Kathryn Ferry

I found this book at a library book sale and picked it up just to see more of the "Home of the Future" that was in vogue at the time. The pictures of the best and most modern kitchens were the best part. As someone who lived through the home decor of the 70's I didn't think it could be much worse. Some of the colors were garish, the materials could be frightening due to the chemical compounds used, and the safety of the "labor saving" appliances could be called limited at best. However, seeing how people were trying to make things cheery after living through World War II and all of it's make do and mend mentality was very intriguing. I think the 1950's kitchen shows the excess that people could go to once they don't have to live an extremely austere lifestyle. One may also see how the 1950's kitchen and it's excess directly lead to the back to the land movement of the 1970's and the newer minimalist movement. The photos of the advertisements, as well as the photos of the actual kitchens really enhance this book. My biggest issue was that it was so short.… (altro)