An oven door you have to bend under
Lifting a roast from a low oven past a hot door is one of the riskiest moves in any kitchen. We move the oven up and plan a pull-out shelf beside it.
Serving 49 Chicago-area suburbs
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling in Chicago & the Suburbs
Kitchens in Chicagoland planned for wheelchairs, walkers and aging in place: reachable storage, knee space and safer appliances.
- Kitchen remodels across the Chicago suburbs, from Naperville to Evanston
- One project manager from drawings to final walk-through
- Permits and inspections handled for you
What makes a Chicagoland kitchen hard to use, and how we fix it
Whether you need full wheelchair access now or simply want to age in place in your Chicagoland home, we design and build the kitchen around real reach ranges and turning space. The result should look like a well-made kitchen, not a clinic.
Not enough room to turn around
A wheelchair or walker needs space to turn. We plan clear floor area in front of each appliance and, where the room allows, a turning circle about five feet across.
Hard-to-turn knobs and faucet handles
If gripping and twisting hurts, the hardware is the problem. Loop pulls, levers and rocker switches work with a closed fist or an elbow.
Deep base cabinets you have to kneel into
Bending down and digging to the back of a low shelf is hard on knees and backs. Full-extension drawers bring everything forward and up into view.
Reaching over hot burners
If you lean over a hot burner to turn a knob, the layout is wrong. We choose front-control appliances and keep a heat-safe surface right beside them.
Counters too high to work at seated
A standard counter is too high for prep from a wheelchair. We add a lowered section with open knee space, so at least one work area fits a seated cook.
No knee space at the sink
To roll up to the sink you need open space underneath and pipes that can't burn or scrape legs. We build that with a removable front panel for service.
Dim light and low contrast
Aging eyes need more light and clearer edges. We add bright, even task lighting under the cabinets and choose counters that contrast with the floor and cabinet faces.
Everything in a accessible kitchen remodel
- Accessible layoutDrawings that put every work station within reach and leave space to approach it.
- Demolition and protectionWe tear out carefully and keep a safe route through the house during the work.
- Plumbing for a knee-space sinkRerouted drain and supply lines so the space under the sink can stay open.
- Electrical and lightingOutlets and switches at reachable heights, rocker controls and bright task lighting.
- Cabinets and pull-down storageNew cabinets planned for reach, with full-extension drawers and pull-down upper shelves.
- Appliance installationWe set and connect the appliances where the user can reach their controls and doors.
- Flooring and finishingNew floor with level transitions, wall repair and a final check from the user's position.
Materials and options
Full-extension drawersDeep drawers that open all the way, replacing base cabinets with fixed shelves.
D-shaped pulls and rocker switchesLoop handles and wide rocker switches that work with a closed hand.
Slip-resistant flooringMatte porcelain, luxury vinyl plank or sheet flooring with good traction and smooth rolling.
Pull-down shelvingMechanisms that bring upper-cabinet storage down within reach of a seated user.
Induction cooktopsThe cooktop heats the pan, not the glass, and many models stop heating when the pan is removed.
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling across Chicagoland
The same job looks different in a 1920s bungalow, a 1970s split-level and a new subdivision. Here is what we plan for in different parts of the region.
Prewar towns
Older homes with narrow doorways and steps
Many older Oak Park and Evanston houses have narrow kitchen doorways and a step down to the back door. We look at widening openings and leveling transitions as part of the plan.
Postwar suburbs
Ranch homes ready for aging in place
If your pre-1940 ranch is where you plan to stay, the kitchen is the room to rethink first: drawers, wall oven, knee space and better light.
Highland Park, Palatine, Batavia, Tinley Park, Downers Grove, Itasca
Condo and townhome towns
Can a condo kitchen be made accessible?
Usually, within the building's limits. We work around fixed plumbing stacks and follow the association's approval process.
