Real kitchens for real people. Most of us think "break the bank" when we hear "kitchen remodel." But as Peter Lemos, former editor of Home magazine proves in Kitchens for the Rest of Us, it is possible to make over a ho-hum kitchen into the cooking center of your dreams. In this inspiring and practical guide, Lemos walks readers through 20 challenging kitchen remodels all modest in size and budget. Using a template of 5 basic steps, from taking stock to finding your style, to working with pros, to defining your space, to making it happen, Lemos shows how homeowners made the most of their resources, chose wisely when it came to splurges, and ultimately found a way to realize their dreams. In the process of demystifying this often stressful experience, Lemos serves up a wide variety of design solutions for kitchens that represent a range of styles from across the country.
Date Published 11/1/2005
Ratings
Rated By: Are You Happy With Your Kitchen?
From: Poinciana, FL
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Comments: Virginia Allain "(retired librarian)" "For each of the kitchen redos, Lemos includes before-and-after photos, floor plans, and a description of the problem. It's a nice touch that lets the reader see how real-life homeowners solved their kitchen-design woes, from a couple looking to gut their tiny kitchen to newlyweds trying to blend their decorative tastes. The book has a nice mix of styles and budgets, with plenty of cost-saving tips." (review by Rebecca Swain Vadnie - Orlando Sentinel) Since remodeling a kitchen causes major upheaval in a home, be sure to get as many ideas as possible before planning your changes. Talk to other homeowners too. I always thought I wanted those fold-out shelves for canned goods, but found them to be awkward once I had them.
Rated By: Martin Rense "marty"
From: NYC
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Comments: Kitchen remodelers best friend As a designer I am asking all of my customers to read this book. It lays out everything they need to figure out before they start a kitchen project and shows all the various alternatives in an easy to follow way.
Rated By: Leah M. Eppestine "booklover"
From: Sikeston, MO
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Comments: One of the best This is my very first review and I was moved to type it because this is THE most enjoyable kitchen book I've read in a long, long time. It's informative, fact-filled, easy to read, has beautiful pictures, and one of my favorites - it shows before and after pictures and floor plans.
Rated By: Cate
From: Portland, OR
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Comments: Title is misnomer On the back cover of this book, it states, "Kitchens for the Rest of Us. If your tastes yearn for granite but your budget calls for laminate, there is still hope for your kitchen makeover dreams." The book, however, includes more kitchens with granite countertops than laminate.
According to the author, most of the kitchens in the book cost $30,000 to $50,000. That, to me, isn't exactly a "laminate" budget.
This is a nice book with beautiful kitchens. It isn't, however, any more helpful to me than all the other designer books and magazines that showcase custom kitchens.
Rated By: Pennsylvania Reader
From: Unavailable
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Comments: "For the Rest of Us" only if the rest of us can afford Sub-Zeroes I agree completely with Cate, below. I couldn't find a laminate countertop in the book. Stock cabinets aren't allowed, and Sub Zero is the most common refrigerator in these very high-end remodeled kitchens (yes, really). If you have a big budget and you like the Fine Homebuilding look--expensive plainness--this might be a useful and inspirational resource. These kitchens have a more handcrafted, less ostentatious appearance than do many in the pricey kitchen design magazines. They are handsome rooms, although page after page of the same look put me to sleep. (Almost all the cabinets are unpainted Shaker-style custom cherry or maple; the countertops and room designs aren't special, for the most part, and the text isn't helpful.) It's not a book I'll consult again and again the way I do the This Old House: Kitchens book. Reading it does let me know that money and conventional good taste don't necessarily create interesting and useful rooms, and it is sort of nice to know that there are some pricey things that I don't want. But those side effects aren't enough to make me feel good about being misled by the way the book is described. The title must be a joke about social class. What world do the editors live in where a $50,000 kitchen is for the rest of us? My kitchen overhaul budget is set firmly in the laminate range, and there was very little in the book of use to me.
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