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.

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!

Here’s a taster of one of the kitchens:

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

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.

Design 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.

Access Matters Kitchens will be featured heavily in the press in the coming months.

Disability Magazine is featuring two Access Matters Kitchens designed by Adam Thomas of Design Matters in its July 2011 issue. Disability Magazine positions itself as a product guide for the disability health care sector. Monthly issues cover lifestyle guides, practical care advice, help with needs assessment and therapeutic ideas for improved quality of life from a range occupational health experts, leading charity advisors and government agencies.

Utopia Kitchen & Bathroom Magazine is a mainstream home interest magazine focussing on high-end products for kitchens and bathrooms. The September 2011 issue of Utopia Magazine will be featuring a superb Access Matters Dinedor kitchen in walnut, and an interview with Adam Thomas of Design Matters.

Beautiful Kitchens Magazine, a high profile luxury kitchens magazine, has asked us to contribute a piece for the Q&A section in the September 2011 issue. The Editor has received a question from a reader in Scotland who became a wheelchair user recently and has some questions about worktops and appliances. Our designer Adam Thomas was delighted to share a kitchen design and some top tips for this piece.

Visit us again for more details of Access Matters in the press.

To find out more about Access Matters kitchens, our own range of furniture design specifically for disabled and older people, call us on the office number: 01628 531584.

We are delighted to announce that Ruby Slippers Solutions Ltd of Midlothian have become distributors of Access Matters kitchen furniture.

This will make Access Matters furniture available to a new audience across Central Scotland, with bespoke kitchen solutions based on a range of furniture designed by Adam Thomas of Design Matters.

Ruby Slippers offers a comprehensive home improvement service based on the principles of  ‘ageless design’, a design approach that helps people to enjoy their own homes for longer. Kitchens, bathrooms, stair lifts and entrances can all receive the Ruby Slippers treatment, and there are plans in the pipeline for an online boutique, offering a range of well designed items for the home.

Lisa McMyn, founder of the company, is passionate about her work, and has big plans for the company. She established the business in response to her own experience of restoring a Victorian manse in a small village south of Edinburgh. She was surprised at the lack of thoughtful design in the home improvement sector and used her experience of commercial property development to inform the choices she made for the renovation of her own property. She set out afterwards to streamline this process for others.

You can read more about this stunning kitchen project by following this link to the Ruby Slippers web site. Or call them on 0131 660 9574. In the meantime we wish the Ruby Slippers team well as they help many more clients achieve increased independence in their own homes.

Click on this link to view the full interview, and see our new Access Matters display kitchen demonstrated by Adam Thomas.

The Design Matters showroom is open from 9am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday, and by appointment only on Saturdays.

Contact us on the office number: 01628 531584 for more details or to make your appointment to meet with Adam and discuss your own kitchen requirements.

Plans are well underway for the UK’s biggest disability, homecare and rehabilitation event; Naidex 2011 which is to be held at Birmingham’s NEC from 5-7 April 2011.

Hundreds of specialist exhibitors have signed up to participate and Adam Thomas of Design Matters has been invited to speak at the CPD Seminar Theatre, where useful and informative talks are given by a selection of respected speakers. The talks are aimed specifically at health professionals, however architects and others involved in the design of the built environment also attend.

Space is limited for these talks, and last year there was standing room only! So register for Naidex 2011 now and make sure you don’t miss this opportunity to see Adam Thomas speak on the latest products and innovations in accessible kitchen design.

Adam may be available during the day on which he is speaking to meet with you if you have a special project to discuss. Please contact Natalie on the office number if this opportunity would be of interest.

If you have heard Adam speak at Naidex before, and would like to learn more about this exciting and challenging field why not visit the Training section of our web site where you can read about more opportunities to hear Adam speak, and perhaps even invite him to lead a training day for you and your colleagues.

A joint project between the RSA and the Back-Up Trust the workshop aimed to encourage spinally injured participants to gain confidence in learning to analyse and evaluate objects and designed products with a view to considering how these items might be modified to work better.

The following video explains the concept behind the Design and Rehabilitation workshop, and the future goals of the project:

More details of this initiative can be found by clicking on this link to the RSA Design & Rehabilitation project page.

Emily Campbell, Director of Design at the RSA will be promoting this workshop at rehabilitation centres across the UK.