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Thursday, June 6th, 2013
If you’re looking for kitchen ideas, you will already know that there are hundreds of different kitchen styles available and just as many accessories and additional products! We have over 30 years experience of kitchen design and our designers are expert in ensuring that our kitchens reflect the very latest trends and products.
All our important news in posted on FB. We also highlight new products as they become available. If you’re on Facebook you can have our news delivered to you automatically by ‘liking’ our Facebook pages.
Our general page covers Design Matters news which you can access here.
For all things related to Adam Thomas and his accessible kitchen design service visit our dedicated accessible page which you can access here.
Welcome on board!
A Very Merry Christmas
Friday, December 21st, 2012
As the year comes to a close we want to wish our clients and partners a very merry Christmas, and a happy and prosperous New Year!
The Design Matters office is closing today at 5pm, and will re-open on 2 January at 9am. You can leave us a message by email using this link, and we will get back to you as soon as the office re-opens.
We look forward to many more exciting projects in the New Year, and to seeing you in January 2013!
Best wishes, from the Design Matters team
Design Matters Featured on Channel 4’s Double Your House
Friday, September 21st, 2012
On episode 2 of the Channel 4 show Double Your House for Half the Money, Sarah Beeny advises client Lindsey from Lincolnshire who was born with achondroplasia and would like a larger, more accessible kitchen.
At Design Matters we offer a specialised design service for older and disabled people alongside our standard kitchen service, and we are acknowledged nationally as leaders in this complex and challenging field.
With a slightly delayed start to the building work, and only four weeks to go, Sarah brings Lindsey to the Design Matters showroom in Buckinghamshire to see our state-of-the-art accessible kitchen display. Lindsey experiences some of the latest accessible features and takes them home to incorporate in her new dream kitchen and dining space.
It was a real pleasure for the Design Matters team to host the Channel 4 film crew in the showroom, and to see our own kitchens on the programme! Watch again using the link above to the 4 OD channel, or use this link to YouTube. The kitchen segment begins at about 28:10.
New Offers For Even Better Value
Wednesday, August 8th, 2012
We pride ourselves on offering the very best value to our customers, and we negotiate hard with our suppliers to purchase at the best possible prices.
To bring you even better value, our suppliers are currently offering a range of special offers to customers purchasing products by Blanco, Siemens, Neff, Miele, Gaggenau and even selected Granites. These amazing deals can give you added peace of mind with extended warranties, or give you discounts on your shopping for a year. Some offer free gifts, or competitions to win a range of stunning travel experiences.
Visit our Special Offers page for more details while these fabulous deals are still available, or contact the office for more information.
NB: These offers are valid for all customers placing a kitchen order with Design Matters.
Blanco Rewards Card
Tuesday, July 17th, 2012
Blanco accredited dealers have been authorised by Blanco to offer customers purchasing a Blanco sink and tap free membership of Blanco Rewards for one year, subject to terms and conditions. Blanco Rewards is an exclusive club that can save you money on daily household expenditure when you buy a Blanco sink and tap from Design Matters.
It’s possible to save over £1000 a year in most cases. So your Blanco purchase can pay for itself!
The Blanco Rewards scheme has the full backing of Blanco, and comprises a range of money saving offers from big national brands through to local retailers. You decide which offer you wish to choose and in what quantity. You purchase your required amount of shopping vouchers either online or by phone, and the discount is applied at this point. Simply present the voucher in store to buy your goods or services.
Participating retailers have the ability to run spot offers, or daily special deals to Blanco Rewards members, so keep an eye out for these offers.
Free membership of the Blanco Rewards scheme is valid for one year. Renewal at the cost of the consumer is possible after this period on an annual basis. Full terms and conditions of the Blanco Rewards scheme can be viewed using this link to the Blanco Rewards Consumer Terms and Conditions page.
Visit the Blanco Rewards web site for more details, or speak to a Design Matters Design Consultant for more information.
