If you are designing and building a new house or renovating your current home's kitchen consider incorporating the universal design style. especially in your cabinet hardware. Universal design is the new designing trend where the home's environment is designed for universal use. This means the kitchen can be used by any individual with or without limitations on their mobility. This style of design simplifies everyone's lives by making an environment that can be used by people of all ages and abilities. Incorporating the universal design principals to your kitchen can make life easier for you in the future as you age. The universal design also allows persons with limited mobility and ability to visit your home comfortably. This design style comes in handy if you are injured or after you have surgery. Your home is already designed to allow you to maximize your abilities in a functioning kitchen. You can achieve a universal kitchen by simply installing universally designed kitchen cabinets, cabinet hardware and appliances. Kitchen cabinet hardware consists of the cabinet knobs, handles, back plates, the cabinet hinges, drawer slides, catches and cabinet locks. By choosing universal designed hardware you can make your kitchen accessible to virtually everyone.
Some kitchen cabinet manufacturers are already making products with universal design features. These cabinets are designed to bring the items stored in them closer to the kitchen user. The cabinet shelves are designed as half circles, the pantry units pull out, specially designed drawer slides allow for the full extension of drawers, and kitchen cabinets are equipped with door baskets and shelves. Lazy-Susan's are used in blind kitchen corner cabinets. The manufactures are not sparing the style in their kitchen cabinet hardware. They use decorative cabinet hardware that suits any style of kitchen. Just because your kitchen has special features doesn't mean you have to settle on its look. Universal designers are not only designing your kitchen cabinets and cabinet hardware to blend into your current lifestyle but designing more useful and convenient cabinets.
Increasing usability and accessibility is the number one goal of the universal designs. You can purchase your cabinet hardware from manufacturers that specifically make universal design products or you can purchase regular cabinet hardware and install it as per universal design specifications. There are a number of manufacturers that design universal kitchen cabinet hardware. The best resource for this information is the internet. This allows you to shop and compare the different hardware retailers. With universal kitchen designs gaining in popularity, the cabinet manufacturers are now competitive and offer discount cabinet hardware. You can also purchase wholesale cabinet hardware at discount prices to install on all your cabinets. If shopping for regular kitchen hardware to suit the universal design style, be sure to be an educated consumer. There are many different websites that offer information about accessible living and how to design your house. You will find that you can also use antique cabinet hardware to fit into your universally designed kitchen. This can be as simple as installing antique cabinet handles and knobs that require little or no turning or twisting of your fingers. Universal designers recommend U- or D- shaped pulls or using lever handles. The size of the knobs also matters; knobs should be larger, requiring less gripping. For your lower kitchen shelves purchase special kitchen hardware that allows your drawers and shelves to slide out for easy access.
Using universal designed kitchen cabinets and cabinet hardware in your kitchen will not only make your life easier today and in the future, but will also increase your home value. If you decide to sell your house, the universal design can be a huge selling point.
