As a complete kitchen revamp is on the wish list of most style-conscious homeowners, a book entirely devoted to the most used room in the house is bound to be a success. There are several already available, but most miss the mark because they concentrate too heavily on style at the expense of the nitty gritty detail that goes into making a kitchen work.

Vinny Lee's book is excellent in its mix of lovely photographs and sound advice to would-be kitchen planners. Also a plus is that one single look is not heavily promoted or represented. Every style is in here, from country French to hard core industrial, and she mentions the pros and cons of each. For example, she sensibly points out that commercial kitchens can be tricky to maintain in the home because they don't come with an army of sous chefs to keep all that stainless steel gleaming. Everything is photographed beautifully and the text doesn't shy away from getting down to the unglamorous basics involved - for example, there is an entire chapter devoted to plumbing.

She is also strong on practical decisions that have to be made, such as what shape sink to choose, or what material works best for a worktop or splashback. One of the book's best bits of advice to would-be kitchen remodellers is - take your time and plan well before you change a single thing in the kitchen. This book, with its huge range of kitchens, should help.