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.
Design Matters at Naidex South 2011
Wednesday, October 5th, 2011
Design Matters will be appearing at Naidex South from 19-20 October 2011. Naidex South is the new exhibition for SouthEast England providing inspiration for families and individuals affected by disability, learning difficulties, long term conditions including arthritis, diabetes, dementia and autism, to live more independently.
Adam Thomas of Design Matters will be available for individual appointments during Naidex South. Book your appointment now by calling the office or emailing us.
At our stand we will be demonstrating a Ropox rise and fall table, distributing brochures and leaflets and responding to queries from visitors. For more information on the show and to register, visit the Naidex South web site.
To make your visit to Naidex South even more worthwhile, the GLA Disability Capital Conference 2011 will also be taking place at ExCel London to celebrate independent living in the Capital. The conference will include sessions on the 2012 Paralympic Games and the work that is already taking place to improve access to transport, employment and disability arts in London.
Speakers include Mayor of London, Boris Johnson and Maria Miller, Minister for Disabled People. Topics will include Olympic legacy, transport, hate crime, volunteering, London debt strategy, changing faces, invisible disability and disability equality in practice.
London 2012 Paralympic Athletes will also be attending, to meet visitors, share their experiences and explain how you can get involved.
Speakers include Mayor of London, Boris Johnson and Maria Miller, Minister for Disabled People. Topics will include Olympic legacy, transport, hate crime, volunteering, London debt strategy, changing faces, invisible disability and disability equality in practice. London 2012 Paralympic Athletes will also be attending to meet visitors, share their experiences and explain how you can get involved.
Follow this link to the Disability Capital web site for more information.
Adam Thomas of Design Matters to attend CMS UK Conference
Thursday, September 22nd, 2011
Adam Thomas, the UK’s leading accessible kitchen designer will be a delegate at the Case Management Society Annual Conference , at the Gatwick Hilton in early October.
The Conference tagline is: ‘A Life Changed – Case Management Intervention’. Of particular interest to Adam will be the items on Back Injuries and Motivating Clients on 4 October, since these two areas inform much of his work.
There will be an opportunity to meet Adam over lunch on 4 October, or afterwards over drinks.
If you would like to set up a meeting, please contact the office with your details so that Adam can keep in touch.
Adam Thomas Invited to Speak at Naidex 2011
Wednesday, January 12th, 2011Adam Thomas has been invited to join a panel of respected speakers to give a seminar on Accessible Kitchen Design at the CPD Seminar Theatre during Naidex 2011.
Taking place from 5-7 April 2011 at Birmingham’s NEC, Naidex is the UK’s leading show for disability, daily living and rehabilitation. A full complement of exciting exhibits and a challenging and informative seminar programme add up to a really useful day out for Occupational Therapists, Case Managers, Architects and other professionals involved in adaptations.
Adam’s speaking date will be confirmed shortly. Mark your diary now, and watch this space for more details.
Adam may be available for individual appointments during the Naidex show on a limited basis. If you would like an appointment to discuss your project please contact the Design Matters office to register your interest.
Can’t make Naidex? Adam will be leading a full training day at the Disabled Living Foundation on the Harrow Road in London W9 on 29 March 2011. This one-day course on the Principles of Accessible Kitchen Design assumes basic understanding of a range of impairments and is designed for professionals such as Occupational Therapists and Case Managers. The training day includes opportunities to discuss specific design questions and also covers a detailed Case Study. View the DLF Training Brochure for more details.
Adam Thomas Speaks at the RSA
Tuesday, January 11th, 2011
Adam Thomas was invited to speak at a three day workshop entitled Design & Rehabilitation at the RSA from 2-4 November 2010.
The result of a joint project between the RSA and the Back-Up Trust the workshop aimed to launch a string of initiatives to encourage spinally injured participants to see the design component of the things they use every day.
Working on creative thinking skills, and close observation of everyday objects, participants learnt to analyse and evaluate objects with a view to considering ways in which their own homes or environments might be modified. This process was guided by a panel of experts invited by Emily Campbell, Director of Design at the RSA.
The following video explains the ideas behind the Design and Rehabilitation project:
More details of this ground-breaking 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.
Design Matters on YouTube
Wednesday, October 6th, 2010See the Design Matters team in action at Naidex this year.
We had a great time meeting visitors, running training sessions at the CPD Seminar Theatre, and demonstrating our fully featured kitchen display.
