Have you ever walked into a great kitchen with a true antique feel and wondered what one piece you could buy that might give your kitchen that same ambience? Could there be a versatile piece that fits into a pricey kitchen ordained with hard wood and brass fixtures, but that might also fit the country kitchen with red and white checkered curtains and antique coffee pots? There is, indeed, such a piece. And it's not too far beyond anyone's means to add one to their own kitchen. Its versatility and adaptability allows it to look just perfect in any kitchen-most especially your own.
Among the most treasured antique finds in any country kitchen is the proverbial Hoosier style cabinet. Laden with a flour holder and wooden or enamel work space, these pieces were once the center of a woman's entire kitchen. She stored her baking items inside the cabinets, mixed and rolled out dough on the work surface, and even kept rolls warm in a special drawer designed especially for that purpose. Some models came equipped with a revolving wire spice rack with glass spice jars. Some featured brass or even glass knobs and drawer pulls. Others were more modest with knobs made of simple white enamel or a bakelite-type material. Originally made starting at the turn of the century, authentic Hoosier cabinets were built until the early 1930's. Passed down from generation to generation, many of these fine pieces adorn our kitchens today.
In addition to Hoosiers, other companies made similar pieces of cabinetry. Sellers, Napanee, McDougall, and Boone all made kitchen cabinets comparable to Hoosiers. The flour container was standard. Some companies included a sifter that could be attached. Some featured a sugar bin in addition to the flour bin. This was typically an optional item. A cupboard below the work surface was used as a cooling rack or storage place for pies and baked goods.
Hoosiers found in today's kitchens are generally used as aesthetic pieces. Reminiscent of earlier days, they bring back fond memories of happy times spent in special kitchens. Many people choose this theme when decorating their modern day kitchens. In these cases the Hoosiers often provide both a practical and a decorative function. The cabinets and drawers are used to store kitchen items. The workspace is often a poor height to roll dough or stir batter (women in the days of Hoosier's creations were not nearly as tall as today's women!) and today's kitchen countertops are far more versatile and easy to clean.
Inside Hoosier cabinet doors, lists of helpful hints were adhered. Printed by the company, these tips included weights and measures, allowable substitutions in recipes, and even some useful first aid tips for kitchen mishaps. Today when some novice cabinet makers attempt to assemble a faux Hoosier piece, they look to purchase the yellowed cardboard tips that were fastened to the inside of original Hoosier cabinet doors.
If an authentic Hoosier simply isn't in your budget, watch antique shops for similarly styled cabinets at much lower prices. Paint or stain the cupboard to your liking, then affix authentic Hoosier pieces like knobs, hinges and those helpful hint sheets. Ask antique dealers to be on the lookout for such pieces and tell them what you're trying to create. Hoosier jars-as the old spice jars and some containers for cookies, crackers and biscuits were called-are wonderful collector's items and are easily found at many antique shops. Selling for just a few dollars through $60 or $70, they will help provide your Hoosier with that authentic look. If your local antique dealers know about your project, they'll likely be among your best sources for finding those pieces you need to make your faux Hoosier look like the real thing.
Hoosiers are excellent spots for displaying kitchen antiques. Vintage pieces like antique kitchen scales look right at home on a Hoosier. Graniteware and enamelware pieces don't look out of sync when displayed on a Hoosier. Yellow Ware Bowls look perfectly in place when sitting high atop a Hoosier's cabinetry. The most versatile aspect of decorating with a Hoosier, however, is the flexibility of using the upper set of cabinets. Certainly they are useful when closed-housing anything one wishes to hide in a kitchen-just perfect for that "out of sight-out of mind theory." However, when displayed featuring the cabinet doors wide open, an entirely new realm of possibilities comes into play.
Gracing antique store shelves across the country are a plethora of old bottles, tins, and boxes-actual items that once held food, drink, and dry goods. Now empty and old, these containers are worth several times their value when new and filled with goods. Relatively easy on the antiques enthusiast's budget, most of these tins, boxes, and bottles can be purchased for under $25. Displayed ornately within the Hoosier's shelves, the look is reminiscent of a kitchen from the 1920's or 1930's-or perhaps even an old general store shelf-filled with staples and treats for the heart and home.
The Hoosier is one piece of antique furniture that adapts to the seasons-and allows such changes to be simple and fun. In summer it looks wonderful adorned with brightly colored dishes and checkered picnic napkins. The Fourth of July finds it decked in red, white and blue splendor, while serving a bountiful helping of strawberry shortcake to summer guests. Fall displays its bounty in large bowls, surrounded by leaves, pumpkins and gourds, Winter brings the Christmas season, and its array of nostalgic ornaments arranged inside the Hoosier shelves. When spring rolls around the Hoosier awaits the return of sunlight and longer days, and shows its collection of beverage pitchers and antique banded drinking glasses.
Despite the season, holiday or occasion, a Hoosier is the perfect antique piece to have to enjoy utilizing your antique collections, cooking tools, and nostalgic finds. With a few minutes and a little creativity, its new look can change the entire theme of your vintage kitchen.
Photo courtesy of http://www.hoosiercabinet.com
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