#accessible kitchen

Today's #accessible cottagecore is from eg2006 on Flickr.

I'm posting this one because of what's under the counters. You see those? Those are ALL. DRAWERS.

See, I can only bend over for a few seconds, infrequently, and I can neither kneel nor squat, so anything that's on a shelf in a cupboard under a counter is completely inaccessible to me unless it's at the very front. Cupboards under counters drive me crazy. GIVE ME DRAWERS!! (*pant* *pant*) Also those look like fancy new drawers that actually roll easily. Old kitchens look quaint, but those old wooden drawers can be difficult to pull out if you have strength or back problems.

Bonus points for taps that are easy to maneuver and the tree visible outside the window. Extra bonus points for the Jadeite-green KitchenAid and the green depression glass drawer pulls: easy to clean and gorgeous (like so gorgeous that I would want to lick them if @ewanspotter hadn't pointed out that that's probably not a good idea).

One point docked for shelves that are too high to be useful for anything but chachkas.

Why You Shouldn't Wait to Make Your Home More Accessible We often think of barrier free design practices and home assistance devices only when they are needed, but why not incorporate a few during your next remodel? #InteriorDesign #Accessibility #ADA

We often think of barrier free design practices and home assistance devices only when they are needed, but why not incorporate a few during your next remodel? They can make life a little easier now, as well as in the future.

Photo by khairul nizam on Pexels.com

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS, WHICH MEANS WE WILL RECEIVE COMPENSATION TO SUPPORT THIS SITE IF YOU CLICK THROUGH AND MAKE…

Modular kitchen has metamorphosed the way a kitchen has looked for over years at what price it looks punctually managed, clean, and simply accessible. When there is any buzz session going on in relation to getting the work concerning renovation in regard to kitchen done, then the only thing that strikes our mind is a. Kitchen has its own special place in almost every house. A kitchen must generally come made in such a manner that the article ensures much better and well-organized use of soil which is simple to sexually innocent and maintain. Some of us do remember the olden doings when the eating house was not becomingly maintained and was all the measure disorderly. <\p>

The term 'modular' ingress the indicates its characteristic of orderly and well-maintained kitchen that is to good effect managed created by intimate modules, that is, elements. In factor,is a design real issue which takes into account the usage of piece and right setting of the kitchen items so act for easy ingression on route to all. If you are planning for kitchen renovation ethical self might have realized that the has gained lots of popularity over the years referred to to its advantageous use and efficient nature. Levelheaded though considering the detriment factor, having this type in respect to diner is a huge investment but its benefits prevail its cost.One exciting attribute related to a is that it has the combined well shellacked and suitably thought casual room for canteen appliances. The ready provisions touching systematic wait and organization for appliances are designed as an example, interurban ingle and gibble-gabble cooking standard in order to keep the kitchen free in relation to fumes and unwanted foul smells, sinks positioned in head that they are probably reachable and useable for corner and ventilators for keeping the dining room fresh and airy.Its really takes its ideology from ecological psychology.<\p>

Who doesn't like to sit down once in a while? When in the kitchen, it is almost impossible to sit down for any task as the countertops are typically 34" - 36" high with raised bar counters at 42" high. Personally, being height challenged, I would like to have a work surface that is lowered for activities such as kneeding dough, chopping, using some small appliances such as mixer and blender, etc. Consider this for your next kitchen - a section of countertop at a table height with space below for sitting. Here is an example of an island in an award winning kitchen with two heights:

Sometime you gotta SIT...when a person sits, their knees stick out in front of them and get bumped if trying to get close to a sink. What happens is that one twists in an uncomfortable way to try to get closer - putting a strain on the back, hips, arms, neck, etc. There is a better way.

   What is needed is a knee space under the sink. Sometimes a lowered sink is helpful also. Below is a sink in a project that Adventure in Building did in 1995 as a speculative accessible remodel - the product availability was very limited 19 years ago.

Below is a sink in a more recent kitchen remodel with planned knee space below. Notice that the dishwasher is raised next to the sink for ease of loading and unloading. 

Note: the disposal control on the face of the drop at the front of the sink and a one handle faucet. The plumbing is covered by a removable shroud. 

The depth of the sink must be taken into consideration. For kitchens, there is limited product availability for sinks less than 6 inches in depth. This is an Elkay brand sink. Note that any sink for roll under use should have the drain at the rear of the sink. 

Here is another kitchen sink - double bowl with a one handle faucet.

If both standing and sitting use is required and there is limited area for two sinks, a sink on a lift may be considered. Photo below shows the sink (and cooktop) in raised position. Note: faucet placed to the left of sink.

Bathroom sinks that are roll under can be very helpful also. Here are some ideas for bathrooms. The first photo is the bathroom in the 1995 remodel. Again, limited products were available. Cost savings with the fabric shroud - behind the shroud the pipes are covered with pipe insulation made for that purpose. 

Note: tilting mirror in bathroom below and pipe covers.

Note: tilting mirror in bathroom below and removable shroud.

If space is limited one can consider a wall mounted sink that can be placed at any needed height. Note: pipe covers. 

Some of us are short...I'm 5'-0" tall. Some of us have had 4 shoulder surgeries in 2 years. Some of us wish our countertops could be just that little bit lower so we can see into pots on the stove or to wash dishes without over-reaching. Some would like to sit while cooking or cleaning up. There is a solution. Lifts. 

Below is a kitchen application for a base counter lift. There are two lifts shown in the picture - one for the cooktop and one for the sink. Each section operates independently, however, for the photos they are shown at the same levels "up" and "down".

   This picture shows the lifts in the "up" position. Note several other things: 1. the controls are on the face of the counter (the small black buttons), 2. the silver round button on the right is the disposal button, 3, the faucet is placed to the side of the sink to be easily reached, and 4. the sink is shallow so when the lift is lowered the bottom of the sink will still be above lap height. 

This picture shows the lifts in the "down" position. Note that the backsplash is connected to the countertop and moves with it and that the tile on the wall extends behind the backsplash. With the backsplash attached to the countertop it keeps any spilled liquid from going behind the lift. Also note that the kick space reduces in height. This is because the shroud area lowers by sliding down in front of the kick.  

Here is a picture you'll never see in a glitzy magazine or fancy social media site as it is not "pretty". It does show what is important when considering use and installation of a lift. The disposal is a smaller size unit and is attached to a rear drain sink so that it stays out of the knee space. The sink drain is a flex drain and some jurisdictions need to be educated that this is OK to use. Multiple electrical outlets are required and their location on rough in is important to stay out of the way of the wall supports. The countertop is adequate thickness. The tile extends behind and under the top on the wall. The flooring continues to the wall. 

To illustrate that the lifts are independent, here is a view of one lift "up" and one lift "down". The change in height may not seem like much but when you are operating from a height challenged position, it can make all the difference in the world. 

Here is the award winning kitchen with the lifts in the "down" position. Other height challenged features were designed into this kitchen and we'll discuss in future blogs.