If you missed Naidex this year, call the office number for an Access Matters brochure or for more information.
Adam Thomas Interview in Disability Now Magazine
Monday, September 13th, 2010
An article featuring Adam Thomas and his views on accessible kitchen design has appeared in the August 2010 issue of Disability Now Magazine.
Adam talks to Lara Masters about his campaigning days, and how the Access Matters range of furniture came about. Read the full article now at the Disability Now web site.
Training Dates for 2011 Now Released
Tuesday, May 18th, 2010With only a few remaining training dates available for 2010, we are working on our training schedule for 2011. Design Matters training can be accessed either via the Disabled Living Foundation in London, which runs our courses every year, or we can bring a trainer and assistant to a venue of your choice across England and Wales.
Our one-day training course entitled ‘The Basic Principles of Accessible Kitchen Design’ is aimed primarily at Occupational Therapists, as it assumes a certain level of understanding of various impairments requiring kitchen adaptation. However Case Managers, Architects and Personal Injury Solicitors might also be interested in becoming better acquainted with the issues surrounding kitchen design for their clients who are pursuing compensation claims to improve their independence and quality of life.
Adam Thomas is an acknowledged expert in the field of inclusive kitchen design and has many hundreds of successful designs to his credit for olderpeople, wheelchair users and people with a variety of conditions such as muscular dystrophy, muscular sclerosis, post-polio syndrome, acquired brain injury, arthritis, dementia and restricted growth. His ethos is simple: Kitchens can be fully accessible and attractive, and can be designed to last a lifetime. Find out more about the growing field of inclusive design, the fundamentals of accessible kitchen design, and the latest products and design techniques on our intensive one-day course.
We supply a lead trainer and assistant, and all training materials. You supply a maximum of 20 delegates, refreshments and a training venue. An extensive case study is included to bring the theory to life. New for 2011: Case study can be varied according to your training requirements.
Fees vary depending on the distance of the training venue from our headquarters in South Bucks. Contact Natalie Foskett our training coordinator for more information.
Naidex 2010 – The Team Returns
Friday, April 23rd, 2010
Our team of staff returns today from a fantastic Naidex 2010 at Birmingham’s NEC. Naidex has been running for over 30 years and is the UK’s largest homecare, disability and rehabilitation event, aiming to promote independent living for older and disabled people. Naidex attracts over 1700 exhibitors and 100000 visitors each year, and the 2010 show was as busy as ever.
Our installation team spent much of the weekend prior to the event transporting and constructing our exhibition stand and installing a state of the art kitchen full of accessible features. This is a huge undertaking, however with each successive year the team gets better at creating a room out of nowhere, and the finished stand was superb.
As the exhibition opened, the office team took over to man the stand and run two training sessions in the CPD Seminar Theatre, led by Adam Thomas. The display kitchen, training seminars and digital presentation of our recent work were very well received. We now have our work cut out responding to all the enquiries we received on the stand!
Thanks to everyone who visited us at Naidex. Do visit us again soon to see more pictures, and to keep tabs on our progress.
Design Matters at Naidex 2010
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010We are delighted to announce that the Design Matters team will be at Naidex 2010, from 20-22 April at the NEC, Birmingham. Always an exciting show, Naidex is the premier exhibition for accessible products in the UK, and we are delighted to be attending for the third year in a row.
With a stunning fully featured kitchen display on stand G106, and the opportunity to book an appointment with Adam Thomas our award-winning accessible kitchen designer, Naidex 2010 is the place to be if you are looking for kitchen inspiration.
Our Naidex display kitchen will feature an exciting new colour scheme for 2010, and a wide range of products and storage ideas for you to try out. Don’t forget to pick up a copy of our brochure while you are visiting the stand and chat to our helpful staff who are there to answer all your questions. There will be plenty to see and experience if you are looking for kitchen ideas.
If you would like to meet with Adam, please pre-book your time slot by calling us on the office number. There are a limited number of meeting slots available each day, so don’t delay in contacting us. Please bring along a rough sketch, or plans of your new kitchen space to make the best use of this unique opportunity.
Calling all OTs and health professionals! Adam will be speaking twice during the official Naidex seminar programme on accessible kitchen design. There is no need to book in advance for these sessions, just turn up on the day: April 21st at 1130h and April 22nd at 1330h.
Registering to attend Naidex is simple, just visit www.naidex.co.uk and click on Register Now to pre-register for quick and easy entrance on the day of your choice. We look forward to seeing you there!