This guide shows you what is important when furnishing and designing a barrier-free kitchen. Here you can find out what to consider in terms of dimensions and floor plan, and how to place work equipment correctly.

What does a barrier-free kitchen look like?

Barrier-free living is becoming more and more important. With living spaces, bathrooms, and kitchens tailored to individual needs, the quality of life of people with disabilities and in old age increases.

A barrier-free kitchen is designed in such a way that it can also be used by people with physical disabilities. Kitchen furniture, electrical appliances, and utensils are accessible in a barrier-free kitchen for wheelchair users or senior citizens.

In addition to plenty of space, the arrangement and design of the electrical appliances and kitchen elements are particularly important. Height and position play a special role in kitchen planning.

Here it is often advisable to use solutions whose height is adjustable. Many elements of a kitchenette or fitted kitchen, such as the sink, should also be wheelchair accessible so that they can also be used while sitting.

When planning your kitchen, always bear in mind that a barrier-free kitchen is an individual matter. A wheelchair user has different requirements than a blind person. In this guide you will find out which equipment is suitable for which situation in life.

Freedom of movement in the barrier-free kitchen

A key point in kitchen planning is freedom of movement. According to DIN 18040-2, the movement area of a barrier-free kitchen must be at least 120 cm x 120 cm.

A wheelchair-accessible kitchen meets all the requirements of a barrier-free kitchen with a few additional aspects. The radius of movement here is 150 cm x 150 cm, for example. The kitchen furniture must have a minimum depth of 150 cm, while in the accessible kitchen it is 120 cm.

In addition to the movement area, the width of the doors also plays an important role. This should be at least 90 cm. Arrange work surfaces, electrical appliances and kitchen cabinets in such a way that walking distances are kept as short as possible. Commonly used utensils such as cutlery, cutting knives and pots should be within easy reach of everyone at all times.

Placement of electrical appliances

Fridge, stove and oven are among the most used appliances in the kitchen. Therefore, place them in the barrier-free kitchen so that they can be reached at a comfortable height.

The optimal working height is the height of the countertop. When using the oven, make sure that the door opens to the side so that it is not an obstacle when it is open. A self-cleaning function is particularly useful here. Cooker hoods should be built into the hob or be remote-controlled.

A shower hose on the sink makes handling the water easier. The sink should also be flat so that it can also be used from a wheelchair.

Floor plan and kitchen equipment

In addition to the height of the electrical appliances and work surfaces, the floor plan and the arrangement of the individual elements also play a key role in kitchen design. Countertops that can be driven under are useful here. In order to be able to reach any desired place at any time as a wheelchair user or with a walker, rollable kitchen base cabinets offer a solution. Some of these can be controlled electronically and their position can be changed so that they enable access to the hob, sink or countertop.

Use electronically lowerable kitchen wall units in the barrier-free kitchen. If necessary, you can lower it to a comfortable height so that you can reach cups and plates while sitting. Kitchen cabinets should be equipped with drawers or rotating systems.

Tip: With transparent shelves and glass fronts, you ensure that you can see what’s in the cupboard even before you lower it.

For your own safety, choose a non-slip and easy-to-clean floor covering in the kitchen. For example, tiles with a rough surface or PVC are suitable here. Note that the optimal working height is individual depending on the physical circumstances. As a guide, you should calculate a height of about 82 cm.

When installing sockets, make sure that they are easy to reach. Socket strips embedded in the countertop make working in the kitchen easier and are lowered again after use.

A handrail along the kitchen front may help you move around in the kitchen. With a corner kitchen you ensure short distances within the kitchen.

An eat-in kitchen combines the living room with the kitchen, making it the focal point of every apartment. The right furniture and colors bring coziness into the room. In this guide, you will find ideas for planning your small eat-in kitchen and setting it up to save space.
A natural stone fabricator can cut a slab of stone to any size to fit your bathroom, kitchen, countertop, or flooring inside or outside your home. With stone countertops, you can avoid major stains or mildew damage. You also get an endless amount of choices to get the perfect look for your space.

What is important in the family kitchen with stone countertops?

A kitchen for the whole family is not just a place for cooking, baking, and roasting. The family kitchen is often the place where everyone gathers, where they eat together or do their homework. So that all these different activities can be done in one room, you should consider a few aspects when planning the kitchen.

When children in the family help prepare food and handle pots and pans, safety is a big concern. The position and height of the electrical appliances in the kitchen must also be well planned with children.

Whether it is a kitchenette or a fitted kitchen, there is enough storage space in the family kitchen so you can quickly put away colored pencils and coloring pages before eating. If you are preparing several dishes for meals together due to different needs, sufficient work space and a sensible division are just as important.

