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 Elk Grove Village & nearby Itasca, Wood Dale
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling in Elk Grove Village, IL
Kitchens in Elk Grove Village planned for wheelchairs, walkers and aging in place: reachable storage, knee space and safer appliances.
- Kitchen remodels across Elk Grove Village ZIP 60007
- One project manager from drawings to final walk-through
- Permits and inspections handled for you
What makes a Elk Grove Village 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 Elk Grove Village 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.
Dishwasher and microwave at awkward heights
Over-the-range microwaves mean lifting hot liquids above eye level. We move the microwave to a drawer or counter height and raise the dishwasher where it helps.
An oven door you have to bend under
A low oven with a drop-down door forces you to lift hot dishes from floor level and over the door. A wall oven at counter height, ideally side-opening, avoids both.
Light switches and outlets out of reach
Controls placed for a standing adult are often out of reach from a chair. We relocate them to reachable heights during the rewiring.
Reaching over hot burners
Back-burner controls and pots behind pots are a burn risk. A cooktop or range with front controls and a nearby landing counter makes cooking safer.
Deep base cabinets you have to kneel into
Pots at the back of a dark cabinet might as well be in the basement. Drawers that open fully put them within one easy reach.
Hard-to-turn knobs and faucet handles
Round knobs and twist handles are hard for arthritic hands. We use D-shaped pulls, lever handles and a single-lever or touch-activated faucet.
No knee space at the sink
A sink base full of doors and pipes means washing up sideways. We open the space under the sink, use a shallower bowl and cover the pipes with a removable panel.
Everything in a accessible kitchen remodel
- Needs assessmentWe measure the user's reach, seated height and mobility aid, and ask about current and future needs.
- Demolition and protectionWe tear out carefully and keep a safe route through the house during the work.
- Doorways and floor transitionsFlush transitions and wider doorways so wheels and walkers pass easily.
- Plumbing for a knee-space sinkShallow sink, rear drain, offset supplies and protected pipes behind a removable panel.
- Multi-height countertopsA lowered prep or sink section alongside standard-height counters for standing cooks.
- Appliance installationWe set and connect the appliances where the user can reach their controls and doors.
- Flooring and finishingSlip-resistant flooring, paint and final adjustment of every door, drawer and pull-down.
Finishes and options
Lever and touch faucetsFaucets you can turn on with a wrist or a tap, with a pull-down spray.
D-shaped pulls and rocker switchesLoop handles and wide rocker switches that work with a closed hand.
Induction cooktopsQuick, precise heat with front controls and a surface that cools faster than gas or radiant.
Side-opening wall ovensDoors that swing to the side let you reach in without leaning over a hot door.
Slip-resistant flooringMatte porcelain, luxury vinyl plank or sheet flooring with good traction and smooth rolling.
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling before and after — Elk Grove Village homes
Before
AfterBefore and after: a 1950s ranch in Elk Grove Village
A 1950s ranch in Elk Grove Village, a typical kitchen for Elk Grove Village. The kitchen as it was: 1970s dark pecan-stained cabinets, light beige laminate and white appliances. What bothered the owners most: wall cabinets nobody could reach anymore. Finished kitchen: a lowered charcoal concrete-look quartz counter section with knee space under the sink, cabinets in pale sage uppers and light gray 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 a flush drum fixture and under-cabinet lights. The job covered needs assessment, doorways and floor transitions, plus multi-height countertops.
Before
AfterAccessible Kitchen Remodeling in a 1990s two-story colonial, Itasca
A 1990s two-story colonial near North Side, a typical kitchen for Itasca. The kitchen as it was: 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. Finished kitchen: 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. Work included needs assessment, demolition and protection, plus doorways and floor transitions.
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling in Itasca →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a 1960s ranch in Wood Dale
This one is a 1960s ranch in Wood Dale. The kitchen as it was: 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: bending to a low oven and reaching over hot burners. The result: 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. The job covered needs assessment, plumbing for a knee-space sink, plus flooring and finishing.
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling in Wood Dale →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a postwar Cape Cod in Elk Grove Village
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 Elk Grove Village →
Before
AfterAn Elk Grove Village postwar bi-level: 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 Elk Grove Village →The project, step by step
- 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 userWe test every drawer, shelf and control with the person who will use them and adjust.
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling questions from Elk Grove Village homeowners
Should I hire a CAPS-certified remodeler?
CAPS is a training designation from the National Association of Home Builders. Ask any remodeler about their aging-in-place experience and training; we'll tell you who on our team plans these kitchens.
Do I need a permit?
It depends on the work. We pull the permit for plumbing, electrical or structural changes and schedule the inspections.
How long does an accessible kitchen remodel take?
Often several weeks on site once cabinets and appliances arrive. Plumbing moves and doorway changes add time; we give a written schedule first.
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.
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.
Which Elk Grove Village homes do you most often see for accessible kitchen remodel?
In Elk Grove Village we see Planned suburban community founded 1950s-60s, most houses built by Centex and 1970s apartment communities, some later converted to condos. Each comes with its own walls, wiring and plumbing, and we plan the job around them.
Do you work in my part of Elk Grove Village?
Yes. Our crews work across Elk Grove Village — ZIP 60007 — and nearby Itasca, Wood Dale, Schaumburg.
Working in Elk Grove Village
- A lot of Elk Grove Village kitchens date from the 1970s. We know these layouts well and what is worth keeping.
- Most Elk Grove Village homes are single-family. We protect floors and driveways and leave the site clean every day.
- Older paint is treated with lead-safe practices: containment, HEPA cleanup and a clean hand-over.
ZIP 60007
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling nearby
Other kitchen services in Elk Grove Village
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.