The Old-School Space-Saving Spot For A Freezer That We Want To Make A Comeback

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When it comes to the 1950s, most people think of poodle skirts and classic cars, but the decade also produced some wildly clever inventions. From credit cards to Barbie dolls, the 1950s were quirky and inventive, especially when it came to household conveniences. There was a kitchen revolution happening throughout the '50s that combined technological advancements with functional design, and the result was often dramatic. Not all of the inventions for streamlining your kitchen made it into the modern era, but some retro design trends are making a comeback, and one old-school kitchen invention that we'd like to see make a reappearance is the freezer-dinette combo. 

There's actually not a lot of evidence left that the freezer-dinette combination even existed, but according to the Hartford Courant, the product was featured at the Chicago Market Show on January 9, 1955 (via Newspapers.com). Advertisements for this dining table with attached freezer touted its benefits, stating that anyone with room for a table could also enjoy a freezer and save much-needed space in the kitchen. It came with $40 worth of food (a month's supply at the time). Each of the two drawers held up to 78 pounds of food, and it had a laminated top that came in a variety of colors.  

According to another advertisement from the Lansing State Journal, dated October 12, 1956, the Revco Freezer-Dinette Combo was being sold for $249.95. The ad also lists an 8-cubic-foot Frigidaire refrigerator for $159.95. That's about $3,000 and $1900 in today's dollars, respectively.

In the 1950s, soldiers were still settling in after World War II, and a critical housing shortage led to many small homes being built. Appliance manufacturers during the 1950s — including brands like Acme, Dwyer, Revco, Philco, and Frigidaire – were all competing to produce space-saving kitchen appliances that homeowners could use to make their small kitchens seem bigger. Back then, they averaged about 80 square feet, while most modern kitchens are at least twice that size. Refrigerators and freezers hadn't been in widespread use for that long, and people were still experimenting with how to make them work in the kitchen.

While the Revco freezer-dinette combo seems to have been a bust overall, Revco produced other popular appliances. Since retro appliances are currently trending, you can sometimes find them online on Facebook Marketplace. Although the freezer-dinette combo never really took off, and you can't really buy one today, you could get a Summit Appliance Upright Freezer from Home Depot to fit under a kitchen counter if you're looking for a similar kitchen solution.

The dinette-freezer was ahead of it's time. Today, many homes have more than one fridge or freezer, including small, portable appliances they can use to store drinks and other items in various rooms of the house. It would make hosting a dinner party a breeze, if you could keep items cold in the dining room — without traveling back and forth to the kitchen. It would certainly be a conversation starter for your guests!