Synopses & Reviews
Make Your Dream Kitchen an Affordable Reality With so many attractive stock cabinetry designs available, creating the kitchen of your dreams no longer involves the budget-busting price tag of custom-made cabinets. In fact, you'll be amazed as cabinetmaker Jonathan Benson shows you how to beautifully - and affordably -- transform your kitchen by using money-saving stock cabinetry and a well-thought-out plan. With extensive input from his wife, Sherry, a former executive chef and restaurant owner, Benson takes you through the planning process that will help you create a kitchen space that meets the needs of your entire family. And, by working as a team, the Bensons show you that a kitchen remodeling effort can go smoothly, even when opinions differ and your life has turned into a construction zone. Transforming Your Kitchen with Stock Cabinetry will arm you with everything you need to know before going cabinet shopping as well as show you how to install them once they've been purchased. Plus, you'll get the pros and cons of various countertop materials. If you want to get a custom look at the right price, join the Bensons as they put you in the heart of their own remodeling project and ultimately guide you to dream kitchen success.
Review
For home-owners who don’t have the ability to make their own custom cabinets or the finances to have some made, this is a perfect alternative – installing the ready-made variety. With the inspirational photos and the step-by-step directions, the idea of a new kitchen space is definitely a possibility! - Home Refurbers.com
Truth be told, there are a lot of great money-saving tips, especially on countertop and appliance selection. The authors certainly know their way around a kitchen - Sherry is an executive chef and Jonathan is a licensed general contractor - and they've owned a restaurant. - Woodshop News
Review
Professional furniture maker Jonathan Benson (Woodworker's Guide to Bending Wood) and his wife bring together their woodworking and kitchen expertise. The book begins with inspirational, beautifully shot photos of kitchens, but the construction images are less glamorous. The authors offer good instruction on modifying and installing cabinetry, with practical tips and techniques. This original book fills a niche and features great pro/con lists
Review
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.
Review
With the burgeoning selection of impressive stock cabinetry designs now available, giving your kitchen the custom look no longer need include the hefty custom price tag. Cabinetmaker Jonathon Benson takes you through the entire process of creating your dream kitchen easily and on a budget, from inspiration to design, selection of stock cabinets, tear-out and installation.
Review
It is a step by step "Layout your design, go to Lowes, buy cabinets and we will show you how to do a total make over of your kitchen from tearing down the dry wall to setting the door handles. So, as some of you know Mike and I just moved to a new home (almost a year ago). So I am browsing through this book and Mike is waiting for his turn to look at it. So my smile is getting bigger and bigger as I look through the ideas and instructions. So Mike finally gets the book in his hand, flips through the pages and then turns to me saying, "DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT" .... grin ... I didn't tell him it was too late ...
Review
The book teaches readers how a custom look can be achieved by installing stock cabinetry from a local home-improvement center and stores like Ikea as it follows the authors through their home kitchen makeover. Truth be told, there are a lot of great money-saving tips, especially on countertop and appliance selection. The authors certainly know their way around a kitchen - Sherry is an executive chef and Jonathan is a licensed general contractor - and they've owned a restaurant.
Review
I started flipping through this book, Transforming Your Kitchen With Stock Cabinetry, without any vision of redoing my kitchen, but just after a few pages I was inspired and hopeful! The book, by Jonathan Benson (a cabinet and furniture maker) and Sherry Benson (an executive chef), not only shows a variety of different styles and layouts of kitchens, but also walks the reader through the "how-to's" of redoing a kitchen using ready-made cabinets. Throughout the pages, tips are given as to what to do and what "not to do", ways to reduce the costs, and how to ensure you have a workspace that is conducive to your needs as well as being functional regarding actually using the space. For home-owners who don't have the ability to make their own custom cabinets or the finances to have some made, this is a perfect alternative - installing the ready-made variety. With the inspirational photos and the step-by-step directions, the idea of a new kitchen space is definitely a possibility! My Ratings of The Book Layout and Appearance: Good balance of inspirations, tips and how-to photos and directions. Thumbs Up! Instructions: Very clear and detailed. Thumbs Up! Overall: Thumbs Up!
