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.
Serving Highland Park & nearby Northbrook, Glenview
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling in Highland Park, IL
Kitchens in Highland Park planned for wheelchairs, walkers and aging in place: reachable storage, knee space and safer appliances.
- Kitchen remodels across Highland Park ZIP 60035
- One project manager from drawings to final walk-through
- Permits and inspections handled for you
What makes a Highland Park 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 Highland Park 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.
Reaching over hot burners
Controls should never require reaching across heat. Front-mounted controls, staggered burners in use and an induction option all help.
Light switches and outlets out of reach
Outlets at the back of a deep counter and switches high on the wall are hard to use seated. We place controls within easy reach and at the front of work areas where possible.
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.
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.
Wall cabinets out of reach
Most upper cabinets sit above a comfortable reach for a seated user. We lower some, fit pull-down racks in others and shift daily dishes below the counter.
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
Small knobs, tight faucets and toggle switches all need pinching or twisting. We replace them with loop pulls, lever faucets and large rocker switches.
What the project covers
- Needs assessmentA visit to understand who uses the kitchen, how they move and what they find hard today.
- Accessible layoutDrawings that put every work station within reach and leave space to approach it.
- Doorways and floor transitionsWidening openings and leveling thresholds where the plan calls for it.
- Plumbing for a knee-space sinkShallow sink, rear drain, offset supplies and protected pipes behind a removable panel.
- Electrical and lightingRewiring for lowered controls, under-cabinet lights and appliance circuits.
- 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.
Choices you'll make
D-shaped pulls and rocker switchesLoop handles and wide rocker switches that work with a closed hand.
Side-opening wall ovensDoors that swing to the side let you reach in without leaning over a hot door.
Lever and touch faucetsFaucets you can turn on with a wrist or a tap, with a pull-down spray.
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.
Kitchens like yours in Highland Park: before and after
Before
AfterBefore and after: a postwar bi-level in Highland Park
The site: a postwar bi-level near Downtown Highland Park. Before: 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. The reason for the call: an oven door that was hard to use from a seated position. 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. Work included doorways and floor transitions, cabinets and pull-down storage, plus appliance installation.
Before
AfterAccessible Kitchen Remodeling in a 1980s two-story, Buffalo Grove
This one is a 1980s two-story in Buffalo Grove. What we started with: golden-oak cabinets with oak soffits above, white Corian-style solid surface with a yellowed seam and black appliances. The main complaint was a kitchen that was getting harder to use every year. 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. On site this meant needs assessment, doorways and floor transitions, plus electrical and lighting.
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling in Buffalo Grove →
Before
AfterA Mount Prospect postwar bi-level: before and after
This one is a postwar bi-level in Mount Prospect. What we started with: 1970s dark pecan-stained cabinets, light beige laminate and white appliances. The reason for the call: no place to sit and work at the counter. The result: 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. On site this meant accessible layout, cabinets and pull-down storage, plus appliance installation.
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling in Mount Prospect →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a postwar Cape Cod in Highland Park
A new layout with an island, cabinets in two-tone, white quartz counters and black cage pendants and slim recessed lights.
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning in Highland Park →
Before
AfterA Highland Park postwar Cape Cod: 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 deep olive with polished nickel pulls, warm walnut butcher block counters, light oak hardwood flooring through the old and new space and two glass pendants and recessed lights.
Kitchen Additions in Highland Park →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.
- ConstructionRough-ins, inspections, then cabinets, multi-height counters, flooring and fixtures.
- 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 Highland Park homeowners
What does an accessible kitchen remodel cost?
It depends on how much changes: moving plumbing for a knee-space sink, adding a wall oven, new cabinets and any doorway or floor work. We give a written, itemized estimate after the visit.
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.
What are good aging-in-place kitchen ideas?
Bring storage to waist height, take the bending out of the oven and dishwasher, and improve light and contrast. Those changes help at any age.
Do residential kitchens have to meet ADA requirements?
The ADA doesn't govern single-family kitchens, but its measurements are a sensible starting point. A home kitchen can be fitted more precisely to its user.
What counter height works for a wheelchair user?
There isn't one right height. We combine a seated section fitted to the user with standard counters for anyone standing.
What kind of Highland Park homes do you work in?
In Highland Park we see Ravinia District retains early artists' colony character and architecture. Each comes with its own walls, wiring and plumbing, and we plan the job around them.
Do I need a Highland Park-registered contractor for accessible kitchen remodel?
The City publishes contractor requirements on its Building Division page (new building codes effective March 1, 2026). We take care of that before work starts.
Do you work in my part of Highland Park?
Yes. Our crews work across Highland Park, including Ravinia District, Downtown Highland Park, Port Clinton, St. John's — ZIP 60035 — and nearby Northbrook, Glenview, Buffalo Grove.
Working in Highland Park
- A lot of Highland Park kitchens date from the pre-1940. We know these layouts well and what is worth keeping.
- Most Highland Park 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.
Ravinia DistrictDowntown Highland ParkPort ClintonSt. John's
ZIP 60035
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling nearby
Other kitchen services in Highland Park
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.