Ranch homes ready for aging in place
A one-floor 1960s home already avoids stairs; the kitchen is where reach and bending become a problem. We fix that part.
Serving Mount Prospect & nearby Des Plaines, Arlington Heights
Kitchens in Mount Prospect planned for wheelchairs, walkers and aging in place: reachable storage, knee space and safer appliances.
We rebuild kitchens so they keep working as needs change: for a wheelchair or walker user, for a parent moving in, or for Mount Prospect 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.
A one-floor 1960s home already avoids stairs; the kitchen is where reach and bending become a problem. We fix that part.
Small condo kitchens leave little room to turn. We open the plan where the building allows and choose compact appliances that keep the floor clear.
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.
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.
Small knobs, tight faucets and toggle switches all need pinching or twisting. We replace them with loop pulls, lever faucets and large rocker switches.
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.
If it's hard to see where the counter ends, add contrast. A light counter on dark cabinets, or a contrasting edge, plus strong under-cabinet light helps.
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.
Before
AfterThis one is a 1950s ranch in Mount Prospect. Before: 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. Work included accessible layout, electrical and lighting, plus multi-height countertops.
Before
AfterA 1950s ranch in Des Plaines, a typical kitchen for Des Plaines. Before: 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 needs assessment, accessible layout, plus doorways and floor transitions.
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling in Des Plaines →
Before
AfterA 1960s ranch in Arlington Heights, a typical kitchen for Arlington Heights. 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. 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. On site this meant accessible layout, doorways and floor transitions, plus flooring and finishing.
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling in Arlington Heights →
Before
AfterA 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 Mount Prospect →
Before
AfterFinished: 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 Mount Prospect →ZIP 60056ZIP 60005
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.
Call us — we'll check your ZIP, answer your questions and book an in-home estimate.