In this modern age, kitchen remodels often focus on the aesthetics of appliances and hardware. While these items are important to a professional kitchen, don't forget that there's much more to your kitchen than just its look! There are plenty of safety features that you should not ignore if you want an efficient workspace for cooking and cutting food at home.

Kitchen islands can be designed with many options in mind--storage space, extra work space, and more. However, they are also important for their safety measures. You'll notice most islands have edges raised higher than normal countertops so that spills don't run everywhere if they occur during prep or cooking. 

On most kitchen islands, there's also a ledge for putting knives when you're not using them. This is an important safety feature; never put loose knives away in a drawer with other utensils. If one of the utensil blades were to become exposed, accidents like cuts and stabs could occur. Another benefit of having the knives put away is that they won't accidentally fall into children's hands if they come into your house unsupervised or start looking around the kitchen for something like a snack without parental guidance!

Many kitchens have simple on and off light switches. A very inexpensive way to give your kitchen a little more ambiance is to add a switch that lets you adjust the light. If you want to add a dimmer, you can buy one from the store and quickly upgrade that in an afternoon or less. Just make sure you also buy light bulbs that can dim as well. If you want a little pop of light, you can add under cabinet lights or even put in a few can lights to spotlight one area in your kitchen. This is ideal if you typically do all of your prep work for meals in the same basic location. 

Investing in a fire extinguisher is another excellent precaution for the house. These are available in tiny canister sizes, making them convenient to transport while still being powerful enough to deal with minor kitchen fires swiftly. Cooking with oil or butter will create a fire hazard if left unattended, and even the best cooks make mistakes. Having a fire extinguisher on hand makes sure any accidents don't turn into major disasters.

Attaching things to walls is also necessary for optimal kitchen use. Shelving along the wall can provide extra counterspace as well as room to store appliances. It's important to keep heavy items securely fastened so that they don't come crashing down should the brackets give way for some reason.

Do you have water-drinkers at your home? If so, then you know they will likely go for a drink at all times of the day and night. In order to make sure your faucet always gives out the best water possible, you may want to look into an under sink reverse osmosis system. It takes out what you don’t want in your water, leaves behind the nutrients your water should have, and leaves your water tasting great. It also makes cooking with that water much safer. These are almost essential when you live on well water. 

One of the more commonly overlooked areas of your kitchen also likely takes up a very large part of your kitchen – your cupboards. They are in plain sight, but we always look past them to see the other parts of our kitchen. These are great areas to upgrade since they can be upgraded for just a few dollars quite easily. You could paint on old cabinets and cupboards to give them a fresh, new look. If they are stained already, you could also sand and re-stain them a new color. If you like their color but you still want to spruce them up, change out the hardware. Something as simple as a new door knob can make a huge difference in how your cupboards look. 

You may think you've covered all your bases after remodeling, but usually there are more things to look out for than what meets the eye at first glance! These small areas of your kitchen can be even more dangerous than you thought, so make sure to bring experts in when redoing a space where accidents could be easily made.