5 Ways a Kitchen Remodel Improves Home Safety for Kids and Pets

Kitchen remodels are some of the most popular home improvement projects. Your kitchen is one of the busiest spots in your home. You spend a lot of time there with your family, both for meals and as a central gathering spot where you chat about your day, look at the mail, or just make a pit stop for a snack. When friends and family visit, you will likely spend most of your time in the kitchen, as well. Remodeling your kitchen in Mesa can improve the value of your home and your enjoyment of it. The right kitchen remodeling can also make it a safer place for your children and pets, who will also spend a lot of time in the heart of your home. Here are just five ways that kitchen remodeling can improve safety for your children and pets:

Add a Kitchen Island

A kitchen island is very kid-friendly. Kids of most all ages can sit at a stool at the island to eat snacks or meals, or just to watch you while you are cooking. Smaller kids can be at counter height without having to stand on a stool or be underfoot while you are trying to cook. Very young children, like toddlers, can use a learning tower to stand next to the island without fear of falling off a stool. The island can also act as a casual spot for meals, which might encourage your older tweens or teens to come together with the family. They might balk at sitting down at the table, but they may sit at the island, which will give you the same opportunity for togetherness.

Build Appliances into the Cabinets and Walls

Young kids love to climb, but doing so puts them at great risk. They can climb a piece of furniture and cause it to fall over – right on top of them. There are countless, horrifying stories of this exact scenario leading to a young child’s death. Appliances may seem stable because they are so heavy, but they can also be tipped. You can make your kitchen safer for your children or grandchildren by having the appliances built in to the walls or cabinets. For example, the refrigerator can be tucked into a cabinet casing that provides some anchoring. The door can still be opened, but the refrigerator is less likely to tip.

Create Kid-Friendly Cabinet and Drawer Spaces

When kids can’t reach what they want, they are likely to climb on countertops to get to them. Climbing puts them at risk of falling and seriously injuring themselves. You can reduce this risk by having kid-friendly cabinet and drawer spaces built into your kitchen remodel in Mesa. Then children can reach sippy cups, plastic plates, and other needed items without climbing or reaching in unsafe ways. You can also talk to your kitchen remodeling contractor in Gilbert about building in child proofing, such as latches on the cabinets and drawers or hinges that prevent them from slamming shut.

Provide Easy Access

If you do want children to be able to reach higher areas in the kitchen, you can ask your Mesa kitchen home improvement contractor to build in access points. For example, a step stool can be built into a drawer. Your child just pulls out the drawer and steps up on the platform inside it. You can even use it to reach those high spaces on the top shelves or on top of the cabinets. You can also ask your home remodeling contractor to build a pet feeding station into a drawer or cabinet, or to turn a cabinet into pet food storage, including a bin on a rolling platform. It will be easier for you to give your pet what he needs without having to clutter your space.

Build In a Pet Bed

Dogs and cats like to lie anywhere they find a comfortable spot – even if that spot is right in the middle of your kitchen traffic. You will likely trip over them, hurting them and yourself, dozens of times and they still won’t find another spot to snooze. You can make the kitchen safer for your pets and more comfortable for them by asking your contractor to build in a pet bed. The bed can be built into a nook on the end of a cabinet or island, or it can be hid inside a cabinet or drawer. Remodeling your kitchen can make it more functional and beautiful, and if you make the right choices, it can also make it more safe for your children and pets. Search for ideas you like online and consult with an experienced kitchen remodeling contractor in Mesa who can give you more ideas and help bring your vision to life. Valcon General is a respected home remodeling contractor in Arizona. We can help you makeover your kitchen or any other room in your home, whether you just want to update the look or you want to make it a safer space. We will also help you make choices that will give you the highest return for your investment when you do decide to sell the home. Call us in Arizona today to talk with a kitchen home improvement contractor or to explore other home remodeling options. 18631 N 19th Ave #158441 Phoenix, AZ 85027 Office: 602-518-5624 Email: [email protected]

Posted: July 22, 2017