Symphony Group

Here at Symphony, we pride ourselves on leading the way in design and manufacture innovation. We are also always ensuring that sustainability is at the forefront of everything we do. That’s why we were thrilled to work with Barratt Developments to create the first zero carbon home concept from a major housebuilder. The Zed HouseWith carbon neutral homes being such a hot topic, with everything from the move to heat pumps to electric car charging at home, we were honoured to be invited to work with leading housebuilder Barratt Developments on its unique and flagship zero carbon home concept. The Zed House will be the first new home in the UK built by a major housebuilder to go beyond the new Future Homes Standard by delivering a carbon reduction of 125%. The Future Homes Standard ensures that all new homes built from 2025 will produce 75-80% less carbon emissions than homes under current regulations. The carbon reduction of 125% is from 100% regulated and 25% unregulated energy using heat recovery, low carbon and renewable technologies. The Zed House will be lived in and monitored over time in order to assess its performance on an ongoing everyday basis. We can’t wait to see the results.The future of housebuildingDesigned and developed to show what is achievable for the housebuilding market in terms of sustainability, the Zed House is a great example of how our homes could look in the next few decades. At Symphony we have a constantly evolving list of eco credentials that we use in everything we do. How this project worked is that Barratt challenged its supply chain partners to bring in the most cutting-edge products to help reduce its carbon footprint. We chose our Urban kitchen in Grey Walnut, as the door and drawer fronts are made from 100% recycled chipboard and the handles contain renewable coconut fibre. Not only that but the cabinets are also made from 49% recycled board while cutlery trays and drawer storage are all Hemp and Kenaf based. We thought this was the perfect example of how kitchens can be a sustainable and environmentally friendly purchase without sacrificing style. The stainless-steel sink from Franke was chosen as it contains 80% recycled materials and was supplied with a waste disposal unit that processes organic waste to reduce the amount of food waste going to landfill. The Insinkerator 4 in 1 tap supplies filtered water to reduce the need to purchase bottled water and therefore encourages the reduction of single use plastic. It also replaces the need for a kettle by providing boiling water, which reduces both energy usage from boiling a kettle but also only provides the amount of boiling that is required. The appliances were also selected for their sustainability credentials including energy efficiency and minimising water use. The worksurface is a carbon neutral material from the Sunlit Days collection from Silestone by Cosentino, the first carbon neutral quartz range in the engineered stone industry that contains recycled glass and minerals. Eco buildThe Zed House itself is made from a closed panel timber frame with highly insulated cladding. It also includes EV charging points, PV solar panels and battery storage. The interior comes with infra-red electronic hands-free taps, reducing water consumption by up to 80%, and a smart electric tariff that automatically moves energy usage to access the cheapest rates. EV charging pointWith more and more people looking to swap their fuel-guzzling car to an efficient electric model, the Zed House also comes with its own EV charging point. The Zed House is located on the main campus at the University of Salford. It contains a knowledge hub built into the garage to display all the products, technologies and results of the home’s occupation on an ongoing basis. We are thrilled to have been a part of this exciting project and can’t wait to see what the future holds.Further informationHead to https://www.barrattdevelopments.co.uk/showcase/z-house for more information on Barratt Homes and www.symphony-group.co.uk/sustainability for more information on Symphony’s sustainability credentials.

