Food and freedom

Good lighting, both natural and artificial. Light-colored, easily cleaned, durable surfaces. Compact floor plan and arrangement of equip- ment, facilitating the natural order of work. A convenient and normal place for everything, and everything in its place. > Equipment set at a comfortable working height, with working surfaces uniform in height. Elimination of all unnecessary floor space, angles, corners, surfaces, equipment, utensils. 212 FOOD AND FREEDOM A rest-corner or alcove. Attractiveness, both in the effect of the whole as well as in individual equipment. Money may be an important factor in securing certain ideal conditions, and is usually the de- termining one when selecting materials and equip- ment, and yet a good kitchen is not necessarily a costly one. Intelligent, careful planning counts for quite as much as the money which can be spent; in addition, the market is now not only supplied with every conceivable type of satis- factory labor-saving material and device, but is also more or less prepared to offer a choice in style, quality, and size to meet every need and every purse. We have but to ask or look, and what we need, or w^ant, or can afford to pay for can almost always be found. While the best location for a kitchen is largely controlled by climate and local conditions, one with windows toward the north, northeast, or northwest is usually the most perfect. The light is favorable for working, and there will be sun- shine enough during the year, at the extremes of the day, to bring cheer and refreshment, with- out excessive heat in the summer months. Doors and windows should be so arranged that good lighting, and cross-currents of air insuring perfect ventilation are secured without loss of adequate wall space. In this connection, the high casement he Dinin/i Alcove THE WINDOW, A WHITE-ENAMELED TABLE THAT NEEDS NO CLOTH, AND THE SHELVES FOR GAY PEASANT POTTERY MAKE THIS BREAKFAST ALCOVE A DELIGHT THE NEW YORK [ PUBLIC LIBRARY i ASTOR, LENOX TILDEM iOCJKD.vT[ONS A KITCHEN THAT WILL HELP YOU 215 window may have advantages. If possible, guard against a passage through the kitchen which would cut it in half, interrupting compact work- ing conditions. Plumbing should be simple, ex- posed, and the best that can be afforded is always the cheapest in the end. Where electricity is available, clever wall and floor plugging for elec- tric apparatus can be immensely valuable. Arti- ficial lighting should be carefully thought out. Kitchen convenience in relation to the life of the home as a whole must also be definitely con- sidered. While it is wise to make special pro- vision for laundry, cleaning, and other work not directly connected with the preparation of meals, these interests should not be too far from the kitchen. Where the family is large and one pair of hands must do all the work, direct communica- tion between kitchen and dining-room, both by door and pass-window — the latter, in connection with shelving for china, located near the sink — is a great step-saver. Under more favorable conditions, a small entry or pantry, setting the kitchen a little apart, may have desirable feat- ures. In the country home, the convenient re- lation of kitchen to both dining-room and eating porch ought not to be overlooked, so that sea- sonable adjustments can easily be made.