topic Re: Kitchen Cabinets to the Ceiling in Home

Kitchen Cabinets to the Ceiling

sometimesQVCaddict — Sun, 28 Feb 2021 14:56:08 GMT

I guess seeing all these posts with kitchens and also online, got me thinking. When I redid my kitchen about a year ago, I had the cabinets installed flush to the ceiling. Kinda because I have a small kitchen and wanted to maximize space/usage and also because I am not a fan of empty space to the ceiling above kitchen cabinets personally. It just looks 'unfinished'. Plus doesn't everything up there get dusty/greasy?? I had minimal tiny open shelving on either side of my old kitchen and taking that stuff down when it was gutted realized how truly FILTHY stuff got up there! And I thought I kept up by dusting. Apparently not! Even if you're clean, are you scrubbing on top of the cabinets weekly and anything and everything up there also weekly if not daily? If not, it's gonna get gross! I guess it's an issue with me now that I saw the horrors of what I had. lol

Open shelving in a kitchen? Open space above cabinets? Only for a photo shoot or as a prop in a space that will never be cooked in!

Re: Kitchen Cabinets to the Ceiling

Sooner — Sun, 28 Feb 2021 15:10:00 GMT

@sometimesQVCaddict I don't think having cabinets to the ceiling will solve the problem. They are not airtight and anything floating around in the kitchen will get there too.

It isn't difficult to clean above cabinets. Lots of impliments will reach that and a step stool helps even. more. I don't see it as a big deal.

Re: Kitchen Cabinets to the Ceiling

Puppy Lips — Sun, 28 Feb 2021 15:22:14 GMT

We had our kitchen painted last November and I had to take down the decorations I had above my cabinets. In all honesty, they were not that dirty. It was a few ceramic pots and a few baskets. Now, mind you, we are not cooking up a greasy/steamy storm everyday. After the painting, I put even more things up there and it looks nice.

Now my MIL, may she rest in peace, is another story. When we cleared out her house, the stuff above the cabinets was disgusting. You could not tell by looking up there beforehand, but holding the items was disgusting - dust sticking to grease.

As far as cleaning up there every week, surely you jest, LOL!

Re: Kitchen Cabinets to the Ceiling

sometimesQVCaddict — Sun, 28 Feb 2021 15:26:56 GMT

The point is closed cabinets prevent dust and dirt and grease getting on your stuff. I don't get dust etc. on anything inside my closed cabinets. If they're made cheaply and/or have wide gaps, sure stuff could get in. Otherwise I would highly doubt it. I didn't even have open space above the cabinets prior to my renovation. Different strokes for different folks!

It took a lot of years of savings to be able to gut my kitchen! I had no choice before and had to deal with what I had.

Re: Kitchen Cabinets to the Ceiling

depglass — Sun, 28 Feb 2021 15:28:56 GMT

One nice thing about deorating the top of the kitchen cabinets, you can't SEE the dust and grease. So cleaning weekly? You are kidding. I only have a real problem above the stove as my kitchen fan doesn't suck in the vaporized fat floating around. Do any of them really work that well? This reminds me that spring cleaning is upon me.

Re: Kitchen Cabinets to the Ceiling

sometimesQVCaddict — Sun, 28 Feb 2021 15:29:37 GMT

I find myself cleaning a bright new shiny kitchen more than I had prior in my 60 year old kitchen for sure! lol Yes, I clean weekly, some spots daily! I'm a freak, I know! It takes a few minutes. I only deep clean about once a month.

Re: Kitchen Cabinets to the Ceiling

stevieb — Sun, 28 Feb 2021 15:45:54 GMT

Either way you gain something and you lose something. My kitchen has a soffit across one wall so the cabinets on that side couldn't be flush with the ceiling even if I wanted them too. It also would make no sense to have one side flush and the other not. Regardless, the cabinets I have came with the place and I have no plans to replace them. On the one hand, I enjoy the added display space for teapots, blue and white and copper pieces. On the other hand, the added closed storage space would be nice. Yes, I have to dust the area but that's the way it goes. It's no big deal.

Re: Kitchen Cabinets to the Ceiling

NicksmomESQ — Sun, 28 Feb 2021 16:19:18 GMT

My kitchen cabinets don't go to the ceiling.About every 3 or 4 months DH gets on a step stool with the cordless hand vac & cleans it.Sometimes he'll run a damp sponge over it .It takes him all of 10 minutes.No big deal.

Re: Kitchen Cabinets to the Ceiling

violann — Sun, 28 Feb 2021 16:25:39 GMT

No excuses, I personally intensely dislike soffits, because to me, they represent wasted space.

I'm hoping to have my cabinets extended to the ceiling as soon as we replace our appliances, with doors enclosing the new space above the present cabinets.

Re: Kitchen Cabinets to the Ceiling

stevieb — Sun, 28 Feb 2021 16:38:44 GMT

Well actually, soffits often can't be easily removed because they house pipes, ducts or other things... If one is able to and chooses to rerun pipes, ducts etc., sure they can be eliminated, but for some folks, like me, it's not worth it... If they serve no purpose then for sure, have at it and tear them out if you choose...

