What is the location of the home, and style of the home?

I think that from what I see here in Kansas City, that homes that were built in the 1920s had 4x4 colored tile countertops with 2 inch contrast tile trim, white wood frame cabinets with chrome knobs or pulls, white range, and white cast iron sink, many with a wall hung faucet. Also since dishwashers had not been invented, and cabinets were built on site, the depth of the counters was more shallow than today-18-20 inches deep. Ask anyone who has bought a bungalow with an original kitchen and tried to add a dishwasher!

Post war houses had flat bold colored formica with the chrome bead in the seam between the counter and the backsplash and ribbed chrome edging, with white cast iron double bowl sink with deck mounted faucet and side spray. Most had cabinets made on site that were stained.

Julie- Thank you...that really helps. It's a 1904 farmhouse in eastern Washington, with a 1950s addition.

I want the remodel to make sense with the house, so I'm trying to make it seem like the first remodel was done in the 1920s (after WWI) since a lot of new technologies were available in rural areas...phones, electricity, plumbing, etc. After WWII, houses needed a place for the TV, newer style built-in kithens, laundry rooms, master bathrooms, etc.

I'm hoping to make the old porch into a combination butler's pantry/baking area, with the other end more of a storage pantry. Maybe marble in the baking area and the tile countertops on the other end. Thanks again for the response...and the sink info, too :)

LL, if you have any links to good articles on kitchens from the 1920's or 30's would you post them? I can't seem to find anything good that talks about wall tile.

I had not heard that marble was popular in the 20's. Interesting.

Someone--probably LL!--posted this link a while back. It's a fun compilation.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://slumberland.org/vintage_kitchen/kitchenimages.html

Fori- That wasn't my link, but thanks for sharing :)

Debrak- I don't have many links, but Marcolo posted some excellent ones in the DAT (Design Around This) 1920s kitchen thread. Lots of great pictures!

To make things even more confusing, I'm trying to be better about staying (more or less) in the confines of the existing farmhouse...but I really want to flip the kitchen and dining room. This would put the kitchen in the front and dining in the back, with access to the back sun porch. Is this going to look like a 1970s change? Did people do this type of layout any earlier? It seems like most older homes have the living room and dining room in the front...so more confusion! LOL

Sounds cool.
I think getting the window trim, window sill, and dimensional mill work will be important for the older part to seem old. Wood was just thicker then.

Here is an image you might want to look at. You can see the chrome beading on the back edge of the counter top where it meets the backsplash.

If you did some searches for kitchen product ads in the 2 time periods you are interested in, you might get a lot of good info.

Here is a link that might be useful: 1946 kohler ad on Ebay

My large 1950s subdivision has the kitchens in front. I don't think it's the look you want though!

But it really depends on the other rooms, as to if it'll work or not. You're not walking through the front door and seeing the kitchen are you? I feel that as long as there is some "public" room, like a parlor or living room (not just a foyer!) before you get to the kitchen, it's okay. And of COURSE you must not have to walk through the kitchen to get to any formal rooms (dining, living, etc.).

Maybe you could use modern materials in a vintage palette.

Silestone:
{{!gwi}}

Julie- Thanks for the ad. Good idea about looking for more advertisements...Armstrong and other companies provided many of the advertisements for the 1920s kitchen pictures.

Oh, Pal...that's pretty! I don't know if I could do lavender, but of course, I think it's beautiful. Maybe in the bathroom :)

Fori- Really? 1950s homes with kitchens in the front? That makes me feel better about my layout!

Quick sketch of the kitchen/dining room side of the house. The living room is on the other side, with the bedroom and bathrooms in the back. The sun porch will be added, as will the laundry/mudroom. Being on a farm, storage space is almost more important than living space!

Oh, and the prevailing winds are from the left (southwest) side, so that's why the doors are on the front and back...the parking area is in the front and the barns are in the back. {{!gwi}}From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

I don't think you'd find marble or soapstone in most farmhouses, except very close to places where it was quarried and was a cheap local material, mostly in the Eastern US. It was incredibly expensive to ship, hence a status symbol in higher-income homes here in the West. A very common, affordable material for lower- to middle-income homes in early 20th century was linoleum glued on top of wood, banded with metal. I've seen this in Victorians, Craftsman, Tudors, and Capes. Formica began to replace linoleum in the 1950s and 60s. In the last few years I've seen linoleum come back a little, used by some people building or remodeling "green" homes (it's made out of renewable resources and can be recycled) . A friend did her Ranch remodel with a cool mid-century retro linoleum countertop trimmed out with a honey-colored recycled wood edging instead of the more traditional chrome. Some people would find the surface too soft, but it is certainly traditional and has a warmth many other materials lack.

The thing about my 50s house (and its hundreds of neighbors in this big subdivision) is that while the kitchen does have a door into the foyer, the foyer more significantly opens to the living room behind the kitchen. The kitchen can be closed off from the "nice" parts of the house and nobody ever has to see it. (I mean before the PO removed the wall between the living room and kitchen of course.)

Now I think this overall kitchen location is pretty good. Your stuffy visitors can go into the living room while the fun crowd can go directly to the kitchen.

