George Clarke's Beautiful Builds

Freedom by Symphony and Adam Thomas work with George Clarke to create a kitchen for George Clarke's Beautiful Builds on Ch4

George Clarke of George Clarke's Beautiful Builds

Did you catch episode 3 of George Clarke's Beautiful Builds, which aired on Channel 4 on Wednesday 27 August? The programme is a good-natured competition between celebrity architect George Clarke and garden designer Luke Millard, to see which expert can persuade the client to spend the majority of their budget either on a new kitchen or a redesigned garden .

Ben's Freedom by Symphony kitchen, from George Clarke's Beautiful Builds on Channel 4

In episode 3, homeowner and full time wheelchair-user Ben chooses to spend the majority of his budget on a fully accessible kitchen, by Freedom Kitchens supplied and installed by Moorgate Kitchens. As we learn in the programme, Ben has been a wheelchair user for 11 years since a skydiving accident, and now lives and works in a 4 bed home in Matlock with his partner and family.

Their lovely home had an existing kitchen that was well equipped, but simply not accessible for Ben for a variety of reasons. He wanted to be able to do more of the cooking, but the kitchen made that extremely difficult as he demonstrated to George in the programme. George says,

"For me, the kitchen is what makes a house a home. It's the heart of family life."

Ben agreed, and chose the kitchen adaptation as the priority for his family.

Adam Thomas and Freedom Kitchens design and install a stunning kitchen for client Ben in Derbyshire

When Ben and his partner were selected for George Clarke's Beautiful Builds, they already had an idea of the type of kitchen they wanted - stylish, contemporary and wheelchair accessible. Ben knew about the inclusive Freedom by Symphony range of furniture, and he reached out to Adam whose work he had already been following for some time. In close collaboration with George Clarke and his design team, they reimagined the kitchen space and tailored the new kitchen precisely to the requirements of Ben and his family.

It was a fast-paced and pressurised process, and Adam says he enjoyed working on the project and sharing some of his design ideas,

"It was lovely working with George on and off camera. He showed genuine interest, and had 'lightbulb' moments around the topic of accessibility when I demonstrated some of the principles. I'm delighted with the result, and that Ben is so happy with the kitchen."

Adam also enjoyed working with Keziah Powell, a design consultant working on the programme and contributing to the interior design of the new space.

As always with accessible builds, the design work began long before the kitchen was installed. George visited Adam at home to see his own kitchen and talk through some of Adam's essential design principles - this insight fed directly into the project in Matlock.

George said,

“I’ve come to meet Adam Thomas, the authority on accessible kitchen design. To learn from the best.”

The fixed height end of the kitchen featuring a washing up sink that works for both Ben and his family

Open Plan Design

Adam and George agreed that maximising the available space was key to a successful kitchen design. When Adam first entered the property, he felt the main cooking zone should be at the back of the house, in order to create a social family space. The existing kitchen (located at the front of the house) was too dark, and separate from the garden. This was achieved by the removal of bifold doors in the kitchen area (which were moved to the new dining area). In addition, a doorway to the hall was closed up, and the wall to the existing home office was removed to create more space for a large peninsula and dining area. These measures provided uninterrupted space for kitchen furniture and storage, and enabled a kitchen design that was as open plan and contemporary as possible. Perfect for family living and wheelchair access.

Furniture Selection

Ben and family selected Freedom Melrose Merlot Red and contrasting Costina Fresca furniture, which has a ribbed contemporary surface. Brushed gold-tone bar handles, and subtle plinth lighting complete an elegant and functional kitchen which is precisely adapted for Ben's needs. As part of the build, issues with flooring and thresholds were also resolved creating a smooth, continuous space.

The large rise and fall worktop has raised edges to contain spills, a pop-up socket and an induction hob

Solid Surface Worktops

The Corian solid surface worktops in Calacatta Greige were supplied by CDUK and fabricated and installed by Counter Production. Because of film production time constraints the Counter Production fabrication and installation teams worked several heroically long days to get the work done. Watch this space for our upcoming 'behind the scenes' post, showing more of that process.

