Kitchen design 'becoming more customisable'

The last century has seen kitchen design evolve to the extent that it is now much more customisable than at the start of the 1900s.

This is according to Museum of Modern Art curator Juliet Kinchin, who told the New York Times that kitchen design underwent a particular sea change during World War I.

She cited the example of Margarete Schutte-Lihotzky's Frankfurt kitchen, which the architect designed in the 1920s as part of a project to build more affordable housing in Frankfurt.

The kitchen featured storage bins for sugar and flour, as well as a pull-down ironing board, a chopping board work surface close to the window and a right-hand drawer for scraps.

"Since then, the kitchen seems to have gone from a modular, efficient place to one customised to various tastes, outfitted with computers, TVs and non-ergonomic tools," Ms Kinchin remarked.

Alexandra Lange of the School of Visual Arts recently noted in a post for the New York Times's Opinionator blog that kitchen design has also changed over the years to become more efficient, as seen in contemporary kitchens utilising integrated cabinets, worktops and appliances.