Kitchen & Bath Business April 2021 - 43

UNIVERSAL DESIGN

Making a Move

A d i s a b l e d c l i e n t 's n e w k i t c h e n w o r k s f o r h i m
and not against him

AN INDIANAPOLIS LOFT OWNER WITH CEREBELLAR ATAXIA - a degenerative disease of the nervous system - needed a kitchen renovation that would
better accommodate the way he moves around his home. While his disability
does affect his coordination and balance, he prefers not to use a wheelchair
and instead navigates his loft via a rolling office chair and uses various strategically placed grab bars. He can pull himself to a standing position with a
handhold but cannot walk without assistance.
The client found designer Adam Gibson, president of Adam Gibson
Design, on Angie's List and was impressed by his wonderful reviews and
was even more influenced when he visited Gibson's website. Although the
client appreciated seeing the new space's renderings, he relied entirely on the
designer to create and select all the elements for the living-in-place kitchen.

DYSFUNCTIONAL BEFORE AND ACCESSIBLE AFTER

Before coming up with the design, Gibson watched his client move through
his previous kitchen - noting the places where he could reach and lean on to
steady himself. He had no use for the two-level, bar-height counter at the peninsula, so the designer eliminated that and added a gold railing across the front
of that whole seating area so his client can pull himself up. He also pushed
out the peninsula, so the homeowner has more room to enter the kitchen.

ABOVE A series of gold railings
around the kitchen allows the
client to lean on them while
standing to access what he
needs. A lower wall oven and
microwave provide easy access when he is sitting in his
rolling oﬃce chair.

SOURCES
DESIGNER &
PHOTOGRAPHER: Adam

Gibson, CMKBD, CLIPP,
CAPS, Adam Gibson
Design LLC
BACKSPLASH &
COUNTERTOPS: Cambria;
COOKTOP, MICROWAVE
& WALL OVEN: Bosch;
DISHWASHER: Miele;
FAUCET: Brizo; HARDWARE:

Atlas Homewares;

LIGHTING: Innermost

& WAC Lighting;

REFRIGERATOR: Sub-Zero;
SINK: Franke

By CHELSIE BUTLER

Gibson added those gold railings throughout
the main kitchen space for the homeowner to lean
on - and they definitely look decorative and not
institutional. The lower cabinets are reinforced
to accommodate the railings, which are able to
support 250 pounds per foot of downward and
outward force.
The client likes to cook but could only use his
oven with difficulty because the door folded down.
The designer installed a side-swing door unit under the countertop that he can roll up to in his
office chair, and he did the same with the microwave drawer placement. Gibson also replaced the
radiant-heat range with an induction cooktop
that eliminates the danger of burned hands. The
trash unit is equipped with a servo-drive motor so
the client can open it by tapping it with his knee.
Gibson included a layered lighting plan - all
dimmable - employing a variety of pendants,
overhead and task lights. The hallway was too
narrow, so he borrowed square footage from the
kitchen to rectify this and made up for the difference with a built-in refrigerator, replacing the
full-depth behemoth.
Because his client wanted something stylish
and contemporary, Gibson - who had been in love
with this shade of blue for a long time - suggested
the color, which matches well with the easy-togrip gold hardware. He chose a beautiful quartz
for the backsplash and countertops, which is also
easy to clean and not hugely reflective.
OVERCOMING CHALLENGES

The client stayed in the loft during the kitchen
renovation, so he and the team had to delicately
navigate the space during construction. Perhaps
the main issue was incorporating the below-counter oven with enough space to attach the railing in
that area. Gibson made the lower cabinets a little
taller, which was not an issue for the already tall
client.To maintain the countertop warranty, there
could be no drilling, so the designer had to use a
powerful adhesive to attach the railing.
" My client needed me to listen to his story and
understand his exact needs, " said Gibson. " As a
home cook, he's overjoyed with these solutions
and loves the aesthetic. "


Kitchen & Bath Business April 2021

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