Synopsis
Presenting fresh ideas and designs for renovating a kitchen without having to hire outside labor, this guide informs aspiring do-it-yourselfers on how to choose the best stock materials-available at home improvement centers-t layout an entire functional kitchen. With full explanations of available materials, such as ceramic, wood, and laminate, this manual also provides ideas on the finishing touches to design an efficient kitchen for the modern family. From tearing out anexisting kitchen and preparing it for renovation to installing new cabinets so that they are level and secure, this guide includes a photo gallery featuring commentary and case studies from those who have been through the process. Including bonus restaurant lessons from a pro-such as how to work on granite and clean stainless steel-this kitchen transformation guide is both modern and accessible to those on a budget. Author Bio: Jonathan Benson is a professional furniture maker and the author of Woodworker's Guide to Bending Wood and Woodworker's Guide to Veneer and Inlay. He lives in Des Moines, Iowa.
Synopsis
Take the stress out of kitchen remodeling with advice on how to plan it, and do it affordably using stock cabinets, with the help of remodeling pro Johnathan Benson.
Synopsis
Jonathan Benson is a licensed general contractor, and runs his own furniture and cabinet-making business called Jonathan Benson Furniture Design. He and his wife, Sherry, an executive chef, were also successful restaurant owners. Their combined experience lends a unique perspective to the book's coverage of kitchen design and efficiency. Jonathan is the author of Woodworker's Guide to Bending Wood, Woodworker's Guide to Veneering and Inlay, and contributes articles to Woodworker West.
Synopsis
Creating a dream kitchen no longer has to involve the budget-busting price tag of custom-made cabinets. Author and cabinetmaker Jonathan Benson shows how to transform a kitchen using money-saving stock cabinetry and a well-thought-out plan. This book will arm the do-it-yourselfer with everything they need to know about cabinet shopping and installation, the pros and cons of various countertop materials, and how to live within a construction zone. The author's wife, Sherry Benson, a former executive chef, adds a unique touch to the book with tips for creating an organzied and efficient kitchen that any cook would be proud of.
Synopsis
Design, Select, and Install for a Custom Look at the Right Price. Filled with great advice and lessons from a remodeling pro on how to transform your kitchen affordably using stock cabinets and a well-thought-out plan. Take the stress out of kitchen remodeling with advice on how to plan it, and do it affordably with the help of remodeling pro Jonathan Benson.
Synopsis
Have you been dreaming about a new kitchen, but the expense and amount of work keep putting that dream on the backburner? A kitchen remodeling project can be daunting and expensive, even for an experienced woodworker. Thanks to cabinet and furniture maker Jonathan Benson, you can transform your kitchen for less by using stock cabinetry and a well-thought-out plan. From having a solid design that meets the needs of everyone using the space, to advice and lessons on what to know before going cabinet shopping, or how to live in a construction zone, Benson and his wife Sherry, a former chef and restaurant owner, show you how a little team work can make a kitchen remodel go more smoothly. Transforming Your Kitchen with Stock Cabinetry will put you right in the heart of a remodeling project, which happens to be the Benson's own kitchen, and guide you through the complete process. The inspirational gallery at the end of the book is filled with beautiful photos and gives true meaning to the term "dream kitchen."
About the Author
Jonathan Benson is a professional furniture maker who specializes in contemporary curved pieces with extensive veneer figures. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, he has won numerous prestigious design awards and is the author of Wood Art Today. He lives in Des Moines, Iowa.
Table of Contents
Introduction Chapter 1: Inspiration Gallery Chapter 2: Stock Cabinet Kitchen Transformaions *Manhattan Makeover *A Complete Update Chapter 3: Lessons In Design *Likes and Dislikes *Budget *14 Ways to Save Money *Work Triangle *Kitchen Layout *Universal Design Chapter 4: All About Cabinets *Three Categories of Cabinets *Materials *Pricing *Face Frame vs. Frameless *What to Look for in Cabinets *Door and Drawer Fronts *Standard Cabinet Dimensions *Special Cabinets *Getting Organized Chapter 5: Tear Out and Construction *How to Live in a COnstruction Zone *Tear Out *Soffits *Ceilings *Order of Work Chapter 6: Cabinet Installation *Tools *Finding Level *The First Cabinet *Leveling the First Cabinet *Adding Cabinets *Filling Voids *Base Cabinets *Altering Base Cabinets *Crown Molding *Handles and Pulls Chapter 7: Countertops *Pricing and Pros/Cons *Granite and Granite Tile *Engineered Stone *Ceramic Tile *Plastic Laminate *Solid Surface *Wood *Cast Concrete *Stainless Steel *Countertop Height *Countertop and Backsplash Installation Index