Customer Reviews

The Essential Kitchen Design Guide

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Poor quality photography make this book completely out of date with today's kitchen design trends. Yes there is some basic, stress basic, information about how to draft, and the elementary concept of the kitchen work triangle, but no new ideas here. It is disappointing that the NKBA would put their name on such a book. It is not the definitive guide on kitchen design and not worth the large price.

Three years ago, we did a major redesign/renovation of our kitchen, right back to the studs, including moving appliances and cabinets and changing the flow -- almost exclusively based on the information and advice in this book. Having lived with the results for awhile now, there's not a thing I would change or do differently. Whether doing the work and making the selections yourself or working with a kitchen designer, you will find this resource invaluable. Anyone can walk into a kitchen design center and pick out pretty cabinets and appliances; this book will force you to think about the layout of your kitchen so all the elements work together without interfering with each other.

I also disagree with the reviewer below who found the pictures outdated. This is not a place to get inspiration for colors or cabinet styles. This is a resource that will help you figure out whether you actually have enough space for that kitchen island you've always wanted, or making sure you will be able to reach your main storage cabinet when the dishwasher door is open, or where the electrical outlets should go.

Expensive book, but I think it saved us from making more costly mistakes.

An excellent reference for designing from scratch or for remodelling your kitchen. This book is written for the interior designer, not really for the do-it-yourself-er. It goes into extensive detail about everything you can imagine will be in a kitchen, how to lay it out, how to select everything in it, how everything operates, pros and cons of different materials and designs (and that's everything even down to how electricity works, what the characteristics of different woods are, and so much more). I'm building my retirement home and am working with a skilled architect. Even so, I found this book extremely useful and I especially liked the sections on ergonomics, pathway clearances, how to design your counterspace and cabinets so they don't conflict with each other. If you read this book, you're not going to make a costly mistake in designing your kitchen - it's got it all, and it even emphasizes what not to do. Need to consider elderly or handicapped? They cover that also. For those who can't find this book or who prefer not such a large tome, the Home Depot Kitchen Design and Planning 1-2-3 (ISBN: 0696217449) has an excellent summary of the more applicable portions of this book. The reviewer before my review who complained about the photos - well, appliances are going to be outdated even in just a few years. If you're looking to recreate a kitchen via a photo, stick with kitchen oriented magazines. The basics of layout are going to be the same, and the way this book is written and the diagrams (most are diagrams, not photos) are still applicable, since it addresses our current lifestyles where the kitchen is the hub of our homes, and it helps you understand the different layouts and how they can be modified and how they can work for you.

The book has a lot of great technical information on kitchen and bath design as far as layouts and mechanics of plumbing and the like. Sadly the book is lacking in pictures of modern kitchen and bath designs. Great reference book to have but you will need to do internet searches or get a design book for current pictures. Overall a good book and one that I will be keeping on my shelves.