Customer Reviews

Kitchens: A Sunset Design Guide: Inspiration + Expert Advice

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I teamteach a course on kitchen design with a designer and kitchen design store, and have looked through scores of kitchen design books to find the ones with the best pictures, layout, questionnaires etc. for the home owner to begin organizing their ideas on an ideal kitchen for them.

What I learned was you want the most up-to-date books as the field is continually evolving with new materials and equipment. This book by Sunset
is one of the best books I found for the home-owner. The styles were fresh and diverse, it had helpful information and I loved the layout. I didn't try the software included, so can't comment on that, but the price was worth it for the book alone. If you are only going to buy a few books on kitchen design, this should be one of the few.

I'm planning on designing a course on bathroom design next and Sunset's bathroom book looks equally well-done.

I've been researching kitchen ideas for months and making tear sheets. This book has so many great designs and provides some insight on what the client wanted and how the designer solved the problem. If you are looking for a technical manual, this is not it, but if you are starting out and looking for inspiration, this book is for you. I haven't tried to use the software yet, but have installed it. I wish it came with a manual or instructions.

This book has beautiful photography and a great mix of contemporary to more traditional, to an eclectic mix of both styles. The book is broken into sections such as flooring, counters, cabinetry, etc., which was very helpful. I also loved the interviews with designers who described their clients wishes and how they helped them plan things out. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone planning a kitchen remodel or new build. I will also be purchasing the companion bathroom book in the future.

I already knew most of the info in this book, but for beginners it would be a great reference... how to hang cabinets and such. I was looking more for design ideas... the software is impossible to use!

I bought this book because of the included CD. There are no instructions as to how the software works. I've spent enough time trying to figure it out. Not worth it.

When I'm designing a kitchen and I'm wondering if I should hang molding a certain way, this is the book I reach for. When my customer and I are discussing possibilities for backsplashes, this is the book I reach. If we are deciding to stack cabinets or how much glass to do, this is the book I reach for. People need to be shown. Most people only have product brochures which are so overdone for the purpose of selling the product or they reference HGTV.

It's my second copy. The first is ratty and falling apart, I use it so much. It's excellent for showing a client examples of actual kitchens (not staged product brochures), such as: with grainy wood flooring, should we do painted cabinets or can we introduce another grain. This book will have pictures to make the decision making process clearer.

There are a variety of tastes which are popular now that are well done and well illustrated by lavish photography. There are only a couple of kitchens that are not great quality: the kitchen with the cabinet doors cheaply refurbished by painting a color which is different than the face frame--only a truly fun and funky kitchen can get away with this. In fact that would be my only beef: there are no loose, artsy, lived-in, British cozy, not too polished kitchens in this book.

Also I see the couple of bad reviews. I must admit, I have never even tried to use the CD. There's so much on-line like HOUZZ, etc., that the book itself serves the purpose for me. These kitchens are solid though. They are very well designed, mostly by architects (gasp) who know what they are doing in the kitchen instead of handing it off to a kitchen designer like me as it usually happens.

I'm a recent graduate of an interior design program and in the process of building my reference library I discovered this book, and the others like it by the Editors of Sunset. It's a great reference and really educates the reader on all aspects of kitchen design. I especially love the resource guide in the back of the book! I've already contacted a few of the companies listed to request brochures and samples of their products for use in my residential projects. I highly recommend this book for homeowners and designers alike!

I have been planning a kitchen remodel for 6 months and have been surprised by how hard it is to find kitchen photos that really give you a good idea for colors, cabinets, layout, etc. In my experience, often times kitchen books and magazines have more ads than photos and the photos you do find are of over the top ornate kitchens. This book has hundreds of photos of simple, modern kitchens. It's a great resource for photos of kitchens as well as very useful tips on each element of a kitchen (what types of countertops are out there, how expensive they are compared to each other, etc.). It does not go too far beyond this. If you're just getting started with a remodeling or updating your kitchen, this is a fantastic book for inspiration and ideas.

The book is fine for thinking over kitchen remodeling.
But I specifically ordered a new one in order to get
the accompanying CD. No CD came. But I did get my money back.