How Can I Help Love Where I Live? Gather Around a Custom Kitchen Island

A kitchen island that allows multiple people to prepare food at the same is a great entertaining and gathering space. Wavebreakmediamicro/Dreamstime/TNS

By Paul F. P. Pogue From Ask Angi

Not all home upgrades are a true necessity. Sometimes, you just want to love where you live. And as the cooler months approach, it’s an excellent time to consider upgrades that will infuse warmth and happiness around your home. Snuggle up to these five ways to increase comfort.

Gather Around a Custom Kitchen Island

Average cost: $4,000

A basic kitchen island adds extra preparation space and storage. But you can boost your comfort and utility to the next level with a custom-built island that meets your specific needs. For instance, additional seating turns the island into a social space while cooking. Upgrades such as a sink, butcher block countertop, built-in appliances or induction stovetops can improve your food prep experience.

“Kitchens have become the home’s social center,” says Angi home interior expert Rachel Zepernick. “Think about what will help your family enjoy the kitchen to the fullest.”

Warm up to Radiant Floor Heating

Average cost: $1,700–$1,600

How would it feel to step out of your bed or shower and onto a warm floor? That’s far from a dream; radiant heating systems make this a reality. Radiant heating places pipes beneath your floor to heat the room, unlike the traditional forced-air heating method. Not only is it more comfortable, but it’s also more efficient since heat starts from the floor and rises upwards.

“Heated floors give a real luxury bonus that can attract buyers when it’s time to sell,” Zepernick says.

Add a Curbless Shower

Average cost: $3,000–$5,700

Curbless showers, also known as zero-threshold showers, give a distinct luxury feel while increasing accessibility. This type of shower has no edge barriers and instead allows a smooth walk straight in. This setup helps users with limited mobility and provides more space and options for unique shower customization.

“Home buyers are paying more and more attention to accessibility issues,” Zepernick says. “And with no edges to trip on, a curbless shower benefits any homeowner and future-proofs your home for future sale as well.”

Slip Through a Hidden Door

Average cost: $500

What would you do with a hidden door? It almost counts as a silly question, right? Imagine a library shelf that opens at the touch of a switch to reveal another part of the home or a passage beneath the stairs leading into a separate room. This upgrade can turn a side room from a mundane storage space into the stuff of “Addams Family” or “Batman” fantasies. You can hide a private relaxation zone or craft room behind the door or use it for truly secret purposes, such as storing valuables.

Gather Around a Fire Pit

Average cost: $200–$3,000

Nothing lights up a chilly night, literally, quite like a fire pit. They add warmth, light and a great outdoor socializing space that can last well into autumn and winter. You can install a DIY fire pit from a kit for a few hundred dollars or hire a pro to build a custom installation from steel, concrete or brick. Natural stone will usually be the most expensive.

Fire pits can operate with good old-fashioned logs, an electrical fire for little warmth but easy light, or a gas-supplied line that turns on and off quickly.

Tweet your home care questions with #AskingAngi and we’ll try to answer them in a future column.

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