The Kitchen Planner: Hundreds of Great Ideas for Your New Kitchen (Spiral-bound)

by Suzanne Ardley (Author) "Kitchens are busy places with much activity gravitating in and around them..." (more)
Key Phrases: assessing your space, design your kitchen, cooking zone (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Designing or remodeling a kitchen should be a practical venture, but also a fun one--a concept that also applies to Suzanne Ardley's The Kitchen Planner book. This interactive workbook will stimulate both creative and workable ideas about designing your new kitchen.

Ardley begins by advising readers to create a kitchen based on individual needs. What is the layout of the kitchen you're working with: One- or two-walled galley, L-shaped, U-shaped, or an island? Is the kitchen used by a single person, a couple, or a family? By someone with special accessibility needs? Ardley discusses the benefits and limitations of each floor plan for each type of person.

She also explains the logistics of laying out your kitchen properly, taking into account its multiple functions as a food-preparation and cooking area, serving and eating area, food- and dish-storage area, and--as most party hosts know--a social area. Use the graph paper and the stickers at the back of the book to arrange and rearrange your layout, using Ardley's tips as a guide. For example, she suggests that the sink (the most-used part of a kitchen) be easily accessible from the food preparation areas, and that the dishwasher be located as close to the sink as possible so dishes can be easily rinsed off then stacked in the dishwasher.

Besides planning a layout, you'll also need to decide on the look you'd like for your kitchen. A flipbook section of The Kitchen Planner lets you experiment with different styles (traditional or modern), color schemes, and floor coverings, while color photographs throughout should also spur your imagination.

It's obvious that Ardley has put much thought into the most efficient and practical layouts and use of space for kitchens of every type--even offering advice on kitchen equipment, surfaces, and finishes. She suggests several quick-fix options that may solve a kitchen problem without your having to resort to an entire remodel. The result is an eminently usable planner. --Kris Law

From Library Journal
This attractive, fun book allows readers to custom design their own kitchen using spiral-bound pages split into three sections (illustrating walls, cabinets, and floors) to help visualize how different colors and materials look together. Floor plans can be created by employing reusable plastic stickers and a layout grid inside the book's covers (much like playing with Colorforms). The text includes tips on how to create an entire new kitchen or simply to update what one has with "quick fixes."
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Spiral-bound: 112 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (August 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811825175
• ISBN-13: 978-0811825177
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 9.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #153,912 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful but lacking Practical Substance, July 26, 2001

By	Reader in Comfort (Comfort, Texas USA) - See all my reviews

I was seduced by the lovely photographs, fun peel-and-stick arrangements, and cute mix-and-match cut outs. But when I really tried to use the book to plan a practical workspace that will serve family and guests for years, I found advice and guidelines skimpy and vague. I wanted more solid information, including specific attributes of a good work triangle, and important space allowances for walkways, cabinets and counters. I also wanted more attention given to relative costs of materials.

Yet, it was very enjoyable to poor over the ideas, styles and photographs.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cute workbook, April 26, 2002

By	secrethalo (United States) - See all my reviews

This is a hands-on design book. Great for those that are starting to design or redesign their kitchens(daydreamers too). Included is a split page design that allows you to mix and match wall, floors, and cabinets . It also comes with reusable stickers and layout girds in the front and back of the book.It is jam packed with information to help you solve all of your design dilemmas. A

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun idea book, March 14, 2001

By A Customer

The Kitchen Planner gives you a lot of ideas for your kitchen. What is practical, what would be best for your life style. It also has a fun way to see what your style is. It kind of reminds me of a children's book where the pages are split and you can come up with different combinations for the head, body, and feet of an animal. The same idea in this book for the flooring; cabinets; & sink style, wall color & wall style. This book is a fun idea book.