″ by 1″ in bathrooms, can still be seen in houses of this vintage. White tiles were still seen on walls in kitchens and bathrooms, with black or a painted or glazed relief pattern as a border. Housekeeping books and guides instructed homeowners and housekeepers to clean tiles and fixtures and maintain a “snowy white” finish at all times.
Kitchens in the 1920s
Kitchens were geared toward food preparation and serving, less so to storage of perishables, as marketing occurred daily. Delivery of milk and dairy products, as well as meat and bakery items, was standard, with large meals for families served in formal dining rooms for multiple generations.
The pace of life was slower, so dining was scheduled, and family members were all in attendance. These dining rooms required butler’s pantries with storage for china, servicing pieces and glassware, as well as sinks for clean-up. Storage for silver was in locked closets or vaults, and many larger homes had wine cellars where “spirits” were maintained both before and during the Prohibition period.
Dishwashers were family members or servants, as the modern dishwasher as we knew it had yet to be invented.
Convenience food, fast food, and heat and serve meals were in the future. All meal preparation and post-preparation clean-up took place in the kitchen, often requiring multiple family members as well as servants. Procuring food, preparing it, and serving meals required days of labor in hot kitchens without modern conveniences.
Appliances consisted of stoves, sinks and refrigerators on legs, similar to pieces of furniture. Storage pieces and movable and designed furniture were built with elaborate drawers, nooks, and shelving.
Built-in cabinets, known as the “fitted kitchen,” would become more common as storage pieces were mass-produced and became standardized in the next decade. Countertops in the 1920s kitchens were often made of linoleum or well-oiled wood butcher block. Some counters were stone or marble and sinks with built-in drainboards were of porcelain-covered cast iron.
Sink fittings were nickel-plated brass.
Washing machines with hand-cranked wringers were usually located in kitchens to be near water sources to increase efficiency. The 1920s homemaker could easily spend all day in the kitchen, due to the required time required to complete tasks. Ironing boards, sometimes built into the wall, so named “ironing closets,” were standard in 1920s kitchens as well.
Larger houses and estates had large laundry rooms in the basement with huge hot water heaters and full-time laundry staff.
Bathrooms in the 1920s
Bathrooms became more elaborate in the 1920s, but still, white tiles were standard. Black and white floor tiles were standard in bathrooms, with more elaborate patterns, and color became the norm in the 1930s.
The footed bathtub, standard in bathrooms of the 1930s, was now joined by the needle bath, a standing shower with horizontal coiled perforated pipes that sprayed water at bathers from multiple levels. These “modern” showers, a new invention, were soon joined by spray and rain bath shower heads.
Personal hygiene was valued, and bathrooms comprised not only bathtubs, sinks, and toilets but separate showers and bidets now joined bathrooms in more expensive houses. Bathroom trends grew to include bidets in the 1920s to such an extent that this Anglo-American trend was dubbed “sanitary imperialism.” While a more sanitary and efficient method of personal hygiene, bidets did not become widely accepted in this country.
The 1920s was a time of great economic growth and prosperity in the United States, and this was reflected in kitchen and bathroom innovations. Plumbing and electricity became more widely available, and communication opportunities spread information about household conveniences and innovations.
Real estate agents may encounter some of the features and details of living in the 1920s when viewing and showing houses today, despite the passage of 100 years. Agents who can address these historic features will impress their clientele and gain their confidence.
Gerard Splendore is a licensed associate real estate broker with Coldwell Banker Warburg in New York. Connect with him on LinkedIn.
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