Ranch homes ready for aging in place
Single-level 1990s ranches are well suited to aging in place. Updating the kitchen with reachable storage and safer appliances is often the biggest step.
Serving Naperville & nearby Lisle, Warrenville
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling in Naperville, IL
Kitchens in Naperville planned for wheelchairs, walkers and aging in place: reachable storage, knee space and safer appliances.
- Local crews working in Naperville ZIP 60540, 60563, 60564, 60565
- Design, permits and every trade on one schedule
- A written, itemized estimate before any work
What makes a Naperville kitchen hard to use, and how we fix it
Whether you need full wheelchair access now or simply want to age in place in your Naperville home, we design and build the kitchen around real reach ranges and turning space. The result should look like a well-made kitchen, not a clinic.
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.
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.
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.
Light switches and outlets out of reach
We move switches lower, add outlets at the front edge or in the cabinet face and use rocker switches anyone can press.
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.
Slippery floors and thresholds
Glossy tile gets slick when wet and raised thresholds catch walker feet. We choose slip-resistant flooring and keep transitions flush.
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.
- 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.
- Cabinets and pull-down storageDrawer-heavy base cabinets, pull-down shelving, roll-outs and pantry pull-outs installed and adjusted.
- 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.
Choices you'll make
Pull-down shelvingShelf units that lower out of upper cabinets to counter level with one pull.
Side-opening wall ovensA wall oven with a side-hinged door, set at counter height and paired with a pull-out shelf.
Lever and touch faucetsFaucets you can turn on with a wrist or a tap, with a pull-down spray.
Full-extension drawersDeep drawers that open all the way, replacing base cabinets with fixed shelves.
D-shaped pulls and rocker switchesHardware and controls that don't require pinching, grasping or twisting.
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling before and after — Naperville homes
Before
AfterNaperville kitchen, 1980s two-story: accessible kitchen remodeling
The site: a 1980s two-story near Highlands. What we started with: white thermofoil cabinets peeling at the edges, oak trim, white ceramic tile with dark stained grout lines and white appliances. What bothered the owners most: a kitchen that was getting harder to use every year. Finished kitchen: a lowered charcoal concrete-look quartz counter section with knee space under the sink, cabinets in deep burgundy 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. Work included needs assessment, accessible layout, plus appliance installation.
Before
AfterLisle kitchen, 1990s two-story colonial: accessible kitchen remodeling
The site: a 1990s two-story colonial in Lisle. What we started with: 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 no place to sit and work at the counter. The result: 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 cabinets and pull-down storage, multi-height countertops, plus appliance installation.
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling in Lisle →
Before
AfterA Warrenville two-story colonial from the 1990s: before and after
The site: a two-story colonial from the 1990s near Saddle Ridge. The kitchen as it was: 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. On site this meant plumbing for a knee-space sink, cabinets and pull-down storage, plus appliance installation.
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling in Warrenville →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a two-story colonial from the 1990s in Naperville
Finished: a new layout with an island, cabinets in white uppers and dusty blue lowers, warm walnut butcher block counters and recessed lights and under-cabinet LED strips.
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning in Naperville →
Before
AfterNaperville kitchen, 1980s two-story: kitchen additions
The kitchen extended by a 10-ft bump-out with a row of new windows and a dining area, cabinets in light sand beige with unlacquered brass knobs and cup pulls, warm walnut butcher block counters, light oak luxury vinyl plank flooring through the old and new space and black cage pendants and slim recessed lights.
Kitchen Additions in Naperville →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 permitsWe order materials and handle any permit the work needs.
- 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 Naperville homeowners
Should I hire a CAPS-certified remodeler?
It's a useful credential to ask about. Equally important is seeing how the contractor plans clearances, reach and appliance heights for your situation.
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.
Will an accessible kitchen look institutional?
It shouldn't. Pull-downs, drawers and wall ovens are standard in many high-end kitchens; the accessibility is in the measurements, not the look.
Can you make only part of the kitchen accessible?
Yes. Many projects add one lowered work area, a knee-space sink, pull-down storage and a wall oven while keeping the rest of the kitchen as it is.
How do you make a kitchen wheelchair accessible?
By planning around the chair: aisles wide enough to turn, knee space at the sink and a prep counter, storage within reach and appliances set at usable heights.
Which Naperville homes do you most often see for accessible kitchen remodel?
In Naperville we see historic district homes from the 1800s and rapid suburban growth 1960s-1990s. Each comes with its own walls, wiring and plumbing, and we plan the job around them.
What is the Naperville building department phone number?
Permits go through Transportation, Engineering and Development (TED) Business Group, Building Permits, phone (630) 420-6100, Option 2. When your scope needs one, we prepare the application and schedule the inspections.
Do I need a permit for accessible kitchen remodel in Naperville?
It depends on the scope. Naperville's rule in short: Remodeling such as kitchens requires a permit, as do electrical work (minor repairs and low-voltage excepted), plumbing pipe/fixture installation or rearrangement, and structural changes. We handle the permit when one is needed with Transportation, Engineering and Development (TED) Business Group, Building Permits.
Do you work in my part of Naperville?
Yes. Our crews work across Naperville, including Downtown Naperville, Highlands, Tamarack — ZIP 60540, 60563, 60564, 60565 — and nearby Lisle, Warrenville, Bolingbrook.
Working in Naperville
- A lot of Naperville kitchens date from the 1990s. We know these layouts well and what is worth keeping.
- Most Naperville homes are single-family. We protect floors and driveways and leave the site clean every day.
- Live in the Naperville Historic District? Interior kitchen work is usually not reviewed. We check before anything touches the exterior.
Downtown NapervilleHighlandsTamarack
ZIP 60540ZIP 60563ZIP 60564ZIP 60565
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling nearby
Other kitchen services in Naperville
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.