Author: Mark Elston
Title: Build your own Kitchen & Built-in Cupboards
Publisher: Struik Publishers
Approx. price: R139.95

There is nothing more exciting for home lovers than the thought of renovation. And, there is nothing like the spiraling costs of building to blow your dreams out of the water. That’s when the notion of DIY becomes more appealing — except for the fact that often your mishaps and mistakes could end up costing you more!

Enter Mark Elston’s ‘Build you own Kitchen & Built-in Cupboards’ — a guide designed to help the DIY enthusiast save money by reducing the margin of error your inexperience creates. And, with its step-by-step instructions and simple line drawings, it goes a long way to achieving this — if you are a DIY enthusiast that is. If you’re new to the territory, Elston’s book isn’t your starting point.

Elston, who runs his own successful built-in cupboards business in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, estimates that by following his guide you could save as much as 60 to 70 percent of the cost of getting the cupboards installed professionally.

And, he goes some way to making good on his promise with a bonus CD that includes a cutting list to ensure accurate purchasing and cutting of wood. All you need to do is simply key in your requirements and the program will provide you with a layout of the most efficient way of cutting the wood. The layout can be taken with you when making your purchases, which in theory would help ensure no wastage except for the fact that, try as I might — and I’m very computer literate — I couldn’t get the CD to work!

Colour photographs of different kitchen layouts will get you inspired but knowledge and understanding of some basic woodworking skills will be needed if you are going to follow his step-by-step instructions.

It is also available in Afrikaans as Bou Jou Eie Kombuis en Ingeboude Kaste.