Upgrades to your first floor

...with a built-in cooktop that lets you face the room when you're prepping meals. "That puts you in the 'driving position' -- where you're most in control and won't feel the primitive sense of threat you get when people approach you from the back," says Johnny Grey, a British architect who designs kitchens according to evidence-based principles. Pull stools up to the other side of the island so your family can sit with you as you cook; your brain will release more oxytocin, a hormone associated with bonding, Grey says.

Cost: At least $4,000 for a pro installation

NEXT: Kitchen: Position the sink under a window