Ranch homes ready for aging in place
Single-level 1970s ranches are well suited to aging in place. Updating the kitchen with reachable storage and safer appliances is often the biggest step.
Serving Downers Grove & nearby Lisle, Woodridge
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling in Downers Grove, IL
Kitchens in Downers Grove planned for wheelchairs, walkers and aging in place: reachable storage, knee space and safer appliances.
- Local crews working in Downers Grove ZIP 60515, 60516
- Design, permits and every trade on one schedule
- A written, itemized estimate before any work
What makes a Downers Grove kitchen hard to use, and how we fix it
We rebuild kitchens so they keep working as needs change: for a wheelchair or walker user, for a parent moving in, or for Downers Grove homeowners planning to stay put for decades. Lower work surfaces, drawers instead of deep base shelves and appliances you can use without bending or reaching over heat.
Deep base cabinets you have to kneel into
Base cabinets with doors and fixed shelves are the hardest storage to use. We replace them with deep drawers and roll-out trays.
Slippery floors and thresholds
A small lip at the doorway is a big obstacle for wheels. Level transitions and a matte, slip-resistant floor make the room safer to move through.
An oven door you have to bend under
A wall oven set where the user's hands naturally rest, with a counter or pull-out right next to it, takes the bending and reaching out of baking.
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.
Not enough room to turn around
Narrow aisles and an island in the wrong place trap a wheelchair. We redraw the layout so there is room to approach, turn and back out.
Dishwasher and microwave at awkward heights
Bending into a low dishwasher or reaching up to an over-the-range microwave is hard for many people. A raised dishwasher or drawer model and a drawer microwave below the counter solve both.
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.
What's included
- Needs assessmentWe measure the user's reach, seated height and mobility aid, and ask about current and future needs.
- Doorways and floor transitionsWidening openings and leveling thresholds where the plan calls for it.
- 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.
- Multi-height countertopsCounters at more than one height, including a seated work surface with open knee space.
- Appliance installationWall oven, cooktop, drawer microwave, raised dishwasher or drawer models fitted at usable heights.
- 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.
Lever and touch faucetsSingle-lever or touch-activated faucets that work without gripping or twisting.
Side-opening wall ovensDoors that swing to the side let you reach in without leaning over a hot door.
Pull-down shelvingShelf units that lower out of upper cabinets to counter level with one pull.
Kitchens like yours in Downers Grove: before and after
Before
AfterBefore and after: a postwar Cape Cod in Downers Grove
This one is a postwar Cape Cod near Denburn Woods. What we started with: original birch cabinets painted white decades ago, sagging doors, chrome pulls, laminate with an aluminum edge band and an older white range and a white refrigerator. What bothered the owners most: an oven door that was hard to use from a seated position. After: a lowered black honed granite counter section with knee space under the sink, cabinets in deep burgundy with polished nickel pulls, pull-down shelves in the uppers, drawers instead of base doors, a side-opening wall oven, a lever faucet and black cage pendants and slim recessed lights. On site this meant needs assessment, electrical and lighting, plus appliance installation.
Before
AfterA Lisle 1980s two-story: before and after
A 1980s two-story near Four Lakes Village, a typical kitchen for Lisle. Before: honey-oak cathedral raised-panel cabinets with worn finish near the handles, brass knobs, almond laminate with a backsplash lip and almond appliances. The main complaint was wall cabinets nobody could reach anymore. After: a lowered warm walnut butcher block counter section with knee space under the sink, cabinets in pale mint green 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 two glass pendants and recessed lights. The job covered doorways and floor transitions, plumbing for a knee-space sink, plus electrical and lighting.
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling in Lisle →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a 1980s two-story in Woodridge
A 1980s two-story near The Ridge, a typical kitchen for Woodridge. What we started with: golden-oak cabinets with oak soffits above, white Corian-style solid surface with a yellowed seam and black appliances. The reason for the call: no place to sit and work at the counter. After: 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. The job covered needs assessment, plumbing for a knee-space sink, plus electrical and lighting.
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling in Woodridge →
Before
AfterDowners Grove kitchen, postwar Cape Cod: kitchen design & layout planning
A new layout with an island, cabinets in light greige uppers and muted blue lowers, black honed granite counters and two glass pendants and recessed lights.
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning in Downers Grove →
Before
AfterA Downers Grove 1960s ranch: before and after
Finished: the kitchen extended by a 10-ft bump-out with a row of new windows and a dining area, cabinets in pale mint green with matte black pulls, black honed granite counters, hickory luxury vinyl plank flooring through the old and new space and two glass pendants and recessed lights.
Kitchen Additions in Downers Grove →How your accessible kitchen remodel goes
- Assessment visitWe meet the people who will use the kitchen, measure reach and seated height and look at the room.
- 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 userA final check from the user's chair or standing position, with adjustments on the spot.
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling questions from Downers Grove homeowners
How long does an accessible kitchen remodel take?
It depends on scope: a storage and hardware update can take days, a full re-layout several weeks. You'll get the schedule in writing.
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.
Will an accessible kitchen look institutional?
Not if it's designed well. Universal design features blend into an ordinary, attractive kitchen.
Can you make only part of the kitchen accessible?
Yes. We can phase it, starting with storage, the sink or the oven, as long as the plan leaves room for later changes.
How do you make a kitchen wheelchair accessible?
We start with turning space and approach space, then lower part of the counter, open the sink for knee clearance and move storage into drawers and pull-downs.
What is the Downers Grove building department phone number?
Permits go through Community Development Department, Building Division (https://cvportal.downers.us), phone 630-434-5515. When your scope needs one, we prepare the application and schedule the inspections.
Which Downers Grove homes do you most often see for accessible kitchen remodel?
In Downers Grove we see Mix of housing from mid-19th century onward, Sears and other kit homes and Frequent teardowns replaced by new houses. Each comes with its own walls, wiring and plumbing, and we plan the job around them.
Do I need a permit for accessible kitchen remodel in Downers Grove?
It depends on the scope. Downers Grove's rule in short: Village states most projects require a permit and applications are submitted online; First review about 10 business days. We handle the permit when one is needed with Community Development Department, Building Division.
Do you work in my part of Downers Grove?
Yes. Our crews work across Downers Grove, including Denburn Woods, Shady Lane Estates, E.H. Prince Subdivision — ZIP 60515, 60516 — and nearby Lisle, Woodridge, Oak Brook.
Working in Downers Grove
- A lot of Downers Grove kitchens date from the 1970s. We know these layouts well and what is worth keeping.
- Most Downers Grove homes are single-family. We protect floors and driveways and leave the site clean every day.
- Live in a historic district? Interior kitchen work is usually not reviewed. We check before anything touches the exterior.
Denburn WoodsShady Lane EstatesE.H. Prince Subdivision
ZIP 60515ZIP 60516
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling nearby
Other kitchen services in Downers Grove
Kitchen Design & Layout PlanningLayouts, 3D plans and material picks before work starts.
Kitchen AdditionsBump-outs that add room for an island or dining area.
Kitchen Wall Removal & Structural AssessmentOpen the kitchen up with an engineered beam.
Kitchen RemodelingFull kitchen remodels, from layout to last cabinet pull.
Kitchen Cabinet PaintingFactory-smooth painted cabinets without replacing them.