Well, that settles it! The two books I will ask for from "Santa" (read as: Husband) will be The Uncomplicated Guide & the Ortho Book. The Uncomplicated Guide looked so good I was suprised it isn't on the Book list in the FAQ - how can it be added? Holly, glad you made the distinction on the Ortho guide as they are stilling selling the older one and I don't think that distinction is made in the book list on FAQ (although I could have just missed it!)

You might want to check out the North American Clivia Society site. It holds a lot of information even for non-members. I don't think I can attach the link here, but you can search for it. Also, know as the "NACS".

Like this? Here is a link that might be useful: Head vases

I don't have a book to recommend and I suspect there's no one book that will tell you everything you need to know about all aspects of the job and be the best in every area. I think you will find that you will need to use many sources First, do you have a close-to-final layout? If not, ordering appliances may have been premature. However, what's done is done. You will now have to design around the appliances. If you bought "standard" appliances, it shouldn't be a problem; but, if you bought out-of-the-ordinary appliances, it may...it all depends on the space you have to work with and what you want out of your kitchen. Are you doing it yourself (DIY)? Acting as your own General Contractor (GC)? Hiring someone to GC it for you? Hiring someone (Project Manager) to "do it all" for you...find a designer or do design, find a GC, contractors/subcontractors, etc. DIY: Most work (GC-type work + your own installation/building) & usually least expensive Act as own GC: Workload is not all that much less than DIY b/c you have to find & get all the contractors lined up (construction, carpentry, plumbing, electrician), pull your own permits, schedule inspectors, etc. Quite a bit less work: Hire a GC to do all of the above. Least work: Hire a project manager to do all of the above as well as design and be in overall control of the Project. Regardless of option, you will still have to stay on top of things, communicate at least daily w/Project Manager and/or GC, contractors, etc., and decide how involved you want to be (let your PM/GC handle all problems, troubleshooting, etc.; be involved in solving all problems that will impact the design/functionality of your kitchen; other) As to doing your research...do most of your research & planning before you buy anything or hire anyone...particularly determining...a realistic budget for the scope of what you want done, what's more important to you functionality or form (looks), what you want out of your appliances, finishes'/material types you like & their care & maintenance, design/functionality, etc. Then, find yourself a Kitchen Designer (KD) you're compatible with, is willing to work with you to plan your kitchen (not his or her kitchen!), and is respectful of your budget. If you find you cannot do the above without help, consider asking questions here and talking to, but not committing to, several KDs (true KDs, if possible, not just "cabinet salespersons"). You may have to pay a fee for the advice of a true KD, but in the end it will be worth it. But, don't agree to go with the KD past this w/o deciding s/he is your best fit (or at least a good fit!) You may have to talk to 3 or 4 to find the right one... This advice also applies when you're ready to move ahead w/final design, ordering cabinets and other components, etc. One thing I will recommend...don't demo your kitchen until all your materials have been delivered and you've checked they're all OK...the last thing you want is to have no kitchen and then find out there's a several week delay at the cabinet manufacturer, etc. We went the "Project Manager" route since neither of us had time to do all the GCing ourselves (both work full-time outside the home & a DH who travels a lot), but we ended up doing some of our own "GC" work when we had issues w/some of the plans/ideas one of the subs had (plumber). Additionally, we (or at least I!) wanted to be involved in resolution of all issues since I had spent a lot of time planning/designing our kitchen and each and every component in it! I am so glad I did!