Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)What caught my eye about this book was the subtitle - "Your Affordable Dream Source." The book is divided into different sections. The first chapter briefly addresses various kitchen trends like islands, open floor plans, going green, furniture details, stainless steel and more. Other chapters in Kitchen Ideas include planning your space, storage, decorator touches, using stylish materials and small spaces.
One thing you can generally count on in a Better Homes and Garden books is the wonderful photography. The photos are all clear, sharp, with good lighting. It is easy to pick out details in most of the photos. The photos also show various styles in kitchens, from country and traditional to contemporary.
The real key is does it hit it's target of providing ideas and sources for an "affordable" kitchen. Of course, affordable is relative, but most of the design books (whether kitchen or bath) seem to be create spaces with exorbitant budgets. This books does take it down and seems to provide design ideas that are affordable, whether you are updating your kitchen or have a larger remodeling project in mind.
The trends are interesting and could have been helped with some before photos of the rooms, especially the "Open Plans" trend section. The kitchen island section was nice and gave options from a flea market table to a purchased island.
It would be helpful to know how much in general these decorating ideas would cost. A few sections addressed this, like the "Furniture Detail" section showed a general price range for things like cabinet feet or brackets. A suggestion to the publishers would be to have a general price range indicator, like $ to $$$ to inform readers of how expensive an option might be. In some sections you'll find hints that could help you save money. These are called Bargain Bonus and are tips in a circle-shaped tag. For example, on page 33, "Plain Old Appliances? Paint them to look like stanless steel. For paint products, see sources on page 143." There are also other call out sections in the chapters that often contain pro and con tips.
There is a chapter devoted to small space kitchens. The first kitchen shown on page 124-127, doesn't seem small to me. LOL It has an island that looks like it is at least 6 foot (using the plates as a guide) and there is a large refrigerator with upper vents (looks like one of those commercial units). It's a pretty kitchen, but is not even close to what I consider small. There are some helpful hints for a small kitchen, but I think it would have been more realistic to actually feature a small kitchen in the 4 page spread. Most of the kitchens prominently featured in the small kitchen section use white cabinets, except for the French kitchen which is red and yellow and one kitchen with brown lower cabinets and white upper cabinets.
I really liked this book, even though there were a few cons. The Resources section is minimal and has only brief, general information. There are resources listed for only five of the pages in the the entire book. For example for page 10, 137 (cabinet feet) - Rockler Woodworking, Van Dyke Restorers and another source; for page 125 the resource is for Primers - Benjamin Moore Fresh Start and XIM primer. They provide the websites addresses and a few have phone numbers.
Overall, a good resource for affordable design ideas and tips, many you may already know, but the photos are good inspiration.
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Kitchen Ideas (Better Homes & Gardens Decorating)Affordable ideas for turning any kitchen into an inviting and functional space
This book is your guide to designing the kitchen of your dreams. It offers a survey of kitchen trends, ideas for enhancing existing floor plans, advice on how to mix and match materials, and tips on how to achieve a look for less. Whether you're looking to spruce up your kitchen with simple cosmetic refreshes or completely transform your kitchen with a major remodel, you can turn to Kitchen Ideas for
Hundreds of inspiring ideas in a variety of decorating styles
Floor plans and clever storage ideas that maximize space in a small kitchen
Budget-minded tips for bargain hunters
Featuring traditional to contemporary kitchen designs and a wide variety of layouts, cabinets, fixtures, and countertops, this value-priced book has everything you need to create a beautiful kitchen.
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