Will the design of your kitchen remodel stand the test of time?
Remodeling your kitchen is one way to improve the look of your home. Impress your visitors and family members with how good it looks. But remember, when you do a good enough job, you won’t have to remodel or renovate again for another 10-15 years. In that time, you could decide to retire and begin a new journey – aging in place. How can your kitchen keep up with you?
Reduce Bending Over
For starters, think about ways to reduce the need to bend over while working in your kitchen. Organizing the shelves and cabinets will reduce the need to get down on the ground to peer inside and reach farther than you can manage. Change the location of all the electrical outlets, so they’re much easier to access. This means they should be embedded underneath the upper cabinets or incorporated into the backsplash. Also, consider upgrading the kitchen sink that the sprayer pulls out and is thus easier to maneuver when washing the dishes or preparing your next meal.
Leave Room for Chairs
The furniture you choose for your kitchen is also essential. Raise the tables and countertops enough that there is more room for a chair to fit in there, especially if the chair is a wheelchair. Even younger adults in the family can benefit from this design choice – also if the parents aren’t old enough to need a wheelchair to facilitate a wheelchair, they might need one after surgery. Adding leg room, walkways, and workspaces will also help keep the kitchen from feeling too closed in or claustrophobic, which is even more essential to think about when the kitchen is full of appliances.
Make Appliances Easier to Use
The appliances in your remodeled kitchen also need to be more accessible. The electronic displays should be easy to read and simple to interact with; all of the controls, dials, and other buttons should be on the front. The dishwasher and microwave also need to be repositioned so that they will be easier to reach, again not too high or too low. At this point, wall ovens will be preferable to conventional ovens that are closer to the ground.
Upgrade the Hardware
Finally, consider what hardware changes you would like for your kitchen. Then make those changes. Pulls, knobs, and levers or pull handles might be easier to grip, depending on the mobility issues anyone living in the house has right now or will have eventually.
Choose Your Kitchen Fixtures From WalterWorks
No matter what type of kitchen fixtures and hardware designs you choose, WalterWorks Hardware has the expertise and supplies you need. We are well known through the Maryland, Washington, D.C., and northern Virginia area for our fantastic hardware and unbeatable knowledge. For more information, please give us a call at (410) 263-9711 or contact us online. For more tips on choosing hardware for your home, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Houzz, and Pinterest.