Transforming Your Kitchen with Stock Cabinetry

While we didn't technically used his system of installing cabinets - he made it quite clear that ordinary people can do it and save themselves money. We purchased semi-custom cabinets - they did the measuring and ordering - but we did install them ourselves with additional great advice from a cabinet installer friend. If you are really on your own - its a good reference with lots of pictures to elaborate his methods and give you good planning ideas.

I had a kitchen to install on a budget, and had no clue how to even start. I found the entire book helpful! It put me on the right path, I am now able to get the kitchen done using my space wisely for the right price. I recommend this book highly it is very informative. Thank you!

Has lots of photos, great glossy paper, written for beginners. Doesn't get into enough specific details to do it yourself. Best for someone looking for general knowledge on what to buy, how, what to look for, how to plan, ideas.

I've looked at this book several times during my remodel. Simple instructions.

Jonathan Benson's Transforming Your Kitchen with Stock Cabinetry: Design, Select, and Install for a Custom Look at the Right Price was written to help home owners remodel their kitchens using affordable cabinets found at DIY home improvement stores. The book gives quite a few tips about kitchen layout and design appropriate for those remodeling a kitchen or building one from scratch. It's a good starting place for anyone looking to learn more about kitchens, especially on a budget. Written in a critiquing commentary between Benson and his wife which I found rather annoying, there were still many well made points to consider. Disclaimer: A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher.

This seems useful; I have to do some work on my kitchen.. This should help me plan

If you're looking to redo your kitchen anytime soon, I'd recommend reading this book first. It covers everything from layout to cabinet selection to tearing out old cabinets to having a finished kitchen. Written by a husband and wife team, he's a cabinet maker and general contractor and she's an executive chef, it goes into just as much detail explaining why location of appliances is important as it does which cabinet to install first. While an experienced contractor may not find anything new in the book, it's great for a do-it-your-selfer. I have redone several kitchens and had to learn most of the information in this book the hard way. It's easy to understand and filled with pictures showing the step-by-step process as the authors completely redesign their own kitchen. If you're worried about the high cost normally involved with a complete kitchen makeover, read this book and you'll find out it may not be as expensive as you fear. This book will definitely get a lot of use at my house.

This is a great combination of both kitchen design and how to build it. It has a lot of very practical design guidance and creative ideas--many things we would not have thought of. Then it tells you how to go about selecting the cabinets that you need and the do-it-yourself to put them in. Very readable and invaluable.