For Sheila Dearns, a former language teacher for 32 years, living with MS meant that as her condition progressed, she found her kitchen ill-equipped to cope with her changing needs.Sheila’s home is a bungalow in the centre of Chelmsford, where she has lived since 1996. It was when her MS began to leave her with little energy that Sheila decided to retire in 2010 and since then, she is finding it harder to ‘load bear’ and now classes herself as a full-time wheelchair user.It was when Sheila was left an inheritance from a relative that she began to consider making some practical changes to her home. The former kitchen was narrow with no accessible workspace to prepare meals. In fact, Sheila had to chop vegetables on the dining room table instead. With little energy and as a full-time wheelchair user, Sheila needed something to change in order for her to continue living independently at home.Her friend’s sister, Teresa Shaw; who owns the company Onyx Rehabilitation Ltd  that helps people with life-changing injuries, put Sheila in touch with leading designer of accessible kitchens Adam Thomas of the Adam Thomas Consultancy. It’s thanks to Adam’s input and collaboration that Freedom by Symphony have transformed the lives of so many people by empowering them with a sense of independence, enjoying accessible kitchens that are both practical to use and stylish to look at.Adam worked with kitchen retailer Blaines Interiors to create an accessible kitchen for Sheila that now works as the hub of her home. The project began by knocking down the wall between the former kitchen and living room to create one larger, open-plan space. Sheila moved out while the work was being done and the result is a fully wheelchair-friendly area with widened access to the garden, too.“Working with Blaines, we designed a fully functional and accessible kitchen,” says Adam, “which now includes I-move pull down baskets, allowing Sheila to access top shelves in wall cabinets without standing up from a seated position along with a 2.4m Rise & Fall worktop, a lovely feature that Sheila can adjust to suit her height so that she can use the worktop, sink with front access tap and hob when seated in her wheelchair. It’s a really flexible solution, as it can also be used by family and friends in the rise position. We also included a lowered dining table on hairpin legs for wheelchair access underneath, a pull and twist larder for easy access to dried ingredients, corner Le Mans storage and a combination oven, which suits Sheila’s style of cooking.”Sheila and Adam worked closely with Anthony Elsey from Blaines Interiors, who was a wonderful source of inspiration and ideas. Sheila wanted her kitchen to be calm and soothing with a brightly tiled splashback to add a statement look. “As a one-stop shop, Blaines takes clients on a seamless journey from conception to completion,” says Anthony. “This includes personalised consultation, expert advice, meticulous planning, flawless installation and the final finishing touches. Our team of designers are not only creative but also empathetic and supportive, ensuring that every client’s needs are met. They take pride in designing kitchens that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also affordable and accessible to all.”Design manager Anthony has experience in working with young people and adults with special educational needs and disabilities and is fully committed to serving Freedom clients by creating fully functional and accessible kitchens. Blaines Interiors has two Freedom showrooms with four operational displays, where customers can explore and experience their designs first-hand. Their reach extends across the entire Eastern region, serving Norfolk, Essex, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.Sheila now has the hub of the home she really wanted. “I can now cook for myself and use all the facilities,” she says. “My energy also now lasts longer too, as everything is made so much simpler for me.”

Here's how Freedom has transformed Izzy's living space -Why Freedom?Freedom embraces unique features to support independent living scenarios and offers the latest kitchen trends so there’s no need to compromise on style. Key components of safety, style, storage and smart flexibility at the core of the Freedom brand, make it ideal for multi-generational living, including mobility requirements.Meet Izzy Izzy Hussain, is a full-time wheelchair user, who lives in Milton Keynes. Izzy’s new kitchen allows her to host friends and family with ease.  “I now have the freedom to cook what I want, when I want and this new style of kitchen allows me to be independent and spontaneous, which is really important for me.”Izzy’s previous kitchen wasn’t accessible. Izzy reverted to using a camping hot plate and an MDF worktop just so she had the ability to cook.Following Izzy’s spinal injury, Occupational Therapist Zoe Paye provided necessary support and helped oversee the design process and renovation of Izzy’s bungalow. Zoe recommended Adam Thomas, leading accessible design consultant and Tara Neil Kitchen Retailer to offer a tailored design service, including delivery and installation. Izzy’s Kitchen DesignAs part of an early design consultation, a few features were agreed:An Island on two levels with fixed height prep space and induction hob so Izzy can cook and entertain guests at the same time.A pull-out table, doubling up as a place to safely transfer dishes to the island and as additional preparation space.A pantry/tall larder with pull-out drawers providing easy and quick access to dried food and tins.Additional design features:A drinks cabinet as entertaining is a big part of Izzy’s life allowing her to host friends and family with ease. A NEFF Slide&Hide® oven, including heat proof resting shelf which Izzy wanted following good reviews on a Facebook spinal group. Essential storage such as pull down i-move baskets and pull-out pan drawers provide easy access to everyday items, helping Izzy to be independent. A push to open slimline NEFF dishwasher for ease of accessing crockery and kitchen utensils and a hot tap which eliminates the back and forth of filling up a kettle. Finally, a well-equipped utility room incorporating a sink to wash and groom her dogs as well as a handy pull-out dog treat drawer were a must-have for Izzy. Products featured: Freedom Alta Kitchen in gloss pure white with chrome handles. A statement worktop made from Quartzite in aurora pink.Appliances: sink with drainer, integrated hide and slide ovens and induction hob, hot tap, integrated fridge-freezer, slimline dishwasher, feature lighting and flip sockets.The Freedom brand is designed in collaboration with the Adam Thomas Consultancy. Adam is an accessible design consultant and industry expert with over 40 years’ experience. Freedom is available from selected retail partners around the UK.

