Kitchen Designs That Seniors Appreciate Most

While everyone has their own unique style when it comes to interior decorating, special considerations have to be made when it comes to designing an interior spaces for senior citizens that may struggle with tasks once considered easy. Not only should the home be visually appealing, it should be functional and made according to the unique needs of an aging body. Kitchens, in particular, often have to undergo the most alterations to adequately provide senior citizens with a comfortable and safe space. Learn the basics of a solid age in place kitchen design.



Counterspace

Individuals in wheelchairs need lower counters to feel comfortable while in the kitchen. Additionally, cabinets, appliances and everything else on the counters needs to be positioned so that someone in a wheelchair can easily reach everything without overexerting themselves. There are also special cabinet handles that can be installed to help those who have trouble with arthritis.

Sinks

Just like counters, sinks might need to be lowered for senior citizens. Those in wheelchairs are sure to appreciate sinks with a roll-under design that makes it easier for them to be used while a person is in a wheelchair. Besides roll-under sinks, installing a motorized sink is another good idea. Such sinks allow a person to adjust the height of the sink to one that suits them best.

Appliances

Appliances included in an age in place kitchen design should have a universal design. They should also be easy to use and understand and include convenient features. For instance, refrigerators with side-by-side doors are commonly easier for senior citizens to use. It’s also best to go with a model with the ice and water dispensers on the outside of the door. Also, it’s a good idea to aim for energy efficient kitchen designs to save money, which is great for everyone involved.

Floors

Floor material in kitchens frequently used by seniors should be slip- and skid-resistant. While it’s often easier to simply add a rug or two to the kitchen floors, senior citizens can easily trip over them, which can lead to the very accidents you want to prevent. It’s best to simply opt for slip-resistant flooring.

Lighting

It’s especially important to have proper lighting in a kitchen design for seniors. High light output LED bulbs are the way to go to keep elderly individuals from squinting and straining their eyes. Accent lights could be added over the sink and under cabinet kitchen lighting is helpful to keep seniors from having to turn on all the lights when it’s not necessary to do so.

A well-thought out age in place kitchen design makes life easier for senior citizens, and it’s great for their sense of independence. Let us know if you need help implementing these ideas.

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Kitchen Lighting Gets Risqué for Gen X’ers

Deep within all of us is the deep love for that traditional Rockwellian home setting that offers warmth and comfort due to its perpetual association with family. Yet there is a reason why such nostalgia is buried deep. While such a setting is often longed for during holidays and special occasions, it isn’t one that typically jives with the lifestyles and personalities of today’s Gen X’ers.

Take your kitchen, for example. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking only of the space’s function, and then designing around it accordingly. However, if you truly stop to analyze things for a second, you’ll come to the realization that the kitchen is the epicenter of your home. Almost all activity originates from there. Thus, given the amount of time that you as well as your family and friends will spend in there, should you not then plan on putting a little bit of yourself into the space with your lighting?

Successfully Combining Style and Function

Is this possible without sacrificing function? Believe it or not, style and function are not mutually exclusive. In fact, when it comes to kitchen lighting, one can enhance the other. If you’re like most plugged-in people, then you’ve likely designed your kitchen in a contemporary style. You owe it to the space not to stop that style pattern once you start installing your lights.

How can you apply the level of sophistication assigned to your generation in your kitchen lighting while still seeing to the space’s optimal function? Consider the following tips:

• *Mixed recessed lights with stylish fixtures: Many feel as though recessed lights and hanging fixtures don’t mix, yet the truth is quite the opposite. Stylish hanging fixtures are typically used for task lighting, while recessed lights provide ambient lighting. Yet it’s important to know where to place canned lights. Putting them under cabinets or in over sinks ensures that they won’t take away from your hanging fixtures.


• *Get creative with your pendants: Hanging pendant lighting over kitchen islands and prep areas offers you a wealth of possibilities when it comes to design. Keep in mind that these fixtures will figure prominently in your design, so don’t be afraid to get a little crazy and creative, like choosing colors contrasting your cabinetry or hanging lights unevenly.


• *Incorporate sculpture: If you’re looking to go really bold and risqué with your lighting, any kitchen designer with creativity will tell you to consider a sleek, monorail style fixture that snakes its way over your surfaces from which you can hang fixtures at differing intervals.

Who says that your kitchen lighting ideas have to be boring and bland? Your home is the canvas on which you imprint your personality. Why, then, would that same principle not also apply to your lighting? Find yourself a lighting designer with creativity and fresh new design concepts. Add under counter kitchen lighting to illuminate the floor and lower storage spaces. Go ahead and make a bold, risqué statement to your kitchen with your own personal style.

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Give Your Kitchen a Facelift With New Stone Countertops

Is your kitchen starting to show signs of wear and rear of too many years? Brightening up a kitchen can be easier than choosing to do a whole kitchen reconstruction project. Replacing old countertops is a good place to start in your facelift. By simply providing brilliant new surfaces in your kitchen you can convert an old tired looking room into a modern, stylish space that you can wait to show off to friends and neighbors.

