Ruth’s Geneva kitchen, pink bathroom, peach bathroom, Tennessee granite fireplace — everything in her 1957 Michigan home — are just fantastic. I thought that I had more Geneva metal cabinets in one place than anyone, but Ruth sets a new record. And look at it: A curvacious island… marble counter topped baking area … original range exhaust fan … and more. Ruth did replace the kitchen floor – so you also can ogle her design and see if it might be right for you. I think it’s terrific – the scale is just right and the soft gray and blue have just the right ‘coolness’ to go with the lovely light blue Geneva cabinets.

Read on for Ruth’s story…16 photos…and a link to more on her flickr stream…And when you’re done be sure to check out her new blog: No Pattern Required.

Ruth writes:

Hi Pam!

I love your blog and it has been an unending source of information for us since we have purchased our new home. At the time we bought our 1950′s brick ranch, we didn’t know anything about mid-century modern, but we knew we loved the way it looked. Thanks for helping us to restore our house to the style it was meant to be.

The house was built in 1956-57 and was designed by the homeowners. They owned if for their whole lives, and we purchased it from their daughter.

The cabinet colors are original, and totally awesome. I almost lost it when we walked into the kitchen for the first time. It was really well thought out and is so wonderful, the amount of storage space is just amazing. My favorite cabinets are the round ones in the front of the island, they are so perfect for holding big equipment that takes up counter space and big serving pieces. And to the right of the island is a whole extra bank of cabinets that serves as a pantry with extra countertop work space. In front of the long window and next to the oven is a low marble slab that matches the marble windowsills. Underneath the slab is 9 drawers, including drawers for flour and sugar, and a built in breadbox.

I wish I could think of more things to tell you, but if I did everything would end with an exclamation point. We love it! It’s fantastic! Cooking is a breeze! Etc, etc.

{I ask about the new kitchen floor and Ruth explains:] We are using Armstrong Imperial Texture Standard Excelon in Blue Cloud and Soft Cool Gray.

The living room might be awhile, we have to put up our gold atomic wallpaper and figure out how to make pinch pleat drapes out of our existing drapes!

Oooh, you know that “gold atomic wallpaper” is going to keep my attention on your house, Ruth! In addition to the images above, Ruth has posted more photos on her flickr photostream. Many thanks for sharing, Ruth!

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Mom will not be isolated here….

This 1953 advertisement for wood KitchenMaid cabinets illustrates the effort and innovation that went into making the modern housewife’s daily chores seem easier…glamorous, even.

In fact, many historians now point out that, while ‘labor-saving devices’ indeed made individual chores easier… the cumulative effort of all the chores was as much or more than ever… because in earlier eras, a housewife (or some percentage) had more outside help. For instance, grocers, milkmen and pharmacists used to deliver to your door – one reason that households only needed one car. In addition, the pressure was on, more than ever, for everything and everyone to be 100% tidy and clean – this was part of ‘fitting in’ in America – so Mom was constantly on the go.

All that said, I am not of the school that looks at these 50s achievements as evidence of women’s oppression. Net net, it all reads positive to me. My kinfolk came from hardscrabble – farms and coal mines. They had “enough” but holey moley, they were on the edge. The last 50 years – no question, an amazing leap forward.

The Television Kitchen by Kitchenmaid

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