Here's how Freedom has transformed the Troke Family's living space
Why Freedom?
Freedom embraces unique features to support independent living scenarios and offers the latest kitchen trends so there’s no need to compromise on style. Key components of safety, style, storage and smart flexibility at the core of the Freedom brand, make it ideal for multi-generational living, including mobility requirements.
Meet The Troke Family
Lucille Troke, is a wheelchair user who lives with her family in Aylesbury. Over the last few years, the family’s property has been renovated to enable Lucille, younger sister Josephine and her parents, Leonie and Jon the ability to use and enjoy their new kitchen. “I look forward to using this amazing kitchen every day! My mum has always been really good at baking pastries and cakes and now I can also enjoy cooking at home”.
The family’s previous kitchen had a custom-made fixed lowered worktop, which was helpful to Lucille, but it was back-ache inducing for the rest of the family. The old kitchen had outward opening oven doors which were impractical for Lucille to use.
Zoe Paye of OT Healthcare, the family’s Occupational Therapist, provides support to the family and oversaw the design process for the transformation of their bungalow. She suggested Adam Thomas, accessible design consultant, of the Adam Thomas Consultancy and Tara Neil Kitchen Retailer.
The Design Solutions
As part of an early design consultation, a few essential yet practical accessible kitchen features were agreed:
- Integrated Slide&Hide® ovens positioned at a 90-degree angle to a lowered height fixed worktop to makes it easier, and safer, for Lucille to transfer dishes to and from the oven.
- A tall larder with i-move pull-down baskets and pull-out drawers, providing quick and easy access to dried food and tins.
- Various work surface space to make the kitchen ideal for all the family; a standard worktop with sink, a lowered height worktop, an electric rise-and-fall worktop with induction hob and sink.
Additional design features:
Pull-out crockery and pan drawers, so the contents are easy to access and visible at a glance. Plenty of manoeuvring space incorporated into the layout to ensure a fit-for-purpose space to support Lucille’s mobility requirements. Le Mans pull-outs in the corner base cabinets, ideal for storing and accessing items in hard to reach corners. A waterfall edge finish to the electric rise-and-fall worktop, to avoid accidental spillages onto Lucille. Flip sockets set within the rise-and-fall work surface to allow easy reach for Lucille. Two sinks, one at a standard height near the dishwasher and the other, a prep sink set within the rise-and-fall work surface providing essential convenience for all the family. Recycling and waste bins integrated into cabinetry, accessible to the whole family.
Products featured: Freedom Urban kitchen in Indigo colourway with chrome handles. Mix of worktop materials in Quartzite and Corian in pale grey and white.
Appliances: single bowl sinks, integrated hide and slide ovens, microwave and induction hob, hot tap, integrated fridge-freezer & dishwasher, feature lighting and flip sockets.
The Freedom brand is designed in collaboration with the Adam Thomas Consultancy. Adam is an accessible design consultant and industry expert with over 40 years’ experience. Freedom is available from selected retail partners around the UK.
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