Oldest kitchen?

Some of your comments reminded me of Trigger (Only Fools and Horses) saying;

'This old broom's had 17 new heads and 14 new handles in it's time.'

Nanny41 my MIL had one of those with the pull down door but it must have been from the 50s or even earlier; it had a large double cupboard underneath too.
It was very useful in a tiny kitchen without fitted cupboards or worktops.

My kitchen is fairly new, only being about a year old. It's in a cosy country style which I like very much.
However, you can't beat those nice old-fashioned gas cookers with an eye level grill and I often wish I still had the one which was in my previous house.

SueDonim
My present home has an Aga which was installed by the previous owner in 1983.It is oil fired and serviced on a regular basis and the words of the engineer are 'they don't make them like this any more' so am not surprised to know there may be even more older veterans such as the one you mentioned.

Sarahellenwhitby, I guess there’s not much to go wrong on an Aga! I hope yours keeps on keeping on.

My little '50's pantry has a pull out enamelled worktop and 3 mouseproof metal drawers as well as cupboard space, including a ventilated larder. However I am about to buy a mini "kitchen in a cupboard" for our guest room. I bet it won't last nearly as long. It comes complete with a fridge/freezer, a combi microwave oven, a ceramic hob and a sink. You can even get dishwashers built in.
So will this be the newest kitchen?
elfinkitchens.co.uk/product/cupboard-kitchen/

most sinks where fashioned out of a single piece of stone, the Belfast sinks didn’t become popular until after Victorian times

That's interesting, JuliaM. I thought the old sink in our cellar was a Belfast, but I've just been down to look at it properly and it could well have been made from a single piece of stone. The sides and bottom are very thick and it's a terracotta colour. It's certainly stood the test of time, anyway!

My kitchen was installed in 1982. I have always looked after it and even with 2 children passing through it on tricycles is still ok. My husband said it could be replaced but this one is probably better built so what’s the point, it does it’s job and leaves the money in the bank.

Has anyone thought of just having new doors and worktops fitted, I’ve been thinking about this as you don’t even have to empty your cupboards, haven't had a quote yet though

I couldn't find any doors the right size! Lesley Our old pine ones were probably old stock measured in imperial. Anyway it was the MDF carcasses which disintegrated, not the wooden doors. My lovely worktops were discontinued soon after I bought mine in 1980, I have since had a wall cupboard moved and a new beech worktop which is okay. Just making do.

Our DC get wonderful new kitchens but people like our comfortable tired, old and cluttered kitchen , at least they say they do.

Grameretto, perfect for student bedsits and non-catering hotels.

Most of my kitchen units are the ones put in by the builder in 1966. They are made of wood. Thankfully I don’t have high wall units because I would not be able to reach them. I do have a walk-in larder which I could not do without.
When my mother at the age of 90 was moved into a sheltered accommodation bungalow she could neither reach the wall units or the bottom cupboards. Nice to look at but not practical.
These days a lot of people have posh kitchens but only use the microwave to heat ready meals.

Mine dates to mid 80s and my daughter thinks I should replace it. Doesn’t bother me, I’m not very domesticated, don’t cook much since my husband died and certainly don’t want a kitchen that looks like an operating theatre, scary stainless steel everywhere and the huge operating table in the middle!
It might be even older than that, the round pendant light over the round kitchen table, scene of many happy family meals, has come back into fashion?

I do have a walk-in larder which I could not do without

Serious Bijou!

We moved into this house in 1979 and had the kitchen redone then. Brown surfaces and yellow door fronts. Visiting York Castle museum recently, where they have historic interior set ups, we astounded to stand in front of the 1970s kitchen and see one identical to ours. Gave us the spur we needed to get the kitchen redone. Shouldn’t have waited so long!

Can you get the cabinets refaced to freshen it up without a complete renovation?

Me too Bijou

Weve been here 25 years. The kitchen was old when we moved in. This is the year we do it up!!

Mine was installed in 1985, it had oak doors which were as new but the insides had almost disintegrated. I had painted the doors many times to try to update it and it looked terrible tbh. New one last year which I'm delighted with but took 6 weeks to install due to finding problems with the electrics and floor joists!

I get new cupboard doors and drawers. The worktops, sink, taps etc were all perfect. Well dare anyone not have used one of the toughened glass chopping boards.
Also new trims below the cupboards and new hinges. We had got 28 new handles last year and kept them.

It cost £1900 and was fitted by one man in a morning.

We didn’t completely empty the cupboards just removed what was at the front to allow access to the hinges.

Brilliant job. Dh reckons it will see us our day. !!

We had cheaper quotes but this company had come recommended.

My kitchen was 36 years old, gutted& re fitted this year. Hob & oven had never replaced & still working other appliances replaced. Glad we did it looks lovely, cosy a lot more than I thought it would.

Cost a lot more than I thought it would.

We moved in here in August 1985, and the kitchen had been installed 7 years previously, just basic white Hygena with aluminium strips across the tops of doors instead of handles. I replaced it 2 and a half years ago.

I meant to add, Grammaretto, your photo could have been my grandma`s range, but hers was in the front room. She reluctantly, in 1957, agreed to let my auntie have it taken out and replaced with one of the modern, at the time, tiled fireplaces. Her face was a picture of misery when it was being taken out, she winced with every creak as the workmen removed it!

We installed our kitchen shortly after moved into this house...about 18 years previously. I really did t want the upheaval of a new kitchen..but at 66 did t want to leave it too much longer as I knew it would t last another 20 years. I got quotes for new work surfaced and cupboard doors. In the end we had it dipped all out and started afresh. I’m delighted with the fabulous corner storage and pull out racks. I can fit all my appliance in...it was so worth the 3 week upheaval.