If you own a two story home and are generous enough to allow a relative to move in to a spare upstairs room, have you considered making it a real suite? There’s already a bedroom and a bathroom, a second bedroom can be readily converted into a study or living room. All that’s really missing is a kitchen. A microwave isn’t a substitute for a real place to cook. So, you might consider having an area rewired to handle a few real kitchen appliances.

You don’t have to go overboard with all the bells and whistles. A sink is fine for a single person. There isn’t a real need for an upstairs dishwasher. Look for small appliances – like those designed for a one bedroom apartment. A cooktop may be all your guest needs, but there are ovens that have a fairly small footprint that might work too. Refrigerators that come in compacts sizes from 4-5 cubic feet are perfect for upstairs kitchens.

Extra Tips:

• If you locate the kitchen along a wall that adjoins a bathroom, it may be easier to get the plumbing done for the sink.
• If you install a range with a stovetop fan, it needs to be vented into the attic to prevent moisture from building up indoors.
• Choose non-slip tile for your upstairs kitchen – especially if you have an aging parent living in the second floor suite.

Related posts:

1. Adding Value to Your Home
2. Opening Up a Narrow Kitchen
3. Pest Proof Your Kitchen
4. Adding a Wet Bar to Your Kitchen
5. Wainscoting – Adding style to any room

Tags: Kitchens

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 15th, 2010 at 7:01 am and is filed under Home Improvement, Kitchens. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.