INTERVIEW | Johnny Grey
Turn the page for RETAIL
Kitchen retailer profi le: Leicht KDC North London Leicht KDC open up in what was once one of Neil Lerner’s showrooms pg 66
It’s about turning design on its head and creating a multipurpose space that any member of the family can use comfortably
the rise in house prices, we’re seeing more and more families pooling resources together to buy property and, these days, it’s not unlikely to fi nd three generations living in one house. So there is a serious need for change in the way we approach kitchen design for the ageing population. The NHBC Foundation commissioned research that shows the need for 125,000 homes to be built every year. The Cambridge University Study is an authoritative account on multigenerational living and explains the rationale and background data. When asked, 60% of respondents were open to the idea in the future. There is scope for more intelligent thinking, and I see a real opportunity here for kitchen and bathroom designers.
Q. What does the industry need to do? A. This is about turning design on its head – understanding ergonomics and creating a multipurpose space that any member of the family can use comfortably. It’s nothing radical, it just
Bathroom retailer profi le: Bathe & Beyond Customer service is at the heart of this award-winning showroom in Staines pg 70
requires a different thought process. For example multiple work stations, small and well placed, ideally with eye contact. What’s great is that there are lots of existing products out there in the KBB market that already answer some very specifi c needs.
I truly believe that designers in this industry will
benefi t from having a better understanding of multigenerational living. So much so that, all third- year Kitchen Design Degree students do their last project in this fi eld. I’ve done a lot of work on this in kitchens, but I’m also keen to take this thinking into bathroom design too. We absolutely need this industry to start thinking seriously about this aspect of design.
THE 4G PROTOTYPE KITCHEN PROJECT
Q. Tell us more about the multigenerational kitchen project you’ve been working on with the National Innovation Centre for Ageing at Newcastle University? A. The brief was to develop a four- generational kitchen as an aspi - ra tional response to longer lifespans and the growth of multigenerational living worldwide. The project
itself is as much
about the social experience of being in a kitchen as it is multigenerational living. Being unable to cook and eat for yourself means you need to move into a care
home, 64 the psychological
consequences of which are damaging and miserable.
It’s still in concept stage, but I’ve looked at ways to change people’s behaviour and how they use their kitchen. So, we’ve included technology that will help prevent accidents – such as a hob that will automatically turn off if left on for too long and smart locks on the knife drawer. Elements that would suit families with elderly relatives and children living in the same home. At the centre of the kitchen is an island that has been designed as a ‘working table’. You can alter the height of the table to change your behaviour and how you use it. The
kitchen will be wheelchair-friendly but also, as some people might need to sit down while they prepare food, I’ve designed a stool that fi ts into the island when it’s not in use. My design philosophy is about making people feel comfortable. To do that people must identify with being in the kitchen for emotional reasons – it’s not just about the action of cooking a meal, it’s about feeling relaxed as well.
• The 4G prototype kitchen will be on display at the National Innovation Centre for Ageing in Newcastle
from subject to change) May (date
Showrom of the Month: Humphrey Munson Designed to look more like a home, this Essex showroom has the personal touch pg 80
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rebecca@kbbreview.com
· April 2020
How’s Business: Taunton We fi nd out how KBB studios are doing in the largest town in Somerset pg 77
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