HOUSE PLANNING 163

KITCHENS

The kitchen should be located so that the morning sun makes it
cheery at the time when it is used most. The kitchen must, of
course, be adjacent to the dining room, and if possible it should be
easily reached from an outdoor dining area, from the garage or
driveway, and from the service yard. A corner is desirable for
good ventilation.

Kitchen planning has been made very simple and sensible. The
three work centers are placed according to the sequence in which
they are used in preparing a meal, the refrigerator, the sink, the
range. The refrigerator should adjoin a work counter over which
dry staples are stored, and under which are cupboards for utensils
needed in mixing and baking. The sink, with windows above it,
should be next to the other end of this work counter. Dish-wash-
ing materials, vegetable-preparation equipment, and dishes should
be stored near the sink. Beyond the sink, the range and serving
counter form another unit. Pots and pans, serving dishes, trays,
coffee, tea, and salt should be within reach. This center should
be close to the dining unit or the dining-room door.

The U-shaped kitchen is the most efficient type because it is the
most compact and traffic does not pass through the working area.
See page 175. The work counters, cabinets, and equipment form
one unbroken line around three sides of the room. The sink is in
the middle of the end wall with windows over it. The L-shaped
kitchen has equipment along two adjoining walls, usually with a
dining unit located in the opposite corner. The corridor type of
kitchen is very convenient if there is little traffic through the room.
The window side contains the sink with counters and cupboards;
the opposite side contains the refrigerator and range with a table
between them and possibly shelves above it.

An attractive place to eat in the kitchen is desirable if a woman
does her own work. Two fixed benches beside a table, or a wide
table shelf under windows looking out over the garden, or a bar
with stools are some possibilities.

Some women have abandoned the sleek hospital-type kitchen for
a sitting-room-farm type, with comfortable furniture, gay decora-
tions, and walls of wood. See page 105. Guests are entertained
in these cozy kitchens.