Kitchen cupboards to the ceiling - can I do it on a budget?

[ATouchOfStuffing]

I really don't want a gap above the wall cupboards in my new kitchen. Am heading to 3 kitchen companies to do planning next week and was wondering if I can ask them to put their regular cupboards up to the ceiling? Obvious issue is them being so high you can't reach anything in them (I am 5.9 but still!) and I wonder if this is why people go bespoke, because they have longer wall cupboards for this purpose? The other option is whether should I panel in above the cupboards instead? Has anyone done this and if so how much did it cost extra?

[narmada]

I bet the panelling in will be cheaper but no direct experience. I also like the no gap look but it doesn't seem to be popular with kitchen companies does it?

[ATouchOfStuffing]

Nope! I have been searching everywhere! All of the cheaper kitchens seem to be the same across the ranges but all with the gap above. Such a waste of space!

[lalalonglegs]

I'd panel in - I'm taller than you but still can't reach the top shelves of my (non-ceiling-reaching) tall cupboards. You could create some very cool light effects in the section above the cupboards. If you are going for a more traditional look, you can use the gap to display nice bits of cookware that you don't use very often.

[annalouiseh]

Panel are quite expensive depending what kitchen your going for.
you would be better putting in 900 high wall units and 2300 housings and running a plinth across the top.
This way you will get more storage and a smaller gap.
if you wanted the units eve closer to the ceiling you would have to go more bespoke as most doors come in certain configurations, not many high street places can do this as confuses them.

[ATouchOfStuffing]

This is the look I want and think it must be bespoke, although I am sure someone said Ikea can mix and match to do something similar, just can't remember where I saw that...
www.houzz.com/photos/607038/Crisp-Architects-traditional-kitchen-new-york
or this
www.houzz.com/photos/45919/Traditional-kitchen-and-addition-traditional-kitchen-san-francisco

[InLoveWithDavidTennant]

i hate the gap too, so much dirt and dust why waste all that space?

im sure there are cupboards that can go up to the ceiling (ive seen longer ones around) but im not sure what the price would be.

pannelling would look good if you cant get what you wanted. again, no idea what the cost would be. we only rent but will one day have a kitchen with no gap

[InLoveWithDavidTennant]

drools i totally have kitchen envy!

[ATouchOfStuffing]

Just had an idea! If I use Jali.com I could make cupboards to fit above with some nice twirly doors... or maybe even just use it as paneling as it would again be the height issue. Thinking of something like this painted white and sat flush above normal white cupboards
www.jali.co.uk/products/cupboards/cupboards.cfm
Do you think it would look weird? I know MDF warps but obv wouldn't get wet up there!

[Pannacotta]

WHat height do you need OP?
IKEA has 900 high wall units, also Howdens and here
www.diy-kitchens.com/kitchen-units/wall/standard/900mm-high/

But you may still need to fill in with panelling...

[ILikeBirds]

IKEA are the only company to do full height wall cupboards across the range i think. They're not available in other manufacturers budget ranges.

[Taffeta]

I have cupboards to the ceiling from Ikea.

[sausagebaconandtomatobutty]

homebase do them

stares lovingly at new kitchen

but still don't reach my ceiling as I live in a victorian house with mega high ceilings

[ILikeBirds]

Ours come to just below the ceiling 20cm then boxed in to allow the coving to sit above them. Looking at the pictures you might want smaller wall cupboards with half height stacked above. This is def possible with IKEA but the half height units might not come in as many widths.

[AnneEyhtMeyer]

I have cupboards to the ceiling in my kitchen - they are 900mm wall cupboards from Magnet.

I do agree that kitchen companies seem resistant to this, and even my first quote came back with short cupboards despite my requests.

It looks so much better than a pointless gap, IMO. Everything just looks tidier and cleaner. I keep stuff I don't use every day on the top shelves, and have also bought quite a few of these to make life easier.

[annalouiseh]

on the links you have shown they have used 720 wall units and and 360 wall units above, lowering the gap between the worktop and wall unit, although its a bespoke kitchen.
Mdf does not warp that much. moisture mdf is best as this is what many bespoke companies use on modern kitchens.

[KatoPotato]

We got some from Howdens but our chap still had to lower the ceiling

[INeverSaidThat]

How high are your ceilings?

We have low ceiling so it was extra important to get the cupboards right to the ceiling. We have a small infill which also helps disguise the sloping ceiling.

Unless your ceiling are very tall I wouldn't have architraving, I would have a simply square corner.

I wouldn't worry about cupboards being too high, there are always lots of things to put in them that you don't regularly use.

[7to25]

The kitchens you have linked to are very large and the cabinets will probably be custom, so no direct comparisons here.
I will go against the flow and say that although taller wall cabinets are great, to eliminate tha 'gap' in a small kitchen will make the kitchen look smaller.

[TattyCatty]

We had standard size cupboards and then the joiner created additional cupboards above them using drawer fronts as doors. Didn't add a huge amount on to the cost, and I loved the clutter free kitchen! We did live in an Edwardian terrace though, so pretty high ceilings - don't think we could achieve the same thing in our current 1998 build.

[INeverSaidThat]

Oops I meant to say coving NOT architraving

[INeverSaidThat]

I think having no gap makes the kitchen look bigger, especially with low'ish ceilings. We had a north facing kitchen and the original kitchen (with a gap) left shadows on the cieling and drew your attention to the low ceiling.

I used a light coloured gloss wall cabinet to help give a light and airy feel and wood base cabinets for warmth and durability. I think gloss base cabinets would get chipped.

[ATouchOfStuffing]

It is for my new build house - kitchen size is 3140 width and 4770 long and 2400 floor to ceiling.

[womblingalong]

I did this on the cheap by having two rows of standard ikea wall cabinets on my very high ceiling end galley kitchen. I am only 5 ft, but the extra cupboards were great for storage and my baking trays/cake tins etc, and I just used a stool to get to them.

I would do it agin, but the link you showed looks much more bespoke, so I agree with the poster who had the fitter or carpenter build something above the standard cabinets for you.

[ATouchOfStuffing]

Thanks everyone! Am having trouble visualising the space at the moment and can't tell if that is a 'big' kitchen but pretty sure it won't be as big as the ones in my links (I wish)
I need to get to IKEA to see these suggestions as have tried to use their on line planner but can't seem to figure out how to get cabinets on top of each other (me being dim probably) and think it would be safer to get a planner from IKEA to go through it. Anyone done that?

[Tizwozliz]

If you've only got 2.4m height to work with I don't think you've got enough height to work with stacked wall units.

These are the horizontal cabinets they do www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/90132379/ but two of those stacked don't give you as much height as a tall wall unit (90cm)