Universal Design Kitchens By Miranda Hitti
Whether you're a gourmet chef or a novice cook, you probably want to make your time in the kitchen as simple and efficient as possible. Universal design, which seeks to make rooms, products and environments more convenient for people of all ages and abilities, can help. Here are some specific design strategies to try in your kitchen: - Replace drawer knobs with U-shaped pulls, which are easier to grasp, says Sally Haile, information specialist with the Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University.
- Make stored items easier to reach by installing lazy Susans or drawers in your lower cabinets. For upper cabinets, try using motorized shelves to lower items to a convenient level.
- Vary the height of your countertops. Raise the dishwasher up a bit to minimize bending and stooping, and provide higher countertops where you'll be doing a lot of chopping. Include lower countertops or a pullout work surface at a height that permits people to sit down while they work.
- Look for adjustable countertops, sinks and cooktops, which can be raised or lowered to adjust to their user's height. "They've got a lever or knob and flexible plumbing [for sinks] that can travel," says architect Todd Rosenblum, AIA, of Adaptive Architecture .
- Locate a sink or water source near your cooking area. That way, you won't have to carry heavy pots of water between the stove and sink.
- Choose easy-to-use appliances. Knobs and dials are frequently located at the back of appliances, which may be difficult for some people to reach. Look for appliances with handy control panels.
- Install wall ovens at an appropriate height--not too high for someone in a wheelchair to reach, for example.
- Increase the amount of lighting and your ability to adjust it, suggests Mary Jo Peterson, CKD, CBD and author of Universal Kitchen and Bathroom Planning and Gracious Spaces: Universal Interiors by Design (both published by McGraw-Hill). Peterson suggests providing good task lighting and general lighting, with controls to adjust lights as needed.
- Use contrasting colors. Incorporate a dark 12" x 12" diamond into a light -colored countertop to create a good place for chopping light-colored foods, suggests Philip Dommer, president of The Philip Stephens Companies Inc. and founder of UDHomes .com and universaldesignhomes.com. Dommer also advises using a dark color to define the edge of light-colored countertops, particularly if your floors are also light in color.
- Look for quiet appliances. Loud dishwashers and exhaust fans, for example, can drown out conversations, especially for people who are hard of hearing. Quieter appliances can help reduce background noise.
- Provide room to move. Use wide doorways and provide plenty of room between cabinets . If your kitchen has an island, take care that it doesn't cramp the room too much . "Try to provide a space where a person [in a wheelchair] can turn and move through the kitchen," says architect Jack Catlin, AIA, a principal with LCM Architects in Chicago.
Resources The Center for Universal Design
A national research, information, and technical assistance center that evaluates, develops, and promotes universal design.
The Center for Universal Design
NC State University School of Design
Box 8613
Raleigh, NC 27695-8613
USA
Phone: 919-515-3082
Fax: 919-515-3023
Email: cud@ncsu.edu
URL: www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/index.html
UDhomes.com
A source for "people friendly" home plans and resources to build a lifetime of better living.
UDhomes.com
URL: www.udhomes.com
Mary Jo Peterson Inc.
Design consultants specializing in universal design, kitchens and baths
Mary Jo Peterson Inc.
3 Sunset Cove Rd.
Brookfield, CT 06804
USA
Phone: 203-775-4763
Fax: 203-740-2333
Email: MaryJo@mjpdesign.com
URL: www.mjpdesign.com
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