There is no doubt that stone countertops are among the most desirable countertop surfaces but marble and granite can be out of reach for a homeowner on a tight budget. Thanks to modern options like Caesarstone, IceStone, and Silestone more homeowners can afford to have these beautiful surfaces inside their kitchens.

A Wealth of Options

When it comes to stone countertops, there are many different varieties to consider. Some of the most popular include:

Granite: a tough, heavy stone given a high gloss finish

Marble: a softer stone with a high polish and luxurious appearance

Engineered stone: an ideal alternative to granite fashioned from quartz particles

Each of these offers a range of benefits that homeowners find appealing. Granite is a traditional option for stone countertops and comes in a wide range of colors and patterns. This allows homeowners to add a unique dimension to any space. Marble is also available in many different colors.

A Closer Look at Engineered Stone

Engineered stone is a relatively new option that has gained a lot of attention from professional home decorators and magazines that track kitchen design trends. Containing 98% quartz particles, these are highly durable and can be an affordable alternative to traditional stone. Ice Stone, Silestone, and Caestarstone are some of the most popular brand names of some of the engineered stone options on the market today. Resistant to scratches, chips, and other forms of damage, these slabs of stone are engineered to stand up to heavy use. Some engineered stone products have been designed with microbial resistance, so keeping countertops clean and sanitized is much easier with treated stone.

Showing Off New Kitchen Countertops

The elegant colors and patterns present in engineered stone show up best with great lighting. However, you do not need to be a kitchen lighting expert to bring out your stone’s natural beauty. Replacing old high-wattage bulbs with KED fixtures and other high efficiency light sources can brighten up small spaces and call attention to the beauty of an Ice Stone countertop. These light sources also waste less energy, so they are ultimately a more cost-effective form of illumination.

Invest in Lasting Beauty

Some of the most innovative kitchen designs using engineered stone have been designed to withstand shifting trends and continue to look fresh and inviting for decades to come. Stone is always an appealing material; homeowners will enjoy this look year after year. Stone countertops also make an attractive selling point should you decide to sell your home. If a property is ever put on the market, buyers will be especially interested in homes with stone countertops.

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Kitchen Lighting for Entertaining

Kitchen lighting has become more and more important in homes because the use of this space has dramatically changed in just a couple of generations. Today, the kitchen is no longer just a place where meals are prepared. This space has become larger, and incorporates casual dining areas and may even have a few chairs and a television. Kitchen counters have become breakfast bars, islands or workstations built in the center of the room, while smart shiny appliances sit on the counter, ready to serve espresso coffee to friends and family.

Just like the other parts of your home, lighting can make a big difference in your kitchen. Set your kitchen apart with lighting that matches your style. Get inspiration by lighting in every size, shape, style and material, and then decide what is right for your kitchen. Here are the best ways to brighten up your kitchen design, whatever yours may be.

Use Task, Ambient and Feature Lights

There is an average of 23 lights per house in the US, and only half of these are actually used. Consider the lighting you choose for the kitchen carefully on how you would like see it used. There are three main types of lights: task, ambient and feature lights – getting the right balance is very important. Good lighting can transform the ambiance of your kitchen. Be careful, though, as some of your selections may go way beyond your budget.

Improve the Natural Lighting

Natural lighting should be your starting point, and recommend you use every trick in the book to get as much natural light as possible into your kitchen. This might mean skylight windows, or maybe patio doors that fold right back up to flood the room with light. The position of the windows in respect to sun exposure should figure in your plans. You might also want to consider keeping windows uncluttered so that daylight will find its way into an otherwise dark space.

Have Good Task Lighting

Good task lighting is very important. You will need it over the stove and oven area, as well as over the food preparation areas so you can see what you are doing. This may mean having adequate under counter kitchen lighting if it illuminates your workspace. Lighting within exhaust hoods is often a good idea, and even a row of ceiling track lights that can be redirected as you need them. Plan your new cabinetry layout at the same time as your lighting so you are assured more harmony.

Fit Ambient Lighting for Atmosphere

In your dining area, use pendant lighting. Ideally, hang a light or row of lights over your kitchen island. Also, ensure that this light is on a dimmer, so you can adjust it to create a more subtle atmosphere if you are dining during the evening. Go with an eye-catching pendant or pendants so you can create a focal feature, even when switched off.

Show Off with Feature Lighting

Feature lighting is all about working with the architecture of your space to highlight it. You will need to get the advice of a kitchen design specialist about what you can achieve, but the possibilities are endless so use your imagination and the wide range of lighting designs available today. You can use recessed lighting and overhead spot lights but it is important to consider your carbon footprint when making these selections. Go green whenever possible.

Search for a website that has a nice portfolio of kitchen designs online for tips and inspiration on kitchen lighting. And while you are at it, consider getting professional looking kitchen appliances to give your kitchen a complete and modern makeover.

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