Worktops have historically been an issue in accessible kitchen design, because people affected by a range of conditions including spinal injury have impaired grip, so the apparently simple task of keeping traditional worktops dry can be more challenging. The solid surface worktops used in this project are completely non-porous, and are specified and fabricated with subtle raised edges that can contain liquid spills. This is an essential safety feature to protect the legs of wheelchair users, and also to protect the kitchen furniture from long term water damage. The large l-shaped rise and fall hob/sink zone gives Ben precise control over the height of the worktop, which is a safer and more comfortable way to cook and prepare food for the whole family. In the new kitchen he has a prep sink on the rise and fall mechanism, and also a custom depth washing up sink in the fixed height area.

Bespoke larder unit with pullouts

Adam worked closely with designer Mark Doble at Moorgate Kitchens of Manchester, meeting Mark and Keziah Powell at the Symphony Group Marketing Suite to select the furniture and bring the design to life, producing a finished kitchen that represents state-of-the-art inclusive and multigenerational design.

Mark says,

“Working with Adam and George on this project was such a unique mix of excitement and challenge. The fast-paced world of TV doesn’t wait for anyone, with tight deadlines and constant pressure to deliver, every day was a race against the clock. But that’s also what made it so rewarding; there’s nothing quite like the rush of seeing everything come together just in time.

Ben and his family were an absolute joy to work with. From the very start, they were relaxed, easy-going, and completely trusted Adam and me to bring their vision to life. That trust made all the difference. In the end, we delivered not just a kitchen, but a space that truly felt like theirs.”

Appliances

As the teams at Freedom Kitchens, Moorgate Kitchens and Counter Production worked to get the furniture and worktops ready, NEFF HomeConnect SMART appliances were ordered to complement the kitchen.

The latest range of NEFF appliances can be operated via the HomeConnect app, or voice activated by smart speaker, which enables people with a visual impairment or minimal or no hand or arm movement to have full control of their appliances. Adam says,

"Imagine for the first time being able to say, 'Alexa turn my oven on to 180 degrees', and Alexa telling me that it was done. This is life-changing for someone with a visual impairment, or someone with limited or no hand/arm function."

The NEFF Slide & Hide oven has an extra cavity beneath the main oven so that the oven door tucks safely away, reducing the risk of burns. It can also be specified with full extension telescopic runners, that remain stable and reduce the risk of hot splashes. The NEFF push-to-open DoorAssist Fridge opens with a light push, or by voice command. Other appliances such as dishwashers can also be operated in this way. The hob also communicates directly to the extractor, increasing extraction as the hob control is turned up.

To complement the ovens, a ZIP Water HydroTap Celius Plus All-in-One is another touch-control appliance that delivers boiling, chilled, sparkling and filtered water at the touch of a button. This means hot drinks can be made more safely than using a heavy kettle, pans can be filled and transferred smoothly to the hob, and the tap can be operated by clients with impaired grip.

Removing the wall between kitchen and former home office has transformed the space

As Ben reflected on his experience of working with a TV crew and a wide range of kitchen professionals, he said,

“Working with Freedom by Symphony was great. Throughout the process, all the way through, we were getting constant updates as to where things were at, when there would be fitting visits, when there would be more consultations, back and forth with the designs.”

“One of the benefits of good, accessible design is that it’s inclusive and is great for everyone. There’s now enough space in the kitchen for us to be cooking together as a family. We can lower the rise and fall worktop down and me and my daughter can bake. My partner, she can raise the unit up and we can have multiple people working and cooking food together. The kids can be sitting at the breakfast bar and we can all be social as a family.”

Mark Doble, Ben White, Adam Thomas and George Clarke

The Freedom Kitchens team at the Symphony Group are delighted to have played a key role in the delivery of this exciting and life-enhancing project, and to see the profile of inclusive and multigenerational kitchen design being raised at national level. Freedom Kitchens are available nationwide through a network of trusted kitchen studios, including Moorgate Kitchens who are featured in the programme.

Adam, as brand ambassador and design consultant for Freedom Kitchens has been campaigning and working towards 'access for all' in the kitchen, for over thirty years. He's proud to have been involved in the design process for Ben and his family, and wishes them many happy years with their new kitchen.

Useful Links:

• Visit Freedom Kitchens new web site, or view their Case Study

• Contact Adam Thomas to discuss your accessible kitchen design

• Visit the Moorgate Kitchens web site

• View the inspirational Episode 3 of George Clarke's Beautiful Builds

• See this kitchen featured on Daily Mail Online