Early Kitchen Cupboard Types

The Ambry Cabinet

• BookRags states that the first cupboards were created in the Middle Ages and consisted simply of recesses in kitchen walls and were used to hold dishes. These cabinets were primarily in abbeys or churches. However, in the high Middle Ages, a free-standing type of cabinet called the "ambry" cabinet was created to hold food and dry goods. The cabinet stood about 4 feet high and contained one shelf, called a "borde." The front of the cabinet was patterned by holes that also served a functional purpose: to provide ventilation.

The Credenza and Cupboards

• BookRags reports that during the Renaissance and Elizabethan eras, cabinets became more ornate and began to feature painted patterns, inlays and veneers. As the designs became more fanciful and art-oriented, the cabinet became known as a "credenza." Additionally, the cupboard was introduced as a free-standing piece of equipment, with open glass doors at the top to display valuable dishes and drawers on the bottom to store linens and place settings.

Hoosier Cabinets

• The WFIU Public Radio in Indiana reports that after the advent of the Industrial Revolution following the Civil War, women began to manage their own kitchens in much smaller urban spaces without the assistance of servants. Thus the Hoosier Cabinet, a large, free-standing kitchen cabinet with a workspace attached below, became a fixture in almost every household. The cabinet was named for the company that produced it, the Hoosier Company of New Castle, Indiana (nicknamed "the Hoosier state"). Many Hoosier cabinets included built-in amenities like a flour sifter, pull-out bins, ant-traps and pot-and-pan racks. One model even included a fold-out ironing board. The radio program also states that a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Commerce found that these streamlined models saved a housewife over 1,500 steps in the 2,000 she might take in an average day of cleaning, cooking and mending.

Modular Cupboards and Cabinets

• WFIU Public Radio states that as the emphasis in kitchens shifted even further during the 1930s toward utility and sanitation, modular cupboards built into the walls of the kitchen became the predominant model in homes. However, in the 1970s, collecting antiques came into vogue, and antique cabinets, mixed with modern modular styles, were often featured in homes.