Creative Living with Miele
Friday, June 22nd, 2012
The kitchen’s the place where we spend much of our time so we need to make the most of it. The people at Miele believe that the kitchen is the heart of the home, and they’ve always worked hard to help customers get the most out of their new appliances. That’s why they’ve developed a new range of Creative Living courses and demonstrations, in conjunction with a panel of trained home economists. We’re really excited about this new way to explore the potential of this great range of home appliances before you plan your new kitchen:
- Kitchen Secrets courses cover many different aspects of food, drink and kitchen design. Award-winning chefs and experts reveal their secrets and share tips on the finer points of wine, beer and coffee appreciation.
- Simply Cooking courses cover core ingredients and techniques from the rudiments of bread making to the passion simmering beneath the finest Italian, French and Indian cuisine.
- Appliance Masterclasses will make you rethink the way you cook. This is for those who have just bought, or are thinking about buying a Miele oven, steam or steam combi oven. The team will explain all the features and functions of Miele ovens, and show you how to use them to create some of the most wonderful food you’ve ever tasted.
- Let’s Do … demonstrations are for homeowners who are planning a kitchen but haven’t quite decided which Miele appliances to include. Watch the Miele home economists prepare a delicious two-course meal, whilst demonstrating all the functions and features of Miele built-in appliances. Discover the many uses of steam ovens, and the extraordinary controllability of induction hobs. And enjoy lunch!
If you’ve ever thought that ‘an oven is just an oven’ you need to come and see the difference Miele appliances will make to your home. Whatever your plans for your kitchen, you’ll find everything you need to bring them to life at a Miele showroom.
The dedicated brochure for this fabulous range of courses can be viewed using this link. Customers are invited to explore all the potential of Miele appliances at one of three locations in the UK: Abingdon, London or Sutton Coldfield on a range of convenient dates. To discuss the range of courses and dates on offer contact Miele on: 01235 233171.
Make sure you contact Miele promptly so that you can get an early date, and come to a decision about the appliances that really matter to you before you try to plan your kitchen. (Remember, for some offers you need to attend a Let’s Do … course prior to purchase.)
And finally, introducing the Miele Connoisseur Club - a very special service for Miele customers who meet the following criteria:
- have attended a Let’s Do … course prior to purchase
- have purchased eight or more built-in appliances (including three cooking)
- have registered all appliances for the free 2 year warranty
As a member of the exclusive Miele Connoisseur Club, you can access a range of stunning benefits – read all about it in the dedicated Creative Living brochure:
- your own personal in-home demonstration
- a complimentary luxury hamper
- £200 of Miele online store vouchers
- Connoisseur Club support line
Burbidge Launches Online Colour Selector
Wednesday, June 13th, 2012
If you’ve been dithering about a choice of colour scheme for your new kitchen and just can’t make up your mind, the new Colour My Way tool by Burbidge might be the answer.
This clever online system allows you to choose from six different kitchen styles and select either oak, or a painted finish for each part of the fixed display. There’s even a choice of worktop colours and handles. What a great idea!
We’ve ’snipped’ a glimpse of Colour My Way to show you, below. To give the Burbidge colour selector a try, just visit their web site and enjoy!
Design Matters at Naidex National Show House
Wednesday, May 9th, 2012
The team’s back from a great show at the NEC . Naidex National is the premier disability, rehabilitation and homecare event in the UK with over 300 exhibitors and thousands of visitors. This year it took place over three days at the prestigious Birmingham exhibition centre and we installed a fully featured kitchen in the Independent Living Show Home at the heart of the event.
This was a great opportunity to show how far accessible kitchens have come in recent years, and to exhibit a kitchen that might be fitted in a typical family home where both wheelchair users and ambulant family and friends could access the space. In the Naidex design, some worksurfaces are at fixed standard height, and others are height adjustable so that everyone has a comfortable place to prepare meals and drinks. All the important kitchen elements are fully accessible and importantly, a little safer. One day all kitchens could contain these features. Imagine how much landfill could be eliminated if all kitchens could be used by the whole family, for life!
