Kitchens

There's a lot going on in a kitchen and a lot of different things to fit in, so the first task is working out an efficient layout. Do you favor an open-plan kitchen or a more traditional layout? Is there room for a kitchen island? How about a pantry? In this opening chapter, we'll walk you through the various design options and also share tips for ways to save on a kitchen remodel. You'll find ingenious design solutions and advice on sustainable material choices for a healthy kitchen. And if you're planning a kitchen demolition, you'll learn about a methodical approach that yields the best results.

What better way to glean inspiration for a new kitchen than to pore over 44 spectacular finished projects? Kitchens come in many different styles, of course, and you'll find everything here from traditional to contemporary, farmhouse to midcentury. Kitchen in a condo or a soaring timber-frame home? We've got you covered. Open plan or separate kitchen? Ditto. Everyone is budget-conscious these days, so we feature several remodels where costs were creatively kept low (though you'll also find a few kitchens where the owners really splurged).

More than any other element in this hardworking room, cabinets define the look of a kitchen, but the choices can be overwhelming. Beyond questions of style, you also have to decide between face frame and frameless; custom, semicustom, and ready-to-assemble. In this chapter, we'll help with your cabinet choices and then show you exactly how to install them, with advice on the latest cabinet hardware as well. Two other features that will greatly expand your kitchen's utility are built-in breakfast benches and, if you have room, a kitchen pantry.

Whether planning a kitchen for a new home or remodeling an existing kitchen, many homeowners consider a kitchen island a must-have feature. A remodel project is a great opportunity to add an island to provide a place for food prep, eating, socializing, and even working. We ask a lot of a kitchen island, but you can't just drop one into the kitchen without giving a lot of thought to scale, traffic flow, seating, storage, and style. In this chapter, we'll give you all the guidelines you need to incorporate an island into your kitchen, including some pitfalls to avoid.

Countertops have the toughest job of any surface in the kitchen, with the heaviest use and the highest potential for damage. They also have the most visual impact of any work surface in the home, so the stakes are high when choosing a countertop material. The good news is that there are more great countertop options available today than ever before, from old favorites like natural stone and solid-surface to newer options like manufactured quartz and concrete. In this chapter, we'll weigh the pros and cons of each countertop material and also offer advice on that other prominent kitchen surface: the floor.

Appliances and sinks make the kitchen what it is: a space for storing, preparing, and cooking food. Refrigerators, ranges, cooktops, and ovens are the big-ticket items here, and how much you'll spend depends on the features you're looking for. One feature you should never overlook is a range hood, and in this chapter we'll explain why proper ventilation is more important than ever in today's tight houses. Last but by no means least, we'll take a look at the topic of kitchen lighting and explain how to choose the right lights and lighting controls for your 21st-century kitchen.