This week’s edition of Vintage Photo Wednesday comes from the August 9, 1943 issue of Life magazine. Specifically, a delightful photo essay called “Kitchens of Tomorrow May Look Like This.” You can probably guess what these pictures will look like before you even see them. As far as I can tell from the article, “futuristic” basically means better designed storage and lots of built-in appliances that can be hidden by wood paneling. Oh, and apparently the kitchen doubles as a playroom when not in use. Odd.

Still, it’s always neat to see how different people dream about the future. The experimental kitchen you see here was built in Toledo, Ohio by the Libbey-Owens-Ford Glass Company. Let’s take a look!

(All photos taken by Nina Leen for Life. Click on any image for a larger version.)

A view of replaceable wood paneling.

A view of built-in features.

A view of built-in seats that make tasks less taxing.

A view of built-in foot pedals to run the facets.

A view of a built-in oven.

A view of a built-in utensil rack.

A view of a built-in waffle iron.

A view of a built-in mixer handle.

A view of a built-in cooking unit.

A view of a built-in toaster.