Julia Child’s kitchen design advice

As you may know, the kitchen that Julia Child used in her Massachusetts home (and which was featured in some of her shows) can be found in the National Museum of American History in Washington, DC. Visitors can view all corners of Julia’s kitchen through viewposts set into the doorways that existed in the house. If you have seen the kitchen, or any photographs of it, you realize that Julia her own unique style of organization, learned from a lifetime of cooking. 

If you are interested in the thinking behind this kitchen design, you will find it, plus advice that Julia provided to award-winning architect Pamela Heyne, in a book that was released last year. Heyne, along with co-author Jim Scherer (Julia’s staff photographer), wrote In Julia’s Kitchen:  Practical and Convivial Kitchen Design Inspired by Julia Child. 

You can read an excerpt from the book on the website Literary Hub. The excerpt includes quotes from Julia, along with a in-depth description of different areas of the kitchen, from the iconic pegboard that held tools and cookware, to the three pantries, and even the flooring. 

Not surprisingly, Julia was a kitchen gadget aficionado. Heyne notes that “As far as Julia was concerned, you couldn’t have too many. She adored her food processor, but also had almost every kitchen tool ever invented-in every size, shape and color!”  When Heyne commented to Julia that she found the countertops to be cluttered with all of these gadgets, Julia brushed off the comment, stating “Others might need more. I only need this much.” It’s just one more reason to love Julia.