Re: Kitchen Cabinets to the Ceiling

Katcat1 — Sun, 28 Feb 2021 17:34:31 GMT

I had my kitchen cabinets to the ceiling in my townhome (no longer own) and I never had problems with dust or grease. I believe the use of appliance fans helps that problem. I liked the to the ceiling cabinets as I stored hardly ever used item up there.

Re: Kitchen Cabinets to the Ceiling

Peaches McPhee — Sun, 28 Feb 2021 17:36:26 GMT

I agree about this. I think ALOT of kitchens look great in a photo, or just after you cleaned it up, but not day-to-day. Where is the coffee maker, the toaster, the bread, the fruit? All the normal stuff that is in a kitchen. This is why I don't like open kitchens.

Re: Kitchen Cabinets to the Ceiling

Katcat1 — Sun, 28 Feb 2021 17:37:30 GMT

When I lived in an apt. there were not many cabinets so I bought a Metro cart. I stored my dishes on the top shelf, and the I realy don't remember what else. But, what I did was wash the dish(es) before using incase they were dusty.

Re: Kitchen Cabinets to the Ceiling

jeanlake — Sun, 28 Feb 2021 18:57:56 GMT

I like my cabinets to the ceiling. I store cookbooks, straw baskets, seldom used kitchen gadgets and appliances up there. Plus, I don't like a lot of stuff sitting on top of cabinets.

Re: Kitchen Cabinets to the Ceiling

Sooner — Sun, 28 Feb 2021 19:12:10 GMT

@depglass wrote:
One nice thing about deorating the top of the kitchen cabinets, you can't SEE the dust and grease. So cleaning weekly? You are kidding. I only have a real problem above the stove as my kitchen fan doesn't suck in the vaporized fat floating around. Do any of them really work that well? This reminds me that spring cleaning is upon me.

@depglass Good question! Do ANY of those exhaust fans really work? We have had 2 pop-ups, one an expensive one, and it pulled the flame sideways, and I am thinking of replacing the current one with a re-circulating hood vent.

The way our house is built, we can't vent to the outside. And there is a pretty long run to the outside for the downdraft.

So do any of you have comments on that issue? Thanks if so! We don't have a grease problem really because we don't fry, but smells accumulate sometimes.

Re: Kitchen Cabinets to the Ceiling

Carmie — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 05:28:04 GMT

I prefer kitchen cabinets that go up to the ceiling. They are usually custom made cabinets.

Cabinets floating on the walls with space above them are stock cabinets. When I see very expensive homes with these cabinets, I am always disappointed. Someone cut corners to save money.

I do not like open shelves either. I would have to rewash my dishes if they were stored on open shelves. My house is dusty.

I do have some cabinet door with glass fronts. I keep pretty dishes that I don't use every day in there so they don't get sloppy looking.

I agree with @stevieb that pipes are often behind soffits and they can't be removed, especially if there is a bath above the kitchen area.

Re: Kitchen Cabinets to the Ceiling

Sooner — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 04:17:00 GMT

We had soffits removed in our old house and it made a big difference. I don't like cabinets to the ceiling because to me it makes them too tall and it's claustrophobic

I really prefer a little air above them. This house has taller ceilings but there's still an area above the cabinets. So I guess part depends on how tall your kitchen ceilings are what will look best or be overwhelming (at least to me).

Re: Kitchen Cabinets to the Ceiling

Icegoddess — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 04:24:53 GMT

My cabinets are to the ceiling except the ones in the walkway between the kitchen and dining room. I'm glad because we get a lot of dust in our house for whatever reason. Even the top cabinet in my closet which I can't even reach areas of standing on a step-stool get covered in dust. I don't feel the need to decorate over my cabinets and I prefer the exta in-cabinet storage space.

As far as hoods and fans go, I have an older Jenn-aire with the downdraft vents and I can say those don't work worth a darn. I dream of getting one of those industrial type fans in my kitchen, but I would also have to give up some cabinet storage space to do it, not to speak of the cost.

Re: Kitchen Cabinets to the Ceiling

Nonametoday — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 04:35:49 GMT

@stevieb wrote:
Well actually, soffits often can't be easily removed because they house pipes, ducts or other things... If one is able to and chooses to rerun pipes, ducts etc., sure they can be eliminated, but for some folks, like me, it's not worth it... If they serve no purpose then for sure, have at it and tear them out if you choose...

@stevieb

Exactly and now they are disguising that with slanted ceilings, those bedrooms with the soffit in the decorative designs. They are there and the covers cannot be removed. Otherwise, you are totally industrial. It's also known as a bulkhead to cover pipes and various essentials. It can house snakes, however, as they can come in from the attic and speaking of attic, that too can house pesky animals and reptiles.

Re: Kitchen Cabinets to the Ceiling

Drythe — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 17:01:45 GMT

I think a lot depends on the ceiling height. My ceilings are over 9 feet, so cabinets to the ceiling would be useless, as I couldn't reach anything even with a 3 step stool.

In my home, anything that can be stored that far out of reach

can be eliminated.