Small Spaces, Beautiful Kitchens

This book might be useful to more people than its title implies. The emphasis is on efficiency and small kitchens, but some of the kitchens in the book are not so small. Most of the advice will be helpful to anyone who is considering a kitchen renovation, regardless of the size of the room. Of course, a large kitchen gives one the option to create unused space that a small kitchen does not, so the book is especially helpful for people with space-limited kitchens. I use that term rather than "small" because the dimensions of my kitchen are largeish, but the layout of doors (all necessary) limits the cabinets and countertops in the room. I'm looking for creative ways to think about reconfiguring the space, and this book has been very helpful in terms of encouraging me to think about where to store things (items used less often can be outside the main kitchen space, for instance), what I typically do in the kitchen vs. sometimes do or rarely do, and how to plan a cohesive design style that works functionally and makes the kitchen a pleasant place for the cook. For example, I've been using wire shelving units as a temporary solution to my kitchen's lack of counters and storage space, but I wouldn't have considered this as a permanent design option before reading this book. That wouldn't be everyone's preference, but this book provides examples of several design styles to suit a variety of tastes. Other kitchen books provide more advice about the nitty-gritty of kitchen functions such as including enough electrical outlets, materials choices, etc. For that sort of information, I recommend "This Old House: Kitchens" (an oldie but still the best). To help you think about what you want and need in your kitchen in terms of function and visual appeal, especially if every inch counts or if the kitchen is part of another room, this book is a good investment.

I am pleased with this book. It has a lot of ideas for the kitchen that I would have never thought of. If you are undecided and can't figure out just what you want this is a good book. I'm very pleased.

If you like contemporary, modern, eclectic, and retro styles, this book is great to look at. If not, borrow it from the library just for the text. I have made more practical moderations to my original ideas from this book than any of the dozens of other books and magazines that I own. For instance, I originally was set on installing a microwave/range hood combination over our stove. This book points out that having a microwave in this position is inconvenient, even dangerous since it is very high up and over an area that is frequently hot. Also, it is difficult for children to reach. Instead, a built-in microwave shelf in a different location makes more sense. The suggestion may not be as space-saving as my original plan, but made sense nonetheless. This coming from a family of four with an 11'x 8' kitchen. The photos presented an assortment of styles, sizes, and cost-ranges although it leaned more toward high-end, contemporary, and larger than my kitchen. I would have liked to see more photos with large key ingredients like refrigerators. I would have preferred to see more floor plans and actual room dimensions. Unfortunately, I have not seen a book yet that was strong in this area. I think that any decorating book that has the word `small' on it's cover should strive to include those details.