After all, the material of the kitchen fronts, countertops, and sink plays a major role when there are several people in the family in the room. In addition to these aspects, we will show you other criteria that you consider when buying a family kitchen.

Division and Arrangement

First of all, the room and its dimensions determine the possible layout of the eat-in kitchen. So that all family members can get together but still have time for themselves if necessary, a closed room that is separate from the living room is ideal for family kitchens. With a sliding door, you can easily divide a large room into a living and cooking area. In this way, the space can be enlarged if necessary.

If parents, children and possibly grandparents cook together, you need a lot of space in the kitchen. Kitchenettes are therefore less suitable for a family kitchen. Instead, opt for a U-shaped kitchen or an L-shaped kitchen. Thanks to the corner solutions, these kitchen designs offer more storage space, and the walking distances in the kitchen are shortened.

With two-row kitchens, make sure there is a distance of at least 1.20 m between the two kitchen blocks. This will ensure that the walkway is not blocked when drawers or the fridge are open.

In order to keep an eye on the children while they are painting or doing their homework, a good overview in the family kitchen is necessary. With a seat in the large kitchen, you ensure that the children can work or play while their parents prepare the food.

Ideally, you can do this with stone countertops. This offers both spaces for cooking and preparation as well as storage space through drawers and kitchen cabinets. Make sure that there are no cupboards on the side facing away from the kitchen, but that the worktop protrudes a little. If you equip this place with chairs of the right height, you create a seat for children. This is how you supervise them during various activities and offer them a place for a quick breakfast in the morning so that they avoid long walks to the dining table.

Tip: Choose a robust and scratch-resistant material for the stone countertops of the kitchen island, such as granite or ceramic.

In an open kitchen, there is enough space for a large dining table that can accommodate the whole family. Here, too, an additional kitchen counter or cooking island with seating can act as a room divider.

Plan storage space properly

In addition to pots, pans, and other kitchen utensils, there should be a place for baby food, lunch boxes, and children’s cutlery. Therefore, sufficient storage space with careful planning is essential for the design of the eat-in kitchen.

Use full-extension drawers in the family kitchen so that you can make good use of even the furthest corners and reach all the contents. Base drawers offer additional storage space for flat items such as kitchen towels, coasters, or cutting boards.

Depending on whether you store supplies in the kitchen or have a pantry adjacent to the kitchen, you need different amounts of storage space. Upper cabinets create a lot of space because they can use the entire height of the room if necessary.

Tip: Use upper cabinets for glasses and objects that children should not reach.

Thanks to their extra deep pull-outs, you can store a lot of utensils in cooking islands. These are particularly suitable for large pots or pans. With special corner solutions, you can make optimal use of the large space in the corners of U-shaped kitchens or L-shaped kitchens.

Supplies that you need regularly and that may have been transferred to suitable containers can be stowed away in an apothecary cupboard that is accessible from two sides.

Tip: Inserts can be used to keep cupboards and drawers tidy. These ensure a better overview and avoid long searches.

Safety in the family kitchen

Where many people work and live in one room, safety plays a major role. In the kitchen, in particular, there are many dangers with electrical appliances, boiling liquids, and sharp knives, which should not be underestimated, especially for the youngest family members, and should therefore be included in the planning.

Induction cooktops are a suitable solution so that children can help with cooking and stirring in hot pots without hesitation. With this system, only the pot and not the hob is heated. Alternatively, you can attach a stove guard that acts as a barrier for children’s hands.

Handleless kitchen fronts also ensure more security. This way you avoid bumps and minimize the risk of injury. You can also equip the kitchen cabinets with a self-closing mechanism that gently and slowly closes the last part of the drawer.

When in use, the oven is often set to a hot temperature for a long time and is therefore not constantly monitored. When planning the family kitchen, make sure that the oven is installed at adult eye level. This means that children cannot reach the door and operating the oven is also more ergonomic.

Many electrical appliances such as dishwashers have embedded controls that prevent the appliances from being switched on unintentionally. Also, store cleaning products in a lockable cupboard so that they do not pose a danger to the offspring. There are also fridges with child safety locks.

Purchase Criteria

When building or renovating your house or apartment, kitchen planning plays a central role. From the start, think about how you will divide up the kitchen, how much storage space you will need, and which safety aspects you will include.

The material is also important for purchase considerations. In the family kitchen, not only the price is decisive, but above all robustness and functionality. Lacquered or high-gloss fronts require significantly more cleaning than matt plastic fronts.

When planning the family kitchen, consider all members of the family who will be in the room and will be doing various activities there. For grandparents, for example, an armchair is much better than a bar stool.