Ranch homes ready for aging in place
Single-level 1960s ranches are well suited to aging in place. Updating the kitchen with reachable storage and safer appliances is often the biggest step.
Serving Lombard & nearby Villa Park, Glen Ellyn
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling in Lombard, IL
Kitchens in Lombard planned for wheelchairs, walkers and aging in place: reachable storage, knee space and safer appliances.
- Local crews working in Lombard ZIP 60148
- Design, permits and every trade on one schedule
- A written, itemized estimate before any work
What makes a Lombard 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 Lombard 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.
Condo kitchens with tight footprints
In a condo every inch matters and the plumbing stack may not move. We work within it and still create knee space and reachable storage.
Counters too high to work at seated
Chopping at shoulder height wears you out. A work surface at seated height, or a counter at two heights, lets each cook work comfortably.
Dishwasher and microwave at awkward heights
We set appliances at heights the user can reach: dishwasher drawers or a raised dishwasher, a microwave drawer and a fridge with the freezer below.
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.
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.
Dim light and low contrast
Shadows on the counter and same-color surfaces make cooking harder for low vision. Task lighting and contrasting finishes fix both.
No knee space at the sink
We convert the sink area to a knee-space design: a shallow sink, a rear drain, insulated or enclosed pipes and an open front.
What's included
- 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 sinkRerouted drain and supply lines so the space under the sink can stay open.
- Electrical and lightingRewiring for lowered controls, under-cabinet lights and appliance circuits.
- Cabinets and pull-down storageDrawer-heavy base cabinets, pull-down shelving, roll-outs and pantry pull-outs installed and adjusted.
- Flooring and finishingSlip-resistant flooring, paint and final adjustment of every door, drawer and pull-down.
Choices you'll make
Lever and touch faucetsSingle-lever or touch-activated faucets that work without gripping or twisting.
Side-opening wall ovensA wall oven with a side-hinged door, set at counter height and paired with a pull-out shelf.
Full-extension drawersDrawers on full-extension slides so nothing hides at the back.
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.
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling before and after — Lombard homes
Before
AfterBefore and after: a 1950s ranch in Lombard
A 1950s ranch in Lombard, a typical kitchen for Lombard. 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: 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. Work included accessible layout, plumbing for a knee-space sink, plus cabinets and pull-down storage.
Before
AfterBefore and after: a postwar Cape Cod in Glen Ellyn
A postwar Cape Cod in Glen Ellyn, a typical kitchen for Glen Ellyn. The kitchen as it was: dark walnut-stained flush-panel cabinets with brass pulls, speckled laminate and a built-in wall oven and a cooktop in harvest gold. What bothered the owners most: having to reach across burners and bend at the oven. After: a lowered bright white quartz counter section with knee space under the sink, cabinets in cream uppers and walnut-stained lowers with polished nickel 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. On site this meant plumbing for a knee-space sink, cabinets and pull-down storage, plus flooring and finishing.
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling in Glen Ellyn →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a postwar Cape Cod in Lombard
Finished: 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 Lombard →
Before
AfterLombard kitchen, postwar Cape Cod: kitchen additions
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 Lombard →
Before
AfterLombard kitchen, 1950s ranch: kitchen wall removal & structural assessment
Finished: the wall removed and a flush beam in the ceiling, the kitchen open to the next room, cabinets in light warm taupe with polished nickel pulls, bright white quartz counters, black-and-white checkerboard tile flooring through both rooms and a flush drum fixture and under-cabinet lights.
Kitchen Wall Removal & Structural Assessment in Lombard →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 Lombard homeowners
Can a condo kitchen be made accessible?
Yes, in most cases. Compact appliances, drawer storage and a knee-space work area fit many condo footprints.
Will an accessible kitchen look institutional?
No. With good cabinets, counters and lighting, most visitors will never notice what was planned for access.
What does an accessible kitchen remodel cost?
We price it after measuring the room and the user. The estimate lists each change so you can decide what to include now.
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.
What counter height works for a wheelchair user?
It depends on the person and the chair. ADA guidance tops out at 34 inches for accessible work surfaces; at home we often measure the user and set a section lower if that suits them better.
Can you do accessible kitchen remodel in a Lombard condo?
Associations usually set rules for work hours, elevators, deliveries and insurance, and many require approval for plumbing, electrical or structural changes. We provide the certificate of insurance and follow the building's rules.
Lombard building permit for accessible kitchen remodel: where do I apply?
Permits go through Building Division, Community Development and Building, phone (630) 620-5750. When your scope needs one, we prepare the application and schedule the inspections.
Lombard contractor registration: do kitchen contractors need it?
Contractors must register with the Village: $100 fee, valid 1 year, online or via Building Division; insurance certificate with at least $300,000 liability coverage. We take care of that before work starts.
Do I need a permit for accessible kitchen remodel in Lombard?
It depends on the scope. Lombard's rule in short: Village requires a building permit for new structures and updates to existing structures; replacing interior doors and fixtures at the same size with no structural change needs no permit. We handle the permit when one is needed with Building Division, Community Development and Building.
Do you work in my part of Lombard?
Yes. Our crews work across Lombard — ZIP 60148 — and nearby Villa Park, Glen Ellyn, Addison.
Working in Lombard
- A lot of Lombard kitchens date from the 1960s. We know these layouts well and what is worth keeping.
- Condo or townhome? We follow association rules on work hours and elevators and bring the insurance certificate your board asks for.
- We know how Building Division, Community Development and Building handles kitchen permits and pull them for you.
ZIP 60148
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling nearby
Other kitchen services in Lombard
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.