Corporate Kitchens accessible contract

The Team Returns from Naidex 2012

Wednesday, May 9th, 2012

Naidex Kitchen

Our Naidex National was as busy as ever with hundreds of visitors to the Independent Living Show Home, and some great feedback on our kitchen which was designed and manufactured specially for the show. The kitchen had to be fitted in three days, and then dismantled in just a few hours as the event came to an end. It’s a huge challenge for our installation team, but they made it!

The kitchen will be making another appearance at Naidex South in October, so if you missed us in Birmingham there’s another chance to meet the team and see the kitchen at ExCel London 17-18 October. There will be opportunities to have an appointment with Adam Thomas at Naidex South, so contact us if you’re interested.  We’ll also be looking for a new home for the kitchen after Naidex South, as shown above, at a substantially reduced ex-display price. Please give us a call if you, or someone you know might be interested.

We have plenty of people to get back to after Naidex National, in the meantime if you want to keep track of Adam Thomas and what we’re doing as a company, please visit our new facebook page designed to keep you posted if you’re interested in accessible kitchens. ’Like’ us, and our latest news will automatically be fed through to your own facebook news feed. You can also follow @designmatters3 on Twitter.

As always, if you have any suggestions or questions we are only a call or email away. Contact us on 01628 531584 or email us using this link.

If you are a professional (occupational therapist, case manager, grant officer, architect or environmental health officer) involved in accessible kitchen design you can sign up to our training e-newsletter full of tips, hints and insight using this link to our Training page.

Keep Track of Adam Thomas on Facebook

Wednesday, April 25th, 2012

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Adam Thomas at Design Matters is now on Facebook. We’ve loaded up all our recent projects on this page so that you can get automatic updates when we post News or new Projects.

To visit the new page click through this link to Adam Thomas at Design Matters and enjoy regular updates without lifting a finger.

Countdown to Naidex 2012

Tuesday, April 17th, 2012

Well the kitchen design is finalised, and we’re counting down the days until we can get into the NEC and construct the stunning accessible kitchen at the heart of the Naidex Independent Living Show Home. It will be a very long weekend for our installation experts, but worthwhile when we see thousands of visitors streaming through the Show Home.

And there’s more to come:

  • We’re launching a special offer for all visitors to our kitchen in the Naidex Independent Living Show Home. Watch this space for more details.
  • We’re working on a Facebook page for our accessible kitchen service, which will help our followers keep tabs on recent projects and find out what Adam’s doing. We’ll post a News item here when it’s live so that you can ‘like’ us and keep up with Adam’s busy schedule.

19 days to go and counting …

Design Matters Kitchen for Naidex 2012 Independent Living Show Home

Wednesday, April 4th, 2012

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We are delighted to confirm that Design Matters is supplying a fully featured accessible kitchen for the Naidex 2012 Independent Living Show Home at the NEC, Birmingham from 1-3 May.

The house itself is being designed by iHUS, and will comprise a comprehensive range of rooms and accessible features that can be browsed and experienced by all visitors to Naidex 2012.

Adam Thomas is currently putting the finishing touches to the design and colour scheme for the Design Matters Accessible Kitchen that we will have manufactured specially for Naidex. Do pass the word around to family, friends and colleagues and come and see us at the Show Home.

If you are planning a kitchen adaptation and would like to meet Adam during the show, a limited number of appointments will be available. Please contact the office to make an appointment, and for more information.

Naidex 2012 Show House

We hope to be able to share more details of this spectacular new kitchen very soon. In the meantime, register for Naidex 2012 now, using this link to the Naidex web site.

Naidex South 17 & 18 October, London ExCeL

Thursday, March 15th, 2012

Design Matters will be exhibiting at Naidex South this year!

Come and visit us on stand J18, and:

Adam Thomas of Design Matters

  • Check out our latest samples
  • See images of our latest kitchen projects
  • Meet Adam Thomas and the team
  • Pick up an Access Matters brochure

There will be limited opportunities to make a private appointment to see Adam during the show. Please call us on the office number to book your time slot or send an email to Natalie using this link.

If you have an upcoming kitchen project and would like to chat it through, please bring along some outline measurements and we’ll be happy to spend some time talking through your options, without obligation on your part. Most of our work comes through referral, and we work hard to leave each customer entirely satisfied with the service we offer.

Register for Naidex South now, for speedy entry to the event on the day of your choice.

Did you know?

Our service is unique in the United Kingdom. No other independent kitchen studio employs an award-winning disabled designer with nearly 30 years experience of kitchen design. Every design Adam develops is a one-off, tailored to the needs of a specific client. Our own brand of kitchen furniture called Access Matters was designed and developed by Adam, and is manufactured exclusively for us in England. If Adam specifies a cabinet with unusual dimensions, we will make it. It’s as simple as that.

Totally bespoke, stylish kitchens for older and disabled people.

Now a reality through Design Matters.

