Planning A Barrier Free Kitchen Remodeling Project

The point of having a home is to make your abode as comfortable for you as possible. This includes every section and area in the home, particularly the kitchen. Whatever major changes you may have in your household, the kitchen would always play a central part in your day to day living. This is more evident due to evolving lifestyles which are fast becoming more focused in health and wellness. That is why a kitchen remodeling Massachusetts project is one of the most favorite and most sought after renovation or remodeling work in a home.

According to expert builders at Divisions Unlimited Incorporated, a fully functional and barrier free kitchen is what the modern household should have in their homes. However, this would not be achieved with a single sweep of the floor or rearranging of furniture. A functional kitchen would come as a result of careful thinking and planning. The following are some considerations that every homeowner should take should they decide on a kitchen remodeling project.

* Make Your Kitchen Accessible with a Universal Design

Whether you have disabled, elderly or sick family members in your households or not, it would always be a wise move to plan your kitchen remodeling to create a kitchen that is fully accessible to a wide range of people. This includes changing the design of traditional shelves and cabinets from the previous space consuming and protruding styles to recessed versions with trays, shelves and bins which can be easily pulled out from a recessed area. The kitchen would be more spacious looking and clutter free. You can also customize your countertops using unique materials that will make your kitchen more elegant and functional looking.

* Elevate Your Dishwasher for Better Functionality

You would be surprised at how easy it would be load and unload dishes to the washer if it is elevated by a mere nine inches or even up to 12 inches. A person using the dishwasher would have no need to bend over just to perform the task, and at the same time this elevated height would make it easy for people on wheelchairs to perform the task themselves with better ease. The resulted effect however would be a higher countertop level. No worries as you can convert this as a platform for a television set or even for your microwave oven.

* Consider Changing the Way You Use Lighting

Changing how direct light is casted on your work area can create an awesome effect for your kitchen remodeling than using mere standard or traditional lighting. For areas that needs direct light, have your builders install recessed lighting that is focused on the work area. For lighting the general area, indirect light on walls or hidden above cabinets can create an amazing effect that is both elegant and less glaring.

* Create Less Noise in Your Kitchen

Kitchens are inherently one of the noisiest places in the home. This is further aggravated by the materials that are usually found in the kitchen. One way to remedy this and minimize the effect of noise is through a change in the flooring material during your kitchen remodeling project. Work with your contractors on what materials to use, although it is suggested to take cork flooring into consideration. It is both easier on the feet and has sound-absorbing properties. Another method is to build an additional layer of walls on top of existing ones and put insulation in between. This will reduce sound transferring from the walls and into the other rooms. Using recessed cabinets for pans and pots can minimize the rattling noise they produce. (roger james martin)