A manual of home-making

The kitchen cabinet, or dresser, l)rings a new element into the storage arrangement. It introduces a work shelf at table height, thereby dividing the storage into an upper and a lower part. The deep under part may be arrangt^:! for either closet or drawer space; the upper part may be arranged as a shallow cupboard for supplies. The most valuabk^ fomi of storage for the lower section of a caliinet is an arrangement of drawers, for these pull out and expose their contents from the top so that one need not stoop to reach them. From foiu* to six well- planned drawers will be adequate for the ordinary kitchen: a broad, shallow drawer subdivided for small utensils^ such as knives, forks, spoons, egg-beaters, and the like; a dec^per drawer for kitchen linen, such as towels, clean cloths and aprons; and two or thi^ee deep, naiTow drawers, or l>ins, for storing flour, sugars, and other dry supplies of a bulky nature. Appropriate drawer space for the pass pantiy is about as follows: a Ivroatl, shallow drawer with subdivisions for the different kinds of taljle silver; one, two, or three broad, shallow drawei-s for table linen; and a deep drawer for miscellaneous neenb, containing perhaps a compartment for string, one for wrapping paper, and so on. It should tie realized from the foregoing discussion that the cabinet, or dresser » is an appropriate form of storage only when table space is needed also; that is, the emphasis is here placed on the work shelf rather than on the storage capacity. To equip a pantiy, whose function is to furnish maxinmm storage space, with closets of the dresser type is therefore a mistake, since it furnishes an excess of table space at the expense of cupboard roorji. An ordinary cupboard or a series of open shelves, sup- plemented f>y a small table or work shelf with drawers below; is a much more appropriate arrangement than to break up the most valuable part of the storage space by the intrusion of a work shelf. The cabinet form is chiefly valuable in the kitchen proper. I I 1 I I d 118 A MANUAL OF HOME-MAKING The subject of kitchen storage should not be dismissed with- out emphasizing the usefuhiess of the dumlMvaiter This is an almost inrlispensal>le convenience when a portion of the cellar is usetl for ffxjfl supplies. The dumb-waiter will carry wood, eoal, and fot^l lietween Hoors, and is a i^reat labor-saver. With such an arranjiement, a cold part of the cellar may be substituted for the food puniry, even taking the place of an ice-t>ox satisfactorily. One trip a day to the cellar is enough to kec*p the lift supplied. INTERIOR FINISH Any kitchen that is to give full satisfaclion must be sound in arrangement, sightly in appearance, and smooth in opera- tion. Within reasonable limits^ anything that can be devised to enforce this triple standard, must hv considerefi worthy of triaL The demands of convenience will of course always come first* theretty deciding matters of arrangement and of manage- uient; Ijut the less insistent needs for a work place that shall be a fit and lovel}^ sp<»t, must also be met. A eleai», level floor, walls and furniture wiih smooth washable svu'faces, and a pleas- ing color scheme arc elcuients that eliminate lueiital friction and that add the toucli of refinement which makes of any work a joy.