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[sometimesQVCaddict]

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!

[Sooner]

@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. 

[Puppy Lips]

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!

[sometimesQVCaddict]

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.

[depglass]

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.  

[sometimesQVCaddict]

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.

[stevieb]

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.

[NicksmomESQ]

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.

[violann]

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.

[stevieb]

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...