Only ten years ago kitchen designers were struggling to break away from cold, clinical colour schemes. Now our designers have a full range of colours and wood finishes to choose from, and we’re not confined to delicate mfc (melamine faced chipboard). We can specify durable laminate doors on our kitchens (the same tough material commonly used for worktops) which will take knocks and scuffs from wheelchair footplates and walking frames in their stride. Kitchen cabinets can also be made to any dimension, which means they can be tailored to each client’s precise requirements, and still offer built-in flexibility. In the Naidex design above, we have specified midi-height storage units around the ovens, so that every cupboard can be accessed from a wheelchair or perching stool, and this height can be tailored to the reach of an individual client.
We specify a carefully curated range of appliances with extra safety features, including an oven with a door that slides into a recess beneath the oven cavity called the Neff SlideAway. In this kitchen we are also demonstrating an L-shaped rise and fall worktop, which accommodates both sink and induction hob. We are increasingly using this solution as it makes the essential elements of the kitchen accessible to every kitchen user and requires a single rise and fall hydraulic mechanism. We specify Ropox hydraulics which are durable and reliable. The rise and fall worktop is made to our own carefully developed design from a water resistant material called Corian. The sink area is equipped with front-mounted taps, and a convenient instant hot water tap – the modern, safer equivalent of the kettle. The designer extractor hood can be operated by remote control for ease and safety.
The Design Matters team chatted with hundreds of visitors during Naidex National. Next we’re looking forward to Naidex South in October, where this kitchen will be making a second appearance! If you’d like to keep in touch with us, you can ‘like’ our Facebook page which will ensure you get all our news on accessible kitchens, or follow us on Twitter - @designmatters3.
For more pictures and details of recent projects, visit the Portfolio pages of our web site. If you would like to discuss your own kitchen project, please contact us by email using this link or call us on the office number: 01628 531584 and make an appointment to see our fully accessible showroom. and meet Adam Thomas our award winning designer.
Design Matters Kitchen In The Naidex 2012 Show House
Wednesday, April 4th, 2012
We are delighted to confirm that Design Matters will be supplying a state of the art accessible kitchen for the Naidex 2012 Show House at Birmingham’s NEC from 1-3 May.
The house itself is being built by iHUS, and Adam Thomas is currently putting the final touches to the design and colour scheme of the fully featured accessible kitchen that we are having built specially for the show. We hope to be able to release more details soon.
Please pass the word to friends, family and colleagues and be sure to come and say hello at the show.
If you would like to make an appointment to see Adam during Naidex 2012, a limited amount of time has been set aside for this purpose. Please contact the office if you would like to take advantage of this opportunity, and bring along a sketch outline of your existing kitchen space if you would like to talk with Adam about a specific project.
We look forward very much to showing you our latest design ideas, and hope to see you there!
New Design Matters Kitchen for Geoff Adams-Spink
Friday, January 20th, 2012
We are delighted to present a gorgeous new accessible kitchen recently fitted at the West London home of 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.
Geoff worked closely with designer Adam Thomas to create the perfect kitchen for his newly extended home. The goal was to create a modern, yet timeless kitchen that would be a real asset to the house. Geoff selected Access Matters light oak furniture in a simple shaker style. It was important to incorporate good visual cues into the design, so dark polished granite worksurfaces were added to the scheme along with light porcelain floor tiles. This makes it much easier to see the edges of the worksurfaces. Careful lighting choices also emphasise the perimeters of the floor and provide focussed task lighting on the large island unit.
The impressive Elica Om extractor hood can be operated by remote control, as can other accessories in the room. A striking blue glass splashback, above the hob, picks up the colour of the LED plinth lighting and provides an easy-clean surface in the main cooking zone. Appliances have been set at very precise heights to ensure good access, and heat resistant pullout surfaces beneath each oven allow hot food to be transferred safely. Neff SlideAway ovens were selected for this design because their doors disappear into a void beneath the oven cavity, creating a safer cooking experience.
Mr Adams-Spink believes that the beauty of his kitchen lies in the subtlety of the accessible features, which are not immediately apparent. And for us this room is the epitome of a well designed accessible kitchen; function and form in perfect harmony, and a totally bespoke solution for our client.
More images of this superb room can be found by using this link. If you would like more details about our accessible kitchen service, give us a call and arrange to meet Adam to discuss your requirements.
