At first glance this probably looks like any new kitchen. But it’s not. This was a special one – for us and the client.

We’d never built a kitchen for a wheelchair-user and she’d never designed one. So, it’s fair to say it was a learning curve for both parties.

Minding building regulations whilst delivering all the required customisation was a good  challenge. 

It was also eye-opening. Most of us complain about washing dishes and cooking dinner. But most of us never have to squeeze our wheelchair close enough to the sink or cooker, or under the kitchen top. The client has to do all this and more every day, and we wanted to get it just right for her.

We needed to create a utility/kitchen/dining space that opened up this part of the house, brought in lots of light, had access to the garden and made life a whole lot simpler for a wheel-chair user.

A key consideration was the new utility area where we installed storage cupboards and an extra big sink with space underneath for the wheelchair. This was all carefully positioned at the back door to deal with gardening and dog stuff.

Then came the cooking island with an extra overhang to allow easier wheelchair access when cooking at the hob. Kitchen units were installed at a special height and the oven at eye level. Again, all designed to make life easier.

Finally, a beautiful skylight above the table floods the new dining area with loads of light. In the words of a happy client -

“The whole place now flows much better and has made a big difference to my everyday life. It’s a great place to invite friends, and it’s a whole lot easier for me.”