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.

The luxury homes sector is bucking the current trend and forging ahead with some outstanding new projects. Octagon Developments Ltd has recently released details of the stunning Canford Heights development in Dorset as it approaches completion.

This project comprises an exclusive gated development of four elegant and spacious apartments and a penthouse. The apartments are equipped with sun terraces and balconies from which to enjoy far reaching views across Poole Harbour and the adjoining Parkstone Golf Club.

The apartments are built to the very highest standard with a luxury feel and extraordinary attention to detail. As always with Octagon, care has been taken to plan for effortless entertaining and a wonderful sense of space in the living areas, with full sized and fully featured kitchens and utility areas. The spacious feel extends to the bedrooms and bathrooms which have been finished to the very highest standard, and beautifully accessorised, and will doubtless attract the most discerning clients.

The kitchens specified for this project comprise kitchen furniture by Ballerina Kuchen of Germany with a beautiful white glass door finish, worktops in engineered quartz stone by Silestone, Gaggenau cooking appliances and Miele refrigeration. These spacious kitchens will be the height of cooking excellence and a pleasure to use.

The entertaining theme has been extended to the spacious and well-appointed kitchens which include an extra wide oven for large parties, a wine cooler and an integrated coffee machine for after-dinner espresso.

For further information use this link to go to the Octagon Developments web site or make contact by phone on: 020 8481 7500.
Selling agents, Lloyds Property Group: 01202 708 044

The compact CM5100 Barista freestanding coffee machine is Miele’s first countertop bean-to-cup appliance.

Much more compact than previous freestanding models, this unit has touch-controls and a scroll-through menu for its many brewing options. It makes the perfect cup by allowing selection of coffee strength and water quantity, with four cup size options. The coarseness of the grind can also be specified, and its 15bar pump is capable of producing a fine and creamy ‘crema’ layer.

The CM5100 Barista comes in white or black with stainless steel highlights and Miele have produced a short video to promote its launch which can be viewed here.

The CM5100 will be available in the UK from November 2010 with RRP starting at £999.

January 2010 sees the opening of our refurbished showroom in Flackwell Heath. It is always a challenge to design four kitchens to sit side by side in the same space, but the finished result is stunning, and a great illustration of the wide variety of kitchens now on offer.

The front of the showroom features a Ballerina kitchen with white glass doors, Miele appliances and a striking orange glass splashback. A beautiful Edwin Loxley painted shaker kitchen coordinated with a walnut pantry shares the limelight. Towards the centre of the showroom we are showing Rational furniture in book-matched Smoked Oak veneer with a coordinated Silestone worksurface and Gaggenau appliances. Finally,to the rear of the showroom, we have installed a shaker oak kitchen with Neff appliances and substantial Corian worksurfaces.

To complete the update, an LCD screen featuring images of recent projects is now the focal point of our meeting area. This is linked to a further screen at the front of the showroom, and is also networked to our office giving us internet access for quick product searches when discussing design ideas with clients.

The overall effect is breathtaking, and we are receiving great feedback from recent visitors who have caught us adding the finishing touches. Do make an appointment to pop in, and let us know what you think.

So what about the technology behind the phenomenon? Induction hobs have a strong electro magnet under the tough ceramic glass cooking surface. When a saucepan with a ferrous metal base is placed on the hob, the metal in the base of the pan completes an electric circuit which causes the molecules in the base of the pan to vibrate and generate heat. This causes heat to transfer to the contents of the pan. Simple.

Because the hob doesn’t generate heat by way of a conventional heating element, it uses 25% less energy than a conventional gas hob, and offers even greater fuel economy over electric plate hobs. Induction hobs cool down quickly, and are blissfully easy to clean. They come with a range of additional features such as child locks, safety cut-out if a zone is turned on and then left unattended, minute timers, and a special feature that knows the difference between a saucepan and an unattended spoon!

Apart from their remarkable safety credentials, induction hobs offer a huge range of formats. They come either framed in steel or frame-less. They can be controlled by push-button, by touch-control, or via a touch-slider. They can have from two to six rings, with special zones for fish kettles and woks, or on some models the entire hob area is ‘active’ at any time, which is useful for over-sized pans or even for several pans at the same time!

Test to see whether your pans are suitable for induction cooking with the aid of a magnet.  If the magnet sticks to the base of the pan, your pans will work with induction.

Special Safety Note on Induction Hobs:
Induction hobs generate short-range magnetic fields, and it is possible for these magnetic fields to affect the function of older pacemakers or other active implants. The likelihood of implanted devices being affected is low if the hob is being used correctly. Anecdotal evidence indicates that interference occurs only at very close range, causing the implant to pace at the programmed lower rate while it is in close proximity to the hob. Once distance is increased the implant reverts to normal operation.

All the induction hobs supplied by Design Matters comply with current standards on electromagnetic interference and are in keeping with prevailing legal requirements (89/336/CEE directives). They are therefore designed not to create interference with any other electrical items, assuming that the pacemaker or other active implants are also designed to comply with relevant legislation.

We would strongly advise that you make any users of your kitchen aware of this safety note and ask them to check with their doctor, or the manufacturer of their device in order to identify any incompatibilities. If you, a visitor or a member of your family has any concerns, then take the following precautionary measures:

•    Keep the implanted device more than 24 inches away from the hob
•    Avoid using metal utensils for cooking
•    Avoid touching pans for extended periods while in use on the hob

This information is the result of our own informal research, errors and omissions excepted.