The Kitchen Consultant: a common-sense guide to kitchen remodeling (Paperback)

~ (Author) "The kitchen is the place where food is prepared-from there, virtually anything goes..." (more)
Key Phrases: standard proposal form, minor kitchen remodel, inlaid vinyl, United States, Yellow Pages (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Homeowners and professionals alike will find an expert guide through the kitchen remodeling jungle in THE KITCHEN CONSULTANT. This book contains the wisdom of seasoned kitchen remodeling contractor Herrick Kimball and the input of more than two dozen kitchen consultants from across the U.S. Readers will find invaluable advice on design, products, prices, suppliers, contractors, and work specifications. 120 drawings.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Taunton (May 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561582476
• ISBN-13: 978-1561582471
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #646,881 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Meat & Potatoes Kitchen Remodeling Information, April 10, 2001

By	Edward Wright (Columbus, OH) - See all my reviews

Over the past two years, my wife has purchased about every kitchen remodeling book there is (at least a dozen) and I've read every one. "The Kitchen Consultant" is clearly the best of the bunch if you're looking for practical, useful information about the many options and decisions that come with kitchen remodeling.

This book is NOT a kitchen design book and it is NOT loaded with beautiful kitchen photos (there are some drawings), and it is NOT a do-it-yourself remodeling manual, but it does what none of those kinds of books (at least that I've seen) do---it clearly explains how to find and work with a good kitchen designer, how to find, evaluate and work with a professional remodeler, and how to make informed choices about things like lighting, ventilation, cabinets, countertops, sinks, flooring, and appliances (there are chapters on each of those categories).

This book is obviously written by someone who knows his subject intimately (the author is a professional kitchen remodeler with 20 years of experience) and is able to present all the information it in a clear, organized, and easy to read manner.

Reading this book is like having a friend who is an experienced contractor come over and help you not only sort out all your options, but also give you his professional opinion and point out some things you may not have considered, but should.

The Kitchen Consultant helped us to make a lot of decisions. For example, it settled a long standing dispute my wife and I have had about the kind of refridgerator we should buy.

42 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unbiased comprehensive advice, January 10, 2000

By	"ca_books" (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This book describes the advantages and disadvantages of all the choices you have when remodelling a kitchen: cabinets, countertops, sinks, flooring, appliances, lighting, ventilation, windows/doors, plumbing, etc. The author is practical and is not shy about telling you when the expensive choices are not the best, and which materials are hardest to maintain. Note that this is not a design book, and so has no pictures. For that, I recommend the "Big Book of Kitchen Design Ideas" by Tina Skinner.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good basic book, September 6, 2000

By	Colin Povey "cpovey" (Clearwater, FL, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a good book for starting to design a kitchen.

Note that it contains NO pictures of kitchens. What it does contain is a pretty detailed discussion of the different options in kitchen materials (countertops, cabinets, lighting, plumbing, appliances, etc.) in a fairly unbiased but experienced way. For example, the author talks about several items he has in his own kitchen, which he likes, problems, etc.

While the information is pretty good, the discussion does miss a few items. For example, he makes no mention of stainless steel or concrete as a countertop material. However, he does cover all the other usual countertop materials available (laminates, solid surface, stone, tile, etc.).

There is also a good discussion on selecting a designer or architect, and on selecting a contractor. Good list of quality resources at the end of hte book.