Kitchens

[CobblersandHogwash]

Why don't most kitchens go up to the ceiling?

I don't understand why when all that top bit does is collect dust.

Surely it would be better to have cabinets that reached the ceiling, more storage and stuff hidden away?

I asked this when we had ours done. Apparently it's very rare for ceilings to be perfectly flat / level so it disguises this.

Depends on the height of the ceiling. We had our cabinets put up higher than usual but still not to ceiling as its about 20 foot high. However I still need a small stool to reach top shelf. The issue is people need to get things in and out. If they are too high up it's difficult.

Our ceilings are 2.7 meters high. I'd need a step ladder to reach the top. We are going for taller units but not right up to the ceiling. However if I lived in a modern house with low ceilings I would do up to ceiling height.

A kitchen company who makes bespoke to order will make sure the wall cabinets go to ceiling height to maximise storage and to prevent the dust trap

lots of people offer this just not your off the shelf places.
we normally set the wall unit 3cm down from the ceiling as mentioned above ceilings are not flat and that also allows the door opening to miss downlights then scribe with a flush door filler to the ceiling all across the top

I'm glad ours don't. Hot water pipe in the ceiling started to leak above our cabinets. Slow leak. Would have caused much more damage if hidden.

Our Victorian house is another one great great big high ceilings, and I can barely reach the things on the top shelves as it is! Not to mention to lovely plaster cornice around the top of the room - no way I'd be losing that beauty for the sake of not dusting the top of what would be some very imposing wall units.

*one WITH great big high ceilings

We're getting our kitchen done and I don't want the cupboards to go up to the ceiling. I wouldn't use the higher shelves and I don't want to store things I don't use.

Damn, thought the title said "kittens" .

Good question though - I hate dusting on top of cabinets.

Standard units are based on what a "standard" person can reach. 1970mm (6ft 6) or 2150mm (7ft), ie a bit lower for the top shelf. Nothing to stop you having them higher but you'd need steps. Also houses have different ceiling heights.

British manufacturers often use 150 plinth then 1970 or 2150 high cabinets on top - but European manufacturers use various plinth heights and more combinations of tall heights - so you can often get closer to various ceiling heights. 30mm clearance for door swing is the rule of thumb too , as mentioned above !

You can also get gold up step ladders that fit into the plinth space to help access higher cabinets !

Gold fold !!

Ours are going to stop about 15cm below ceiling height, with a filler panel going up to the ceiling, slightly set back to create a shadow gap.

Don't think the actual cupboards have to go all the way to the top but why on earth people don't box in above the cupboards to the ceiling is a mystery, Just looks soooooo much better.

If you have a modernish/smallish house with 2400mm (8ft) ceiling height, you can use the 900mm wall cabinets which I think look neat close to the ceiling, with a bit of cornice. My kitchen is that height. Other parts of the house, including the fute, are 3000mm or more, so you'd need a top-box, or even a blanking panel, because you will never reach it without a stepladder, and anything you put out of reach will be forgotten about until you move house.

I previously had a house with 12'6" ceilings (about 3750mm) and you would never use cupboards that high. The top was used as a display shelf. When the house was built it had a tall glass-fronted dresser.

If you have 2400mm ceilings or thereabouts, this handy Hafele Pulldown shelf/basket would be OK for cornflake packets and coffeepots. I wouldn't put crockery or Le Creuset above head height in case it falls on you.

Cabinet hanging rail is a good wall fixing for heavy cabinets because it is a strong steel strip that you fix with multiple screws.

You can buy 900mm high wall units that will make it easier to reach the ceiling or box in the remaining gap from these. That's one less place that you need to dust, although nobody ever sees it:-)