Sam's favorite kitchen books and magazines

There is a vast literature on kitchen design, both books and magazines. But not much of it is useful, and a lot of it is thinly disguised advertising. Here are some great books on the subject that discuss fundamental ideas you can use. Some of these are a little hard to find.

Fundamental Concepts:

Management in the Home, by Lillian Gilbreth. The Gilbreths more or less invented what we now call ergonomics, and Lillian's book on the home is probably still the most powerful book on the subject in that it goes into the underlying concepts and ways of thinking that can empower you do design a really functional kitchen. “Storage at Point of First Use!”

The Cornell Kitchen, Glenn Beyers et al. This is the research report from the early 50's. Most modern kitchen design is base on this research. I don't really know how easy it is to find a copy of this. Dodd Mead was the original publisher.

Small Kitchens, by Robin Murell. This would be another book to find used on the web, but is the best book on small kitchen design, and the only book I can think of which has something original to say about the basic organization of the kitchen.

A Pattern Language, Christopher Alexander, et al. This is expensive, but your library has it. I don't think anyone should undertake a major house project, or a kitchen project, without reading this. It's about the features, the “patterns” that make a design come alive.

The Motion-Minded Kitchen, by Sam Clark, Houghton Mifflin, 1985. This is another used book purchase. When I was writing this, I spent a lot of time in the Boston Public Library, researching the history of kitchen design. That's where I first learned about The Cornell Kitchen and the Gilbreths. These writers opened the door for me on fundamental ideas that apply not only to the kitchen but to any design project that involves work methods, ergonomics, accessibilty, storage, or efficient use of space. My own work is still inspired by these sources. I mention my own book because it discusses all this material in some detail. I think you could get a feel for “storage at point of first use” and “one-motion storage”, the work center concept, and other basics there. Our website has a section on this and my other books.

The Kitchen Book, by Terence Conran. This British book from the 70's is great. When I first read it, I was put off by how expensive some of the kitchens seemed. But in fact it has a lot of ideas that would be useful on any budget, and a lot of the basic design information is very useful, more advanced than what you'd get in most kitchen books.

A lot of kitchen books and magazines are pitching a very consistent look. What I like about Conran, Dwell, and “Small Kitchens” is that they show that not all kitchens have to look the same, and there are many possible solutions to the design problems that come up.

Current Books and Magazines:

I like Sarah Susanka's books about small house design. I think Taunton Press's Kitchen Idea Book is very useful, because it shows a great variety of very well design kitchens in different materials.

I don't like any current kitchen magazines, and I could go on a long time on why I feel that way. But I do like Dwell Magazine, for a bracing, annual dose of Modernism.

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