Bigger Doesn’t
Always Mean Better
by Jane Hampton, CID, Access Specialist
Dear Jane,
I live alone in
a small town-house. I have multiple sclerosis, and there are good
days and bad days. There are days when I am very fatigued and do
not have a lot of strength to reach items in my upper wall cabinets
or at the back of shelves in base cabinets. There isn’t any
room to enlarge the kitchen. Do you have any suggestions on modifying
my kitchen so I can continue to prepare my meals, even on my difficult
days?
Jean R., Duluth, MN
Dear Jean,
We have often been
challenged to solve a problem similar to yours. There are several
scenarios where it is not architecturally possible to enlarge the
kitchen to provide additional storage within an individual’s
accessible reach range. When looking at a standard kitchen, a significant
amount of storage is “out-of-reach.”
There are some unique
products available for organization that works well for individuals
with limited reach ranges. Individuals who have small areas need
great organization products to convert a small “inefficient” kitchen
into a small “functional” kitchen.
As a start, base cabinet
shelving can be removed and replaced with pull-out shelves, bringing
the back of a shelf to the front. Pull-out shelves can be solid
or wire “basket” style and easily
available.
We have recently seen
upper wall cabinets and base cabinets where the entire shelving
system pulls out from the wall allowing access from the side of
the shelves. Some manufactures also offer full height pantry shelving
that can be as tall as 80” above the floor,
with a width of 9” to 20” that can roll out of the cabinetry.
This is especially functional in small kitchens where there isn’t
adequate width to install a traditional pantry cabinet.
If you are unable to reach items on the upper shelves in your wall
cabinets, you may want to consider installing a pull-down shelving
system, which can bring items from the top shelves down closer to
countertop level. This hinged shelving system is mounted in upper
wall cabinets in place of fixed or adjustable shelving.
As with corner base
cabinets, lazy-susans can also be installed in upper corner wall
cabinets bringing items stored at the back corner towards the front
opening. If you have difficulty lifting and moving small appliances
such as a mixer, food processor, etc., an “appliance
lift” shelf can be installed in base cabinets. The appliance
is placed on the shelf and stored in a base cabinet. When used, the
shelf is easily pulled out of the cabinet and rises to counter height
with very little effort.
Oftentimes in a small kitchen, countertops are used to store a toaster,
coffee maker, mixer, etc., leaving little counter space to use as
a work area. Pull-out bread boards can be added in a kitchen to provide
additional work surfaces. Some individuals who tire easily will use
a chair on casters to sit in while preparing meals. Use of a bread
board as a work surface provides knee clearance below to accommodate
use of a chair without loosing valuable storage space in base cabinets.
Placement of bread boards also provides convenient counter space
when positioned adjacent to an oven, microwave, refrigerator or cooktop.
In some kitchen situations,
we have installed two bread boards, one on top of the other, with
the lower board having a hole cut out of it the size of a commonly
used mixing bowl. After the top board is used for cutting and chopping,
the food items can be pushed from the top board into a bowl placed
in the hole of the lower board.
A base cabinet drawer can be converted to store a pull-out ironing
board that folds away into the space of a drawer. When pulling out
the drawer front, the ironing board unfolds and rises to counter
height. Other options include wall mounted ironing boards that recess
into a wall cabinet.
For additional guidance,
I would suggest you consult with your cabinet maker or installer.
If you have access to the internet, you can view some of these
products on the following company Web sites, or feel free to call
the companies directly to request a catalog or identify a showroom
representative in your area. And remember, bigger doesn’t
always mean better when it comes to kitchens.
Do you have a question
for Jane and Accessibility Design? We’ll
cover all of your questions in future issues of Home Access Answers.
Contact us at: 952-925-0301, info@accessibilitydesign.com
Jane Hampton, CID, Access Specialist, president of Accessibility
Design, founded the company in 1992 to enhance lives through design
and project management. They provide design, consultation, project
management, and product recommendation services specializing in home
access for individuals with disabilities at all stages of life.
Resources
Rev-A-Shelf: 800-762-9030,
www.rev-a-shelf.com
Knape & Vogt Manufacturing
Company: 800-2531561, www.kv.com
Häfele America Co: 800-423-3531,
www.hafele.com/us/services/4410.htm
Improvements—Quick & Clever
Problem Solvers! www.improvementscatalog.com
