Accessible Kitchens: Enhancing Life Without Compromising Style
Having a luxury accessible kitchen means you can have the best of all worlds – a workable kitchen that’s been designed to be both practical and safe, but that doesn’t compromise on style.
If you have mobility problems and enjoy cooking, a standard kitchen is going to present you with independent living challenges that an accessible kitchen will help solve. Whatever your level of ability, like the rest of your home, your kitchen will have an effect on your quality of life. If you have a disability that prevents you from using a standard kitchen to its fullest, your quality of life will not be as high as if you have an adapted kitchen. Having improved access and innovative features will enable you to use your kitchen in the same way as everyone else, providing you with a mood boost… and delicious food!
What is a Luxury Accessible Kitchen?
A luxury accessible kitchen is designed around you and your needs. An accessible kitchen will be built around you, making sure it’s easy to use and you have everything you need within reach. Whether you’re the only member of the household who does all the cooking, or you want a kitchen that everyone will find easy and convenient to use, a luxury accessible kitchen will be designed around all the family, but with your needs at the forefront of the room.
How Do You Make a Kitchen Accessible?
Accessible kitchen design will depend on the needs of the individual. If someone is a wheelchair user, is unable to stand for long periods, or is a person of short stature, working areas will need to be lowered to accommodate them. In a wheelchair accessible kitchen, units must have enough leg space to allow someone to sit at the counter in order to work. When planning these adjustments, choosing the right home renovation contractor can ensure that the design is both functional and high-quality.
Practical Layouts for Safety and Comfort
The kitchen layout is also an issue for people with reduced mobility. When you’re cooking, you’re dealing with potentially dangerous situations such as needing to get a pan of boiling water over to the sink to drain. If you need a wheelchair or rely on a walking frame, not being able to carry something across the kitchen is clearly a big problem.
Therefore your accessible kitchen design must create a working area that’s designed to be practical and safe as well as comfortable.
Additional Features
An accessible kitchen design will include adaptations and accessories that are actually useful to everyone.
We are all used to fitting carousels into cupboards so it’s easier to reach the things that are at the back, but there are also clever storage solutions like pull down shelving in wall units. These are useful for everyone, but especially to people who cannot stand on a stool to reach the higher shelves.
Smart Technology
Smart devices make managing a kitchen easier for everyone, especially those with limited mobility. Being able to control things from a single source, or by voice activation is a huge boon to us all, and essential to support independent living for people with disabilities. Whether you’re switching appliances on and off, adjusting the lighting, or automatically opening the fridge door or cupboard doors, using smart devices and voice control can make a huge difference.
Accessible Space
When working on accessible layouts, effective use of the available space is an additional consideration. People who need mobility aids and wheelchair users need more room to manoeuvre, which means having lots of space is a priority. Even with luxury accessible kitchens, creating extra space might be necessary as open plan living spaces are an ideal way to make the kitchen space more spacious without having to sacrifice space from any other room.
Benefits of an Accessible Kitchen
- Improved Independence: Perform daily kitchen tasks with ease.
- Enhanced Safety: Reduce risks associated with mobility challenges.
- Universal Appeal: Features like smart tech and pull-down shelving are practical for all users, not just those with disabilities.
Luxury Accessible Kitchens from Dobsons
While our luxury accessible kitchens are designed for functionality and safety, they’ll also look amazing. Our modern style bespoke kitchens are created for their looks and our adapted kitchens will have high quality hand-crafted units installed by specialist craftsmen. Far from being an obvious adaptation, the accessibility functionality will fit in so seamlessly, it won’t be the first thing people notice about it. Rather, your focus will be on a stunning kitchen you can’t wait to get cooking in!
Your first step is to make an appointment to visit our Cheshunt showroom to talk to your specialist kitchen designer about your new kitchen and how we can design it around your disability needs. Our showroom is on one level on the ground floor, making it easy to access and get around if you use mobility aids.
