It is rare that a book review makes me even chuckle, but a new post by furniture designer/maker James Watriss about Nancy Hiller’s “Kitchen Think” made me laugh aloud (and not just the introduction, in which he worries “if the world really needs a blond-haired white guy praising a woman for writing about woodworking”). Along with making me laugh, he teases out much of what I love about this book:
“There’s a strong emphasis on design, because that’s as important, or more, than simply doing a good job of executing that design,” he writes. “If the end product flows in an uninterrupted way, the skill involved shouldn’t need to stand out, because the goal is to make something the homeowner can live and cook and relax and eat in comfortably. It’s not a Goddard high-boy, you don’t need to masticate in awe.”
Of the kitchen designs themselves, he writes, “Each has very individual character, none of the layouts look remotely similar, some are modern, some are vintage, but they all look comfortable, workable, and… like home. I don’t have a good way to put a finger on what makes that happen. Clearly Nancy Hiller does.”
Read Watriss’ review in its entirety on his blog.
— Fitz