Create Healthier Lifestyles Through Design:
Expert
When designers begin discussing changes to a client’s kitchen,
perhaps they should seek to change more than just the design of the
space. Indeed, remodeling the kitchen offers numerous opportunities
to review not only your clients’ design preferences, but their
eating habits, cooking habits and lifestyle, as well. And, perhaps
that also means designers should consider what it means to have the
opportunity to improve these.
Such are the sentiments of Florence Perchuk, CKD, of New York,
NY-based Designs by Florence Perchuk, Ltd. who, in conjunction with
Weight Watchers International, headed up the “Eating Healthy,
Living Healthy” seminar at this year’s Kitchen/ Bath Industry
Show.
Citing an increase in overweight families throughout the U.S.,
Perchuk used the seminar as a platform to suggest that designers
promote and support building healthy lifestyles for clients through
the rethinking of the residential kitchen.
According to Perchuk, elements such as large food preparation
surfaces, pantries, separate baking centers, self-contained areas
and sinks positioned in different areas for children and adults are
good ways to facilitate a healthier kitchen design by encouraging
homeowners to make cooking part of a healthy lifestyle.
“Make the kitchen fun,” she offers, “using soft, primary colors
that will induce children to spend more time in the space.”
Other suggestions include incorporating butcher blocks and small
cabinets for a more user-friendly, stress-free space.
To help facilitate better eating habits, Perchuk also suggested
building a stir fry as part of the cooktop area that will help
create easy, low-fat meals. Other design elements that could
accomplish this include a portable grill, separate hot- and
cold-water units, gourmet spice racks, a healthy bar area or even
an electronic, wall-mounted menu planner.
“Smaller is better,” she offers as advice for designers when
choosing products.
She concludes that microwaves can also be very useful in this
vein, as are plastic storage containers.