Have you ever remodeled your kitchen? It’s stressful when you’re presented with an overabundance of options!

Pick your colors! What material countertop? How many drawers? Do you want a spice rack? What’s your kitchen slogan? Sometimes there’s too many choices!

You may feel even more clueless about the concept of adding accessible features to make the kitchen a part of your forever home! Well, I’m here to make your life easier on that front!

Although I can’t give you the best kitchen color palette of 2021, read on to learn four must-haves for kitchen remodels for safe and independent living!

1) Matte surfaces

Stay away from shining, shimmering, splendor on your kitchen floor, walls, appliances, and countertops! As our eyes age, we see best when the kitchen has matte surfaces. This means a lower chance of falls and injury while cooking Julia Child style in the kitchen.

Choose products with words like “non-glare”, “matte”, or “anti-glare”. It’s easier to tell exactly where the edges are on a matte countertop versus a glossy one. Even if you’re vision is perfect, you’ll notice that friends and relatives with eye conditions, like glaucoma and macular degeneration, feel more comfortable in your matte kitchen. Heck, they may even compliment your taste without exactly knowing why they love your kitchen so much!

Every family loves spending time in the kitchen!

2) Multi-height countertops

You may be used to standing and doing kitchen chores, but I guarantee that there’s days where you’d love the chance to sit down and chop veggies or wash the dishes. As I experience the pleasure of aging, I noticed my back appreciates the opportunity to sit while working on my to-do’s!

That’s the beauty of multi-height counter tops. You can have the best of both sitting and standing worlds! You can choose to install one section of countertop at a height of 44 inches for your raised dishwasher and another section of countertop at 30 inches to supervise the children doing homework. Maybe you keep your stovetop at 40 inches tall and the kitchen sink at 30 inches.

To figure out what’s going to work best for you, think about who’s using the kitchen and what tasks you’re doing the most. If your partner is six feet tall and loves to make pastries while standing, make sure to include a countertop height of 42-48 inches. They’ll love the absence of pain in their neck, shoulders, and upper back!

3) Pull-down shelving

Pull-down shelving is another great solution for family members with height differences! These are shelves in top cabinets with the ability for people to pull them out of the cabinet and down towards the countertop. No more dragging over a chair or stool to reach your seasonal dishware!

Pull-down shelves are available in electronic or non-electronic systems. The electronic versions operate with the push of a button and are especially handy for people who have a hard time reaching overhead, like after a rotator cuff injury. My favorite electronic version is Zack Rack (I’m not getting paid to say this!) because you can place the shelving units basically anywhere in your home and use it for any purpose.

4) C or D-shaped Handles

If you’re building a brand new kitchen, let’s get the party started off right with some C or D-shaped handles on your cabinetry! Woot woot! This type of handle will stand the test of time with your grip strength. No matter your age or physical condition, these are the easiest types of handles to open and shut doors and drawers! Pulls and knobs don’t compare to the longevity of C and D-shaped handles!

These handles also work well if you’re retrofitting a kitchen. Even the lowest cost C and D-shaped handles work better for people of all ages and abilities. You don’t have to spend a pretty penny to ensure that you’ll be able to use these handles for the lifetime of your kitchen.

All of these must-haves leave plenty of opportunity for you to pick and choose different materials, colors, prices, brands, etc. It’s important for people to know that you don’t have to make your place look like a nursing home for you to live in it as long as you want! You can choose features that will create your forever home without any visitor knowing the wiser.

The kitchen is such an important room for you to start adding these must-haves because you use it every day! Even if you eat out for every meal, you’re probably washing your hands at the sink or getting a glass of water to drink. Your kitchen environment should be set up for you to effortlessly do what you need to do!

I love addressing people’s kitchens because this room is one of the most important to me personally. I enjoyed cooking and baking with my grandmother in this most sacred part of the house. She helped me practice the alphabet and simple math while learning kitchen safety and cooking skills. I think it’s important for my clients to have the chance to live their best lives in the kitchen forever.

Please also tell us what accessible features have you put in your kitchen? Have you already used one of the must-haves listed above? What would you add to the must-haves list? There’re so many things you can do to set yourself up to age in place in your home!

Remember, you better do it before you need it!

(Hey, did you know we have an awesome online course for people who have a hard time wiping after using the toilet? It’s an awkward topic that you can learn how to solve in the comfort and privacy of your own home! Learn more about the course HERE!)