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Anyone got tall kitchen cabinets to the ceiling?

29 replies

Sunnyside4 · 28/02/2025 08:01

We've had our new kitchen planned out and have included taller units to the ceiling for more room. Can you reasonably easily reach onto the lower shelves, or do you have you got a gap between ceiling and top cupboards? I've measured from ceiling to the bottom of the cabinets and realised the bottom part is higher than our current ones.

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Sassybooklover · 28/02/2025 08:09

I have about an inch between the top of my cabinets to the ceiling. I am 5ft 2 and can reach the 1st shelf easily. I need a small step to reach the 2nd and the 3rd my son/husband need to teach things! I put the items I don't use much on the very top shelves. I am glad I have tall cupboards, as I can get so much more in them.

user1471505356 · 28/02/2025 08:10

We have a gap of two inches at the top, the bottom shelves are normal level.

CostcoBuns · 28/02/2025 08:12

We have cupboards to the ceiling, the bottom of the cupboards are at the usual height.

Nourishinghandcream · 28/02/2025 08:49

We had cupboards up to the ceiling in our old house which was great, looked much better and the additional storage was very useful.

Our new house (NB) has taller ceilings (8ft 6in) so while the cupboards are just as tall as our previous house, there is now a gap at the top.
Don't mind it in this situation as I think that would be too tall for cupboards and I don't feel I have "lost" useful storage space.

Advocodo · 28/02/2025 09:10

We have about 3/4 inches gap from the top of our kitchen wall units and ceilings. I do need a small step to reach to the back of the top shelf but it’s not a problem at all. Great to have no wasted space. One of my top shelves I put all the naughty food like chocolate, crisps and biscuits so I can’t be tempted so easily!

Gekko21 · 28/02/2025 09:16

I think it's pretty much the fashion now to have them to the ceiling. We don't and the house we are moving to doesn't, but that's because the kitchens were installed about a decade ago. When we come to redo the kitchen we will go full height and store items we don't need often in the high cupboards as there's no way we could reach the top without a small step ladder.

Caspianberg · 28/02/2025 09:19

Ours go to the ceiling. So three shelves high. The top one I can’t reach without step.

Its fine though as I just store items not used regularly there.

Thingamebobwotsit · 28/02/2025 09:20

We have full height. They are great
So much storage and all tucked away behind doors.

I do need a step (IKEA do a nice sturdy wooden one) to reach the top shelves so they take a bit of planning to keep regularly used items at a level I can access.

It does reduce out worktop space around the edges of the kitchen though and we have a large island to compensate.

Geneticsbunny · 28/02/2025 10:08

If there is a small gap, it might be worth asking if the kitchen fitters can fill it so it doesn't act as a dust trap.

ThePussy · 28/02/2025 10:22

We filled in the small gap on ours and it looks much better.

CMOTDibbler · 28/02/2025 10:24

Ours go right to the ceiling. We're a tall family so no problem reaching the top shelf but if there was I would keep less used things up there

HoppingPavlova · 28/02/2025 10:36

Cupboards go to ceiling, bottom of cupboards standard height.

I love it as so much better for storage HOWEVER if neither yourself or DH are tall, don’t consider it. I’m 5’ and can reach the bottom shelf using a stool but if I need anything from next 2 shelves up I need to ask DH or sons for assistance (they are all over 6’) and they have to use the stool for the top shelf unless it’s something right at the front edge. So, at a certain point when it’s just DH and I, we will need to empty the top shelves as we are not young and while at present it’s okay to use a stool, give it 10 years we will probably be not so stable on our feet which means I’ll rely on DH for lower 2 shelves and the top one will be unusable (thinking none of our sons will be here at that point as all adult now saving for own places).

Fasterthan40 · 28/02/2025 13:19

Our ceilings are 270cm and we have standard units at regular height. On top of them our joiner built flat fronted press-to-open cupboards. It has given us so much mroe storage. I bought a really good foldaway ladder from Amazon for about £40. I had hoped it would slide away under a kickboard but instead our joiner made space for it next to the washing machine. All my Christmas crockery/cake tins/ spare cushion covers/ rarely used glassware goes up there. Is brilliant.

foobio · 28/02/2025 13:24

Fasterthan40 · 28/02/2025 13:19

Our ceilings are 270cm and we have standard units at regular height. On top of them our joiner built flat fronted press-to-open cupboards. It has given us so much mroe storage. I bought a really good foldaway ladder from Amazon for about £40. I had hoped it would slide away under a kickboard but instead our joiner made space for it next to the washing machine. All my Christmas crockery/cake tins/ spare cushion covers/ rarely used glassware goes up there. Is brilliant.

Would you mind sharing a photos of this? With tall ceilings, we have a huge gap above our outdated units (with really ugly stuff stored on top), so this sounds like a good idea when we eventually get around to redoing the kitchen!

Fasterthan40 · 28/02/2025 13:40

Think this shows how it works. Intentional gap for fridge as apparently new ones slightly taller so joiner has left space for us to put in a bigger one when this one dies. They go back the full way- had to specify this as lots of people don't like that apparently.

Anyone got tall kitchen cabinets to the ceiling?
Fasterthan40 · 28/02/2025 13:41

Image showing this time? App is so annoying

Anyone got tall kitchen cabinets to the ceiling?
Fasterthan40 · 28/02/2025 13:48

And from other side showing counter.

Anyone got tall kitchen cabinets to the ceiling?
24Dogcuddler · 28/02/2025 13:49

Our units go right to the ceiling. I’m only 4 ft 11 but can easily reach the bottom shelf and the edge of the second shelf.
As others have said the top shelf has items we rarely use, special occasion items etc.
My husband can reach the top shelf and also cleans the top parts of the units.

Fasterthan40 · 28/02/2025 13:49

Lower near cupboard is a charging cupboard for laptops and iPads and mobiles etc.. so that's why level changes

BG2015 · 28/02/2025 13:53

We have. I'm 5' 9" and have had to buy a step to reach the top cupboards.

I've organised my stuff so that stuff I rarely use is at the top of the cupboards though.

I much prefer them than having that dust trap situation

TeenLifeMum · 28/02/2025 13:56

It stops the grease collecting. I wasn’t sure but was won over and I’m really happy with the outcome.

Anyone got tall kitchen cabinets to the ceiling?
Shopgirl1 · 28/02/2025 14:13

We are also in the process of getting a new kitchen and units going right to the ceiling. I hadn’t really thought about reaching highest shelves, I just prefer how it looks when they go all the way up. I’m 6ft tall though so maybe not best to base thoughts on, doubt it will be an issue and can use a small step ladder if needed.

Allthegoodnamesarechosen · 28/02/2025 14:21

I would always have an extra 10-20cm height above the worktop if possible, it makes using appliances like coffee machines much easier, and it seems to lessen the light loss under the cupboards, especially if you have under cupboard lighting.

kitchenhelprequired · 28/02/2025 14:33

We have taller wall cupboards but they don't go to the ceiling. They were installed with the gap between worktop and bottom of wall cupboard being close