A brief history of the American kitchen

November 28, 2025 by
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With so much emphasis today on kitchens as the beating heart of the home, it can be difficult to imagine a time when they were relegated to cramped quarters at the back of the house, or even to another building altogether (if you had the means). Now kitchens are central – both figuratively and literally – to the way we live. The New York Times takes a look at the transformation of the American kitchen over the last century (gift link).

The concept of the ‘work triangle’ seems timeless, but the term is less than 90 years old. It was defined by designers at the University of Illinois School of Architecture in 1940, and continues to the present day. Although some people think it’s outdated, it is a practical way to think about kitchen design, especially when considering how efficient your movement will be in the space.

The article pays homage to Julia Child’s iconic kitchen, now on display at the Smithsonian Museum of American History. Child, along with other seminal authors and television presenters, fundamentally changed the way we cook, and therefore, the way we think about kitchen design. Kitchens have come a long way from the closet-like space found in many older homes to become a space for gathering and entertaining. However, the pendulum may be swinging back to less open-concept plans because they are noisy (important if you are working from home) and because any mess is always on display.

Category: Antipasto

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10 Comments

  • KatieK1  on  November 28, 2025

    Who really wants to sit on a stool?

  • meginyeg  on  November 28, 2025

    Minor detail but if the term work triangle was defined in 1940 then it is over 80 years old not less than. 1940 was 85 years ago.

    • Jane  on  November 29, 2025

      Corrected to “less than 90 years”.

  • JimCampbell  on  November 28, 2025

    Interesting article……….We are considering a kitchen remodel. After reading the article and looking at the design possibilities and the points about the noise in an open concept kitchen, we may need to re-think, or delve deeper into the type of kitchen we would like. We may not take out all of those walls.

  • Zephyrness  on  November 28, 2025

    As a dog trainer, I hate open plan kitchens. If you can close the door, there are many fewer ways for your dog to get into trouble. As a cook, I’m not crazy about it-it is always there, implying that I should be doing something (the dishes, canning, whatever). As an eater, I get to “see how the sausage was made” when maybe I just want to enjoy the meal. Not to mention that kitchen is on the way to many other spots in the house, so there are many more times when I have to exert some willpower. A closed door would be so much easier. My husband I I have finally done away with any attempts at a separate table for eating and purchased a bespoke island with storage and dining stools for 4. The house isn’t big enough for a separate dining room, so this works within the space we have. I like it, but it is maybe not my platonic idea of a kitchen space.

  • redbird  on  November 29, 2025

    Anyone interested in further reading on this subject may want to find this book: America’s Kitchens (https://www.eatyourbooks.com/library/92412/americas-kitchens). I was fortunate enough to have been a research assistant on the project. It was fascinating work.

  • averythingcooks  on  November 29, 2025

    To each his own I guess but in my small house I LOVE my very open kitchen…open to the living areas (couches, TV, coffee table, dining area and our “front room ..sunny in the summer & warm from the wood stove in the winter. We don’t have kids & we love to entertain…every party is a kitchen party! I don’t mind people around when I’m finishing things off, I’m never away from the action / conversation and everyone seems to love coming here.

  • KarenGlad  on  November 30, 2025

    I lived for many years in a bungalow with a large dine in kitchen and separate living room. Now I have a “great room” which really means a very large eat in kitchen with a sitting area. Yes it’s nice to have the fireplace and tv view from my kitchen ….but I miss the separation. We’re contemplating a move. I’m not looking for a separate dining room, a large dine in kitchen works for me. I would like to go back to a separate living room where I can leave behind the mess and noise of the party in the kitchen.

  • eliza  on  December 3, 2025

    We also have a small house, and one old enough that is didn’t originally have a permanent kitchen. Thus it has ended up with a galley kitchen, open on one end to the rest of the house and on the other end to the dining room and back garden. Perfect for 1 or 2 cooks (the usual number around here) and great for having people over; in spring, summer or fall, the overflow goes into the back yard. In winter they just go the other way to the living room and fireplace. As a result, I like my kitchen better than any of those shown in the article. It’s much less fancy though.

  • LeilaD  on  December 4, 2025

    My apartment was built in the 1990s. I was under the impression that they didn’t expect anyone to cook when they designed it, since the master bedroom is twice the size of the kitchen, and why would anyone need a bedroom that size? Oh, to have more than 3′ square of counter space again…

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