I would probably arrange the other rooms differently myself but that doesn't mean it would be correct. :P

Mizinformation- I agree that marble would not normally be seen in most farmhouses...but it was a very popular material in our area, around that time. Marble from Alaska was readily available and could have been used in a butler's pantry, sink vanity, etc. It's very common in public buildings from that era, as well.

Eastern Washington had several booms and busts, from mining, timber, railroads, etc. in the early 20th century. One of our most famous electric railroads came very close to our area and their cars were beautiful. Even the stations were amazing, but unfortuantely, none are left standing.

I would consider linoleum, if I could find the right color...and tile, if not. I've always liked English and French country style, so the storybook influence of the 1920s seems to be a good fit. Not over the top, (no Hansel and Gretel LOL) but some of the european influences...that we see in a few of the 1920s kitchen examples :)

The kitchen in the front was a shift to orient the living room and family room toward the back yard blending indoor and outdoor on the more private side of the house. Now that the kitchen has become the primary living space it has shifted to the back again.

Fori- My 'stuffy visitors' LOL. I don't know that we have any, since most stuffy people don't want to drive 30 minutes from town...but I like the 'fun crowd' description :)

I've tried so many variations...I get a headache just thinking about it! But, I recently decided to just 'go with' the current layout, but flip the dining room/kitchen...and add the sun porch and laundry/mudroom.

Most farmhouses wouldn't have the separate pantry and laundry areas, but we have so much storage needs (being so far from town) and bake a lot, so the separate baking area will be wonderful! And, I don't want the kitties in the laundry or near the doors to the outside. This is also where we store the barn kitties' food and horse supplies, brushes, etc.

In that thread you linked, I posted a kitchen design that you liked, and I'm thinking that maybe that's the direction you should go.

A vintage kitchen that isn't restored to its original era, but rather incorporates elements from every decade of its life. It's artificial to design a kitchen that way, since every design is artificial, but really, it's a lot more authentic to the way old kitchens survived.

Maybe 1920s cupboards and a drainboard sink somewhere, plus a vintage stove and laminate countertops and even a few modern elements that fit the style and color scheme.

Anyway, vintage countertop materials:

Monel (an alloy, you could sub stainless but monel is not so blue)
Linoleum
Tile
Wood
Marble --but only in a baking area in a big house
Soapstone--this is kind of a stretch, even though I may be using it. It wasn't hugely common in this era.
Porcelain enamel--for worktables and Hoosier pull-out work surfaces

I still think Formica would be cute if you get the color palette right.

Pal- Thanks for the insight...that makes total sense.

Marcolo- I really like the idea of the kitchen evolving and incorporating different elements from each decade. That seems much more realistic to me, than a kitchen remaining 'frozen' in the 1920s.

Marble in the baking area, wood on the island and Formica or tile for the perimeter countertops. I think I'd go with Formica, if I can find the right shade of blue. Otherwise, tile with Formica in the laundry room :)

Any luck with your porcelain enamel? I think soapstone will look good in your kitchen, but I think it would be too dark for mine.

Here's the link to the DAT 1920's kitchen thread, if anyone wants to see it.

Marcolo- What thread had that really pretty blue/green kitchen that you designed? That was very nice!

Here is a link that might be useful: DAT 1920s kitchens

I think it was the Victorian thread--toward the bottom.

Here is a link that might be useful: Way toward the end of the thread

Marcolo- Thanks, I found the picture.

I really like the idea of bringing an older kitchen into the modern day...and all the different elements and how they could work together, successfully.

So many people see the downside to kitchens that don't have a clear focus and are just periodically 'redone' every so often. It would be fun to set out to create a kitchen that was purposely added on to over the decades, but done well!

I think that's a fantastic idea : ) Then you can choose various elements you love but done in just the right way. I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Fishies- Thanks! Any ideas? I really like the big sink, in Laura Calder's kitchen, but I have no idea what to do for the fridge and range. Should I go with a more vintage range and a modern fridge? Or a more modern range? I know I like white, but that's about it. LOL
{{gwi:1407444}}From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

White cabinets, blue countertops and wood on the island/work table...that's about all I've decided on. Don't know if I want the base of the island/work table to be white or a color, right now.

I know I want an oven/microwave in the baking area...either white or even stainless steel, since it's not in the kitchen. Marble would be great...probably white cabinets, but not sure what to use for the countertop on the other side of the pantry.

It will be fun to play with this concept. I also like the french doors into the sun porch. Very french country :) {{!gwi}}From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

And with a much smaller backsplash area...maybe I could bring back the bunnies! I've missed them...and they would look good with the vintage style. Even if I had to pay someone to paint the tiles, it would be much more affordable to just do them over the range and maybe use a little vine accent with the birds, on either side...and by the big window. {{gwi:1448093}}From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

I just got this email from Arts and Crafts Homes magazine. Its about countertops and sinks.

Here is a link that might be useful: Arts and Crafts Newsletter Counter tops and sinks

Debrak- Thank you so much for the link! I'm sorry I didn't see this, sooner. I'll have fun reading through this tomorrow :)

MamaGoose showed me this 'scullery kitchen' link (posted earlier, on the kitchen forum) and I think it's a great idea. It seems like a good way to open the pantry space to the kitchen, so they don't feel so closed off. I really like the vintage details, too!

Oh, and I moved the dining room to the front of the house, with kitchen in back. It just seems to be a better fit.

Here is a link that might be useful: Scullery kitchen link