Granberg

We were delighted to host Carmela for a cookery session in our Granberg showroom in Petersfield, Hampshire. Carmela is eleven years old and has muscular dystrophy. Her skills and achievements are impressive: she is a child model and has fundraised £81,000 for muscular dystrophy earning her a child OBE!Carmela had never used a fully accessible kitchen before and was thrilled to be able to operate all our facilities independently. The plan was to make a chicken and vegetable stir fry with noodles, followed by cupcakes with a wolf theme – her favourite animal! It was decided that she would start by baking the cakes to give them time to cool before icing.Carmela quickly got to grips with the electric mixer, which she was able to raise from the kitchen unit, outwards and up to her desired height on the Granberg Unilift 870. With the simple press of a button, the board is adjusted to optimal working height and gives users easy access to heavy household appliances.Completely independently, Carmela was able to distribute the cupcake cases in the baking tray and pour the cake batter from the mixing bowl. Then it was an easy transfer of the tray into the Neff Hide&Slide oven thanks to its specially designed oven door, which tucks within the unit allowing for access right up to the appliance.  On to the stir fry, where Carmela adjusted the Granberg Centerlift 960H kitchen island to the optimum height to chop vegetables. She was able to slide everything into a pan and transfer the pan to the accessible hob for stirring. With chicken and noodles included, she made short work of a delicious meal for herself and her family!Once the cupcakes were out of the oven and cooled, Carmela iced them with butter icing and decorated them with her favourite wolf theme. It makes such a difference to what can be achieved when it is possible to adjust the level of the worktop to fit your knees underneath.It was a joy to see Carmela completely absorbed in her cooking tasks and, most importantly, able to complete those tasks on her own. Using the Granberg showroom for the day illustrates what can be done when a few easy adjustments are made to your kitchen. Granberg lift systems and mechanisms can be retrofitted within the existing units of your current kitchen or incorporated at the planning stage into the design. Carmela thoroughly enjoyed her day in the Granberg showroom, and we are looking forward to her next visit!

When I was diagnosed with MS, we knew we would eventually have to make some changes to our home.Eventually as my MS progressed, we decided to make some major alterations to future proof our house to make it wheelchair friendly. We realised the current kitchen would not be workable so we decided we would knock the kitchen and study into one room and extend out into the garden. We spent a lot of time trying to come up with a kitchen design to suit our future needs.I had seen some rise and fall systems on the internet and decided to look at them in more detail, and there were several manufacturers and types on the market to choose from.As we started to plan the kitchen layout, with the recommended turning circles etc required for wheelchair accessibility, we decided we wanted a freestanding rise and fall worktop.After some more investigation we decided that the Granberg solution was perfect for our needs.  We wanted a long freestanding unit that could house a hob and a sink with space for food preparation and an area for tea and coffee making.We contacted Independent 4 Life and discussed our requirement with them. Ordering was simple. We told them the overall length of the worktop we wanted, (approx. 3m) and they told us what we required and sent us a quotation for everything. We also purchased a sink and waste system.The equipment arrived in two boxes, the frame in one long box and the two lifting units plus the control system in another. It was easily installed by our kitchen builders. They fixed the frame to the lifting units and set the spacing of everything to accommodate the hob and the sink. The controls were easy to connect; all the parts came with pre-fitted plugs and sockets.When it was assembled it was measured up for a quartz worktop to match the rest of the kitchen. The kitchen company also fitted the edge trim to match the kitchen cupboards. Finally, in the kitchen we fitted a Neff hide and slide oven within the recommended heights for wheelchair use and one of the larder cupboards has pocket doors which slide back out of the way.As part of the building work, we also had all the doorways widened to make it easier for wheelchair or mobility scooter accessibility.I do not have to use a wheelchair around the house yet, but I do need to sit down if I’m going to be cooking/preparing a meal. If I’m standing, I have the worktop set higher than normal, so I don’t have to bend down or stoop. If I’m sitting, I can set the worktop at a height to suit whatever I’m sitting on.I find it really beneficial and I’m sure it will become invaluable as my MS progresses. I can put it to a height that works for me and my wife can put it at a height that works for her.Everyone I show the Granberg Centerlift to has been really impressed when I demonstrate it to them.