Price Builders president Alicia Powers was recently featured in NewHomeSource’s national coverage of home design trends, sharing her expertise on how kitchens for 55+ homeowners are evolving – from safety-focused, clinical-feeling spaces into beautiful, highly functional rooms built for active, multigenerational living.
As a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS), Alicia brought a hands-on, practical perspective to the piece, “The Lifestyle-First Kitchen: How 55+ Design Is Changing,” alongside commentary from Zonda advisory principal Peter Dennehy. The article explores a shift happening across new-home design: today’s 55+ buyers want kitchens that work as a social hub, hosting space, and cooking zone all at once – with accessibility features built in so seamlessly that they simply look like great design.
What Alicia Shared
The feature draws on Alicia’s real-world experience designing kitchens that balance style, safety, and everyday function. A few highlights from her contribution:
Island planning is everything. Alicia emphasized getting island clearances right from the start of the design process – enough seating room for comfortable, safe movement, and enough clearance around the island’s perimeter to keep pathways open, especially near appliances that open outward.
Appliance choices matter more than people think. She pointed to induction cooktops as a safer alternative to gas, front-mounted controls so no one has to reach across a hot surface, and full-height side-by-side refrigeration as an easier alternative to constant bending.
Small hardware choices add up. From single-lever faucets that leave a hand free for balance, to pull-out drawers instead of cabinets that require reaching and bending, Alicia’s recommendations centered on details that quietly make a kitchen easier to use for everyone in the household – not just the household’s oldest member.
Lighting does double duty. Alicia described dimmable, layered lighting – bright task lighting for detailed prep work, softened for socializing – as one of the most important design decisions in a modern kitchen.
As Alicia put it in the piece, “the island is at the center of the kitchen ecosystem.”
Why This Matters for San Diego Homeowners
This national recognition reflects exactly the kind of thinking Price Builders brings to every kitchen and bathroom project in San Diego County – designing spaces that look beautiful today and continue to work well for years, or decades, to come. Whether you’re planning ahead for aging in place, designing a home for a multigenerational household, or simply want a kitchen that’s both stunning and genuinely easy to live in, universal design principles like the ones Alicia shared can be built into your project from day one.
Read the full feature: The Lifestyle-First Kitchen: How 55+ Design Is Changing, via NewHomeSource
Curious how universal design principles could work in your own kitchen or bathroom remodel? Schedule a free consultation with the Price Builders team.