Evanston, Oak Park, Woodridge, Glendale Heights, Itasca, Mount Prospect
Recent accessible kitchen remodel work around Chicagoland
Before
AfterA Schaumburg 1980s two-story: before and after
A 1980s two-story near Town Square, a typical kitchen for Schaumburg. The kitchen as it was: white thermofoil cabinets peeling at the edges, oak trim, white ceramic tile with dark stained grout lines and white appliances. The main complaint was a kitchen that was getting harder to use every year. The result: a lowered charcoal concrete-look quartz counter section with knee space under the sink, cabinets in deep burgundy with brushed nickel bar pulls, pull-down shelves in the uppers, drawers instead of base doors, a side-opening wall oven, a lever faucet and a flush drum fixture and under-cabinet lights. Work included demolition and protection, cabinets and pull-down storage, plus flooring and finishing.
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling in Schaumburg →
Before
AfterEvanston kitchen, brick bungalow from the 1920s: accessible kitchen remodeling
The site: a brick bungalow from the 1920s in Evanston. What we started with: dark stained 1970s oak cabinets with heavy frames, white laminate with a wood edge and a white range and a white refrigerator. The main complaint was an oven door that was hard to use from a seated position. After: a lowered dark soapstone-look quartz counter section with knee space under the sink, cabinets in cream uppers and walnut-stained lowers with satin brass pulls, pull-down shelves in the uppers, drawers instead of base doors, a side-opening wall oven, a lever faucet and two glass pendants and recessed lights. The job covered plumbing for a knee-space sink, cabinets and pull-down storage, plus appliance installation.
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling in Evanston →
Before
AfterBatavia kitchen, 1990s two-story colonial: accessible kitchen remodeling
A 1990s two-story colonial in Batavia, a typical kitchen for Batavia. What we started with: golden-oak cabinets with oak soffits above, white Corian-style solid surface with a yellowed seam and black appliances. What bothered the owners most: a kitchen that was getting harder to use every year. Finished kitchen: a lowered charcoal concrete-look quartz counter section with knee space under the sink, cabinets in light greige with brushed nickel bar pulls, pull-down shelves in the uppers, drawers instead of base doors, a side-opening wall oven, a lever faucet and a flush drum fixture and under-cabinet lights. Work included demolition and protection, electrical and lighting, plus cabinets and pull-down storage.
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling in Batavia →The project, step by step
- Assessment visitAn in-home visit to measure the room and the user, and to talk through current and future needs.
- Design and estimateAccessible layout drawings, appliance choices and a written, itemized estimate.
- Ordering and permitsCabinets, pull-downs and appliances ordered; permits filed when plumbing or wiring changes.
- ConstructionDemolition, plumbing and electrical changes, cabinets, counters and appliances installed.
- Walk-through with the userWe test every drawer, shelf and control with the person who will use them and adjust.
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling: common questions
What counter height works for a wheelchair user?
We measure in the user's own chair. Knee clearance underneath and arm comfort on top decide the height, not a single standard number.
Are there programs that help pay for accessibility remodels?
Some local and state programs, and VA grants for eligible veterans, have helped with home modifications. Ask your township, county or the VA what's currently available; we can supply drawings and written estimates.
How long does an accessible kitchen remodel take?
Usually similar to a standard remodel of the same size, a few weeks of construction after ordering. Partial updates are faster.
What are good aging-in-place kitchen ideas?
Plan for reach and balance: pull-out storage, raised appliances, loop pulls, good lighting and a seat at a counter for prep.
How do you make a kitchen wheelchair accessible?
The essentials are clear floor space at each work area, room to turn, a lowered work surface and sink with knee space, reachable storage and controls, and appliances with doors that open out of the way.
Which towns do you serve?
Chicago and 49 suburbs, from Naperville and Aurora to Evanston, Schaumburg and Orland Park. Pick your town below for local details and ZIP codes.
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling near you
Pick your town for local details, ZIP codes and nearby projects.