AbleStay Holiday HomeFor anyone considering accessible accommodation in London, you may be interested to hear more about AbleStay, London’s first accessible holiday home situated near Worcester Park, South West London. The house is fully adapted for wheelchair access and has a bright open plan kitchen, dining and living area.The AbleStay mission is to deliver fully accessible and adapted holiday homes in cities across the UK, providing families with confidence their accommodation will provide a perfect and beautiful environment for their stay.Freedom by Symphony KitchenDesigned by Adam Thomas Consultancy, and Tara Neil kitchen Retailer, the AbleStay house features our Freedom by Symphony Kitchen and has various universal and accessible design features ensuring a safe, practical and stylish kitchen space.A rise and fall adjustable height worktop with integrated waterfall edge to limit spillages. Visitors to the holiday home can set a safe and convenient height to use the Induction hob, sink and front mounted tap, which is all situated on the same run of worktop. The full length of the rise and fall worktop also provides open leg space and a shallow sink bowl providing full accessibility for wheelchair access.There is a pull-out accessible larder, eliminating the need to bend and reach down into the back of cupboards to find cooking items. Instead, all items are within reach and clearly visible so are easy to find quickly and safely.  Two Luxurious Slide&Hide® Neff ovens have been installed featuring doors which can be hidden beneath when using the oven. Accessible oven housings also position the ovens at a comfortable height and have the benefit of heatproof shelfs, so food can be transferred out of the oven straight onto the resting shelves; allowing hot dishes to cool before transferring to the worktop space.Founder of AbleStay Freedom by Symphony are thrilled to have worked on such an exciting project with Charles Van Berckel, founder of AbleStay: “the support provided by Adam Thomas and the team at Symphony enabled us to provide a truly beautiful and functional kitchen for wheelchair users. Without their kind and generous support it would never have been possible”

Here's how Freedom has transformed the Troke Family's living space - Why Freedom?Freedom embraces unique features to support independent living scenarios and offers the latest kitchen trends so there’s no need to compromise on style. Key components of safety, style, storage and smart flexibility at the core of the Freedom brand, make it ideal for multi-generational living, including mobility requirements.Meet The Troke FamilyLucille Troke, is a wheelchair user who lives with her family in Aylesbury. Over the last few years, the family’s property has been renovated to enable Lucille, younger sister Josephine and her parents, Leonie and Jon the ability to use and enjoy their new kitchen.  “I look forward to using this amazing kitchen every day! My mum has always been really good at baking pastries and cakes and now I can also enjoy cooking at home”.The family’s previous kitchen had a custom-made fixed lowered worktop, which was helpful to Lucille, but it was back-ache inducing for the rest of the family. The old kitchen had outward opening oven doors which were impractical for Lucille to use.Zoe Paye of OT Healthcare, the family’s Occupational Therapist, provides support to the family and oversaw the design process for the transformation of their bungalow. She suggested Adam Thomas, accessible design consultant, of the Adam Thomas Consultancy and Tara Neil Kitchen Retailer.The Design SolutionsAs part of an early design consultation, a few essential yet practical accessible kitchen features were agreed:Integrated Slide&Hide® ovens positioned at a 90-degree angle to a lowered height fixed worktop to makes it easier, and safer, for Lucille to transfer dishes to and from the oven.A tall larder with i-move pull-down baskets and pull-out drawers, providing quick and easy access to dried food and tins.Various work surface space to make the kitchen ideal for all the family; a standard worktop with sink, a lowered height worktop, an electric rise-and-fall worktop with induction hob and sink.   Additional design features:Pull-out crockery and pan drawers, so the contents are easy to access and visible at a glance. Plenty of manoeuvring space incorporated into the layout to ensure a fit-for-purpose space to support Lucille’s mobility requirements. Le Mans pull-outs in the corner base cabinets, ideal for storing and accessing items in hard to reach corners. A waterfall edge finish to the electric rise-and-fall worktop, to avoid accidental spillages onto Lucille. Flip sockets set within the rise-and-fall work surface to allow easy reach for Lucille. Two sinks, one at a standard height near the dishwasher and the other, a prep sink set within the rise-and-fall work surface providing essential convenience for all the family. Recycling and waste bins integrated into cabinetry, accessible to the whole family.  Products featured: Freedom Urban kitchen in Indigo colourway with chrome handles. Mix of worktop materials in Quartzite and Corian in pale grey and white.Appliances: single bowl sinks, integrated hide and slide ovens, microwave and induction hob, hot tap, integrated fridge-freezer & dishwasher, feature lighting and flip sockets.The Freedom brand is designed in collaboration with the Adam Thomas Consultancy. Adam is an accessible design consultant and industry expert with over 40 years’ experience. Freedom is available from selected retail partners around the UK.