Why are kitchen cabinets not made to reach the top of the ceiling?

10 years ago

Many of you know, I'm redoing my kitchen, planning on putting it on the market in the spring. Why do the old cabinets stop about 10 inches from the ceiling? It seems idiotic to me- an unusable space that is wasted and ugly, and just collects dust! Is there a reason they did this? This kitchen is only 10 years old- not from the 50's! My thought is to just build fake cabinets to the ceiling, with trim- so it isn't so ugly. Am I right or wrong?

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Denita

10 years ago

Personally I like the cabinets to go to the ceiling, or to have a deep molding above so there is no space. Here is a sample of one style of cabinets to the ceiling. To me the 10 inches of space above the cabinets is nothing but a dust collector ...
https://www.houzz.com/photos/285-central-park-west-kitchen-transitional-kitchen-new-york-phvw-vp~735859

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Comments (18)

PRO
essentials inside
10 years ago
Hi leslie1228! That is a good question & one that I had myself. I am posting here to follow to see what designers or builders have to say about it. :)

~Lyvonne
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Lynda
10 years ago
Just my opinion, but if you have ceilings 10 ft. or more, I think it looks strange to have cabinets that go that high. The cabinets would be unusable. I have to use a stepladder to get to the top shelf of my not-to-ceiling cabinets. Also, I really like the open space above the cabinets - seems less "heavy" to me. I just keep paper on top and replace once a month to clean. Easy.
leslie1228 thanked Lynda
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I love the tall units but you need to go straight to the ceiling to prevent dust and dirt settling on the top. I would put a row of small up and over cupboards along the very top as an option. Very handy for unsightly bulky items. I don't like the end open shelves by sink very dated but what you could do is a long double shelf all the way along the island with a wine racking either side for balance vertically. I think shelving each side of the sink would be better. You have a lot of cupboards but no deep drawers which are highly valued these days. Good selling point. I Like your colour suggestions... The little Greene paint company have a lovely grey so does farrow and ball. Where are you sourcing your Quartz and what flooring? Do your ovens have easy open shelf doors ..handy as they retract so don't get in the way as you take food out..Neff offer best ones. If you want a better balance of tall you could always do fridge freezer one side and pull out pantry on the other with racking. Then on sink side don't go all the way along the wall just have it as centred space so you can pull out larder doors. On your island you will need your bin as this'll be prep area? What is the room opposite tall cupboards? Need the island to look good from that side as that is what you will see. Hope of help. I'm embarking on the same thing and have spent hours and hours researching!
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hayleydaniels
10 years ago
From what I can tell, the newer style of cabinets going all the way to the ceiling is very recent. My cabinets were put in in the late '90s and have the gap above them. At the time, I think that was the way it was.

If you can find a way to build up your cabinets without them looking strange, it should enhance the look of your kitchen and help with the sale of your house.
leslie1228 thanked hayleydaniels
condomary
10 years ago
I like what Denita posted, with a separate set of cabinets at the top, if the ceilings are high enough.
leslie1228 thanked condomary
suzanne_m
10 years ago
My sister put wax paper on top of her cabinets. It is the perfect width and she just unrolls it for the length she needs.
leslie1228 thanked suzanne_m
PRO
OnePlan
10 years ago
Not sure of your location, but European kitchens come in a vast array of sizes that could help ! Doubling up works as previously suggested - most people put the smaller cabinet on the top - but if you do it the other way around - it's easier to open both cabinets and see what's stored all the way to the top! If it's a large kitchen and there's enough room - you could have a 'library ladder' that runs on a rod around the high cabinets too !

Nb if you prefer the look of the smaller cabinet in top - but would find it useful to see what's inside withouth having to get the step ladders out each time - ask your fitter to strap the small door to the larger one - so both open when you open the bottom one !!
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User
10 years ago
Impossible to reach high cabinets are very expensive, pose safety issues and don't store much.

This is poor design.
leslie1228 thanked User
feeny
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
I love the look of cabinets that go to the ceiling and find the extra storage hugely valuable in a small kitchen (in a big kitchen they are more decorative). Even though we have to use a small step stool (which we had made and painted the color of the cabinets) to reach the less frequently used items on the top shelves, we increased our storage space substantially by extending our cabinets to the ceiling when we renovated. But as ceilings are different heights, usually you need custom or semi-custom cabinetry to extend the cabinets to the correct dimensions, so it is cheaper to have space above them open because it allows you to buy standard sizes. And of course some ceilings are just too tall or have pitched roofs that make it impossible.
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Ed
10 years ago
Hi Leslie, how high is your kitchen ceiling ?
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PRO
D.C. Snelling Limited
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
There has been 2 standard sizes of upper cabinets for as long as I can remember, 30" and 42" for a 8' ceiling. The usual reason for the 30" cabinet is the cost. I personally like the 42" as you can hide more "stuff" that you use sparingly.
The 2 easiest solutions to close up the space above is to install a drywall bulkhead over the cabinets or to close the space up with trim and flat stock materials
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PRO
Dytecture
10 years ago
This is one area where builders' try to cut construction costs.
leslie1228 thanked Dytecture
leelee
10 years ago
It must be cheaper and a short cut for the builder. You are right to close the space with a crown moulding that will blend with your home's style. A much more finished look.
leslie1228 thanked leelee
Lynda
10 years ago
Sorry, but I don't think it's always about cutting costs - for me, it was strictly about what I like. I dislike the look of upper cabinets that total 6 ft. tall.
leslie1228 thanked Lynda
Curt D'Onofrio
10 years ago
Agreeing with Lynda.: For ceilings 10' or greater my preference is that the cabinets should not extend way to the ceiling. In my personal experience, the top of the cabinets can serve to hold collectibles or pictures. For 8' ceilings, my preference is for the cabinets to be butted against the ceiling. Again, it's about personal perference
leslie1228 thanked Curt D'Onofrio
PRO
Darlene Somrak, CKD of Somrak Kitchens, Inc.
10 years ago
It is all about cost and personal preference. The cabinetry that we sell offer heights from 10 1/2" to 60". The taller the cabinetry, the more expensive so some builders and clients simply use a shorter cabinet to keep the cost down. Others don't want the space on top and fill it in with a matching "soffit panel" and moldings. In the old days most kitchens had drywall soffits above either as an inexpensive way to fill the space or to hide plumbing and electrical lines.
leslie1228 thanked Darlene Somrak, CKD of Somrak Kitchens, Inc.
carolkelley
8 years ago
This is a late contribution to the thread, but my house was built in the mid-60s and has cabinets to go all the way to the ceiling. It is not just a recent trend.
ejwejw
3 years ago
I'm remodeling my kitchen. If I get 2 shorter cabinets, they can be stacked so that the bottom of the lower cabinet is at the "standard" height, and the top of the upper cabinet is at the ceiling. This give 2 doors high, the lower doors I can reach without assistance, and the upper doors that I can keep my Christmas cookie cutters, my summer-use dehydrator, my Scandinavian rosette irons, and other things that I don't need on a daily/weekly basis, but they are still easily available in my kitchen. I can't reach the top shelf of standard cabinets without my kitchen 3-step ladder anyway. I don't have to worry about 10' ceilings and I don't have another monthly maintenance chore to clean the tops. Wasted space is wasted space.

Why are kitchen cabinets not made to reach the top of the ceiling?

Denita

Comments (18)

essentials inside

Lynda

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