Kitchen Culture: Re-inventing Kitchen Design [Hardcover]

Johnny Grey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2, 2004

An inspiring design guide and practical resource.

The kitchen is the home base for any family to prepare meals, eat, interact, read the paper, listen to the radio, watch TV, relax and more. No other room is used for so much by so many.

Kitchen Culture is a beautifully illustrated reference for creating the home's busiest and most important room. The book explores how the kitchen influences sociability, family life and relationships with food and also examines how changing attitudes towards family life are changing kitchen design. Each generation invents its ideal kitchen -- reflecting personal views, lifestyles and the latest design concepts and technology.

Kitchen Culture provides critical design advice for maximizing the role the kitchen plays. The book offers fresh ideas and fascinating possibilities for using the kitchen as a lounge, retreat, library, art gallery, playroom, activity center and hospitality zone. Topics include:

• Effective kitchen storage
• Working triangles and ergonomics
• Cooking, small appliances and tools
• Facilities for cooking
• Lighting, floors and work surfaces.

Practical tips on materials and craftsmanship are also included along with a source list of suppliers and manufacturers.

Kitchen Culture is the ideal reference for anyone designing a new home or remodeling a kitchen.

(20041203)

Editorial Reviews

Review

[Grey's] approach works for anyone. He studies traffic patterns, the way a homeowner or family plans to use the kitchen... (Linda Turk Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal 20050127)

There is plenty of room for thought in this kitchen design book. (Lorena Johnson Calgary Sun 20050101)

Premise: The kitchen should be a place where cooks feel comfortable and the family and guests want to spend time. (Francis Lam National Post 200502)

Discusses how the kitchen is used, both historically and in today's home. (Gayle Williamson Library Journal 200504)

Sumptuously illustrated... explains how to but those ideas into practice. With great specificity, he offers solid advice. (LDB Interior Textiles 20050601)

An ideal reference for anyone designing a new home or remodeling a kitchen. Rich in location photography. (ASID ICON (American Society of Interior Designers) 20050406)

Creating a contemporary kitchen that is bright, comfortable and heartwarming... thought-provoking and pleasurable read... gorgeous photographs. (Carolyn Leitch Globe and Mail 20070303)

Johnny Grey describes the kitchen's new inviting personality. (S.A. Fuller Upscale )

Johnny Grey has always been an innovator... he looks ahead to the challenges posed by the evolving space... the kitchen. (Leslie Plummer Glagett Woman's Day Kitchens and Baths )

An illustrated reference book that explains good kitchen design, from surface materials to body ergonomics. (Joanne Hatherly Victoria Times-Colonist )

This is the book to read... The passion Johnny Grey brings to kitchen design is inspiring. (Peggy MacKenzie The Toronto Star )

About the Author

Johnny Grey is an architect who specializes in kitchen and interior design. He is the author of The Hardworking House.

(200508)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Firefly Books (October 2, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1552979687
• ISBN-13: 978-1552979686
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,093,485 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I was disappointed with this book, January 9, 2006

By 

M. Wyze - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Kitchen Culture: Re-inventing Kitchen Design (Hardcover)

I'm addicted to coffee table books on home design, and I usually love kitchen design books- my all-time favorite book which I took on vacation and also recommended to my book club was "Great Kitchens". I think that this book overpromised. Johnny Grey stated that he's "reinventing kitchen design". The reinvemtion is his trademark style of semi-circle curved cabinets and round and oval islands. The workmanship on these curved units is amazing and the photographs do them full justice. I was wondering where in the world a person would have curved cabinetry custom made...and lo! The cabinetry is available through "The Grey Guild". Johnny Grey is the only kitchen designer featured in this book, which is terrific is you're an ardent fan. I found that I was not a fan (yawn), seen one and you've seen the unique, all of the rest is style differences. The book, to me, was a shameless sales job for Johnny Grey and his organization. I would have given the book a "2" rating, but the section on kitchen ergonomics at the back redeemed this book a little, in my opinion (finally something useful!). I do design, build, and live with new kitchens, as my husband and I are owner builders and rennovators. His kitchen designs would be a pleasure to cook in (for the most part), but the curved cabinetry would blow up my largest kitchen budget before appliances were purchased. These kitchens belong in multi-million dollar homes and they aren't a reasonable design choice for even a million dollar home building budget. The money spends quickly in homebuilding, and a large part of the house budget is gone before the house is finished enough for kitchen purchases. In my expereince the kitchen budget receives the most scrutiny and is the source of most budget arguements. These "Grey" kitchens would pass muster only in a project where money was no object and the budget had no ceiling.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kitchen Culture by Johnny Grey, February 24, 2006

By 

e ryan (NY) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Kitchen Culture: Re-inventing Kitchen Design (Hardcover)

The best kitchen design book I have ever seen. Grey has spent time evaluating the ergonomics of the kitchen from the proper height for the oven door, space between various dedicated work surfaces to raising the dish washer 14 inches so you never have to bend over to put your dishes in to be cleaned. It makes so much sense and the designs are diversifed from modern to classic traditional - and they are just beautiful! He is ecologically mindful and his advice from floors to counter tops to appliances was eye opening for me and very practical. I am designing my new kitchen based on his recommendations. The best news is it will work for me now with kids and still work for me when I am 75 yeras old thanks to the ergonomic design.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly innovative, September 30, 2005

By 

B. A. Scudder (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kitchen Culture: Re-inventing Kitchen Design (Hardcover)

My husband and I need to update our kitchen. I am a librarian so I have access to a lot of books on kitchen design, but this was by far my favorite, so much so that I bought my own copy. What an innovative way to look at a kitchen! By using bright colors and soft curves, Johnny Grey has opened my eyes to what an inviting space a kitchen can be for my family and I look forward to integrating his concepts into our eventual design.