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The classic oblong
steel and glass diner represents one of the most uniquely charming
and completely American of styles, much beloved and sought after.
Originally inspired by the glamour of railroad dining cars, the train-car
shaped metal restaurant structures are a mainstay of 20th-century
roadside and "hometown" culture. Although their heyday peaked in the 1950s,
diner cars are still manufactured today.
Burlington Diner, Chicago, Illinois
Buy this Art Print
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| Inside a diner are
the dazzling colors, comforting curves, and reflective surfaces
that invite us to settle down with a chunky white mug of coffee and a
slice of apple pie. Catch a glimpse of a stranger reflected in the
polished stainless steel behind the open grill. |
Neon
lights, as detail or on its own, evokes the definitive
diner
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Contemplate the
donuts in their countertop display. Ask the waitress in her pale blue
uniform for a refill on that coffee. Watch the streetlights shining
in the hoods of cars outside. And of course, don’t forget to put a
quarter in the jukebox, whether it’s the miniature version at each
table, or the big one at one end of the oblong room. |
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| Diner style evokes a
special kind of comfort—more public and industrial than we expect from
home, but offering more privacy and solace than a formal restaurant.
It’s a place to be a regular and talk about the good old days. Perhaps
your kitchen has the soul of a diner, waiting to be released. |
Soda pop or a milk
shake, as long as we can share the straw, we'll
keep coming back!
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Walls:
Stainless steel abounds, from kitchen
back-splashes, and polished refrigerator doors, to
napkin holders and creamers.
Glass blocks, tile, and Formica paneling become
mainstays of this style. They are some of the
newest and best examples of innovative materials
developed during that day, helping define the
1950's style.
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Linoleum
checked floors and glass blocks counter
bases.
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Details:
It's all in the details; glass bricks, a nickel
jukebox on each table, restaurant accessories like napkin holder, sugar
dispenser, and ketchup squeeze bottles. |
| Furnishings:
Share a soda pop at the counter, lazily swaying
on the polished spinning stools. Bright-colored wood
booths with red and white checker patterns tracing
the rounded and curved back rests. Formica table
and counter tops, with spider-web patterns of gold
and fleckels of green and blue.
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Floors: Linoleum is a staple in vintage Diner style. A new comer to
interior design in the 1950's, it is durable,
colorful and available in a multitude of patterns.
Most common
floors are faux granite in appearance, or the classic
white-black, or red-black checker board
pattern. |
Brooklyn Diner, NYC on 57th Street.
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