I thought it would be fun to share my all-time favorite kitchen design books with you. I’ll be posting my selections one by one over the coming weeks. If you're looking for timeless inspiration but want to see spaces that are designed with color and texture, you’ve come to the right place. You won’t find stark white kitchens on these pages.
I love collecting beautiful design books. I use them as a reference for myself and my clients. When I’m not looking at the beautiful photos, I like to keep my books out where I can see and enjoy them. So a beautiful spine and cover are important to me as well. I’m always on the lookout for a new addition to my library (you should see my book wish list on Amazon!).
I'm starting in no particular order with….
The Perfect Kitchen by Barbara Sallick
Barbara Sallick is the co-founder and Senior Vice President of Design at Waterworks.
In The Perfect Kitchen, she explores in beautiful detail the process of designing a kitchen, from storage, cabinetry and hardware to surfaces and finishes. She includes dozens of images of polished kitchens by designers like Steven Gambrel, Gil Schafer, and Suzanne Kasler and essays by top food writers and cookbook authors including Julia Turshen and Melissa Clark about their own kitchens. The information is thorough and the spaces are chic yet livable.
In this video, Barbara is interviewed by Schumacher in her renovated Southport, Connecticut kitchen.
Barbara is also the author of The Perfect Bath, The Definitive Guide to Designing the Perfect Bath, and Waterworks: Inventing Bath Style. I keep copies of The Perfect Kitchen and The Perfect Bath out in my design studio and they are constantly being flipped through in search of inspiration.
Click the images to open.
If you need more book-spiration, I shared a list of beautiful XL/XXL coffee table and beautiful cookbooks here. I update that list often as I find interesting new books. And these aren’t the usual fashion books you see over and over again in styled photos. If you like beautifully designed conversation starters, check out this list. XL and XXL books for styling tend to cost more (obviously they are larger than a regular book). If you have sticker shock check out the used listings. You can usually find books in like-new or very good condition for much less than buying brand new. I also like that I don't have to be precious with my used books. If there's a small tear or mark, oh well!
Tell me which kitchen design book is your favorite in the comments. I may just add it to my list.
