How to Make Your Kitchen More Usable
How to Make Your Kitchen More Usable
The kitchen is often the heart of the home: a place of life and exchanges. It is important that the kitchen is easy to-use, practical and pleasant for everyone who needs it. Blum specialises in the production of functional hardware fittings especially for the kitchen and as a Lifemark partner since 2015, we share their vision for creating kitchens that work for all.
“Experience shows that a kitchen will last in the region of 20 years. Contemporary kitchens should deliver ease of use and durability in day-to-day tasks. So it’s important that it is not only aesthetically pleasing but is practical too. When creating a kitchen good preparation is key to help make sensible specifying decisions. That way, you support your kitchen planner in designing a kitchen adapted to your wishes.”
Here are our top tips to make your next kitchen design more usable:
1. Optimise the space
When everything is stored where you need it, both distance and time can be saved. You can make your kitchen an amazing place for everyone!
Always locate the dining room close to the kitchen, this allows people with reduced mobility to move easily over these short distances, which makes life easier and reduces the chance of falling.
Provide enough space between work surfaces to allow multiple users, or even a wheelchair user to easily work here.
2. Choose the right fixtures
Fixtures that are easy to open, strong and soft-closing make a beautiful and practical kitchen. Avoid high fixtures, which are difficult to reach for the people in wheelchairs or the elderly.
Provide drawers with D-shaped handles or with a pull-out system. Not only are these easier to use for people with restricted hand function but also when you have things in your hands. For example, the Blum electronic opening support system SERVO-DRIVE allows you to push with your knee and easily open your drawers and they close again softly and effortlessly with integrated dampening.
Flat benches allow people with reduced mobility to easily and safely slide hot pots and pans from the stovetop to the bench or sink.
The drawers that allow people in wheelchairs to see inside are also beneficial for the vertically challenged. To overcome this, Blum drawers have the option to put “glass” on the sides and the front, it is very effective! Everyone can see inside the drawers and know quickly and effortlessly where something is.
3. Get the details right
Use slip resistant flooring: water, oil and all kinds of ingredients are often spilt. This can make the floor slippery, so slip resistance is important for improved safety.
Consider a lever tap as a hygienic option. Lever taps can be operated with minimal hand contact, or even an elbow. This is particularly helpful for users with arthritis.
Think about colour contrasting. For the elderly or those with visual impairments, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish the different surfaces. To avoid any risk of burns or mistakes, think about highlighting the important elements.
Accessories can also help with storage. For example, the Blum plate holder allows a person with restricted hand function to easily grab a single plate or a stack of plates. This enables anyone, no matter what their age or ability, to set the table. In addition, the Blum ORGA-LINE for TANDEMBOX makes it a breeze to slide the cutlery out of its space. This is thanks to the well-designed rounded edges. This is again particularly helpful to those with restricted hand function.
Where possible, place items such as the microwave and oven at the bench height, this will reduce the need to bend down or stand on tippy toes to access. It also enables people to slide things along the benchtop.
