Before 1926 and the advent of the Frankfurt kitchen, generally recognised as the first ‘fitted’ design, kitchens were more freestanding. In smaller homes, they’d amount to not much more than an open fire or range cooker and a central table. In grander homes, it was a below-stairs affair, with huge larders and stores the cook needed to prepare meals for her well-to-do family.
These days, most of us don’t have space for a huge room,