Fabulous New Kitchen in Damson Acrylic

Wednesday, February 29th, 2012

Damson Acrylic and Walnut, Full View

New pictures of our latest kitchen installation just posted.

This gorgeous kitchen teams high gloss dark aubergine doors, with walnut effect doors and end panels. The walnut material has been placed on the horizontal for a contemporary feel.

Neff and Miele appliances provide the cooking and cooling power behind the design, and a pair of Fisher and Paykel dishdrawers are integrated into either side of the sink area. Blanco Steelart Elements Zerox undermount sinks were selected by our client along with an Abode single lever chrome tap and a Falmec Mirabilia glass and steel island extractor hood.

Adam Thomas, our award-winning designer said:

“This is the second kitchen I’ve designed for this client. Her last kitchen had a retro feel, but this time she selected up-to-the-minute materials including doors faced with acrylic for a really crisp high gloss finish. Second time around, she really knew what she wanted and I think the finished room looks great.”

For more pictures and detailed descriptions, visit our portfolio pages. And for a free, no obligation chat about your own kitchen requirements, email us or call us on the office number and ask to speak to Adam.

Damson Acrylic and Walnut, Oven View

Geoff Adams-Spink Selects Design Matters Kitchen

Friday, January 20th, 2012

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We are delighted to introduce our very latest accessible kitchen, a one-off design for Geoff Adams-Spink former BBC correspondent and producer, and currently Director of Adams-Spink Ltd. Mr Adams-Spink has upper limb disabilities and severely impaired vision as a result of the morning sickness drug, thalidomide. Following an injury in the 1990s, he also has chronic back pain.

Our designer Adam Thomas worked closely with Geoff over several months to create the perfect kitchen for his newly extended home; the brief called for a modern, yet timeless kitchen with good access and excellent visual cues. Geoff chose Access Matters light oak cabinets in shaker style. Dark polished granite worksurfaces were added to the scheme along with light porcelain floor tiles to highlight the edges of the worksurfaces. Blue LED plinth lighting also emphasises the perimeter of the floor and focussed task lighting improves visibility in the food preparation area of the large island unit.

An Elica Om extractor hood in black glass can be operated by remote control, as can other accessories in the room such as lighting and blinds. A cobalt blue glass splashback over the hob echoes the colour of the LED plinth lighting and provides an easy-clean surface in the hob area. Appliances are set at very precise heights to ensure good access, and discreet pullout surfaces beneath each oven allow hot dishes to be transferred safely. Neff SlideAway ovens were selected for safety, because their doors slide into a cavity beneath the oven, making cooking with a hot oven much safer with restricted reach.

Mr Adams-Spink believes that the beauty of his kitchen lies in the subtlety of the accessible features, which are not immediately apparent. For us this room is the epitome of good design; function and form in perfect harmony, and a completely bespoke solution for our client.

More images of this stunning room can be found by using this link. For more details about our unique and specialised accessible kitchen service, feel free to give us a call and arrange to meet Adam to discuss your requirements.

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A Christmas Tail!

Monday, December 19th, 2011

A Christmas TailWe love receiving feedback from our clients, and often ask them to send us a few snaps of their new accessible kitchen when it’s finished. After months and sometime years of working together it’s especially rewarding to see them enjoying their new kitchen space.

Last week we were delighted to receive news of one very satisfied customer called Oscar, who is lending a paw in the kitchen by making festive dog biscuits. He was posing for a photo competition in aid of Dog AID, a non-profit organisation that helps people with disabilities train their own pet dogs as assistance dogs. He completed a whole series of photos giving step by step instructions, and is making souffles next!

Oscar’s kitchen assistant is also enjoying the new kitchen:

“Thank you Kate, Adam and the team, once again for my lovely well designed kitchen, it’s such a fantastic lifestyle change.”

Well done Oscar, and thanks for the pictures.

A very merry Christmas to all our customers!

Oscar in the kitchen

Stunning New Projects

Monday, November 21st, 2011

We have just returned from two fantastic photo shoots featuring our most recent accessible kitchens.

Here’s a taster of one of the kitchens:

New Wood White and Orange

Look out for the full set of pictures, coming in the next few days!

Adam Thomas at Autumn Events 2011

Wednesday, October 5th, 2011

CMS-Org LogoAdam Thomas will be attending the Case Management Society UK Conference as a delegate, at the Gatwick Hilton on 4 November 2011.

The CMS UK event taking place over 3-4 November  is aimed specifically at Case Managers and OTs working in case management practices. For more information on the conference and last chance to book your place, visit the CMS UK website.

Naidex South LogoDesign Matters will be exhibiting at Naidex South on 19-20 October at ExCel London. We will be demonstrating a Ropox rise and fall table and distributing leaflets and Access Matters furniture brochures. For more information visit the Naidex South web site.

This year Naidex South will be taking place in conjunction with the GLA Disability Capital Conference 2011 on 20 October. See the full story using this link.

If you would like to book an appointment with Adam at either of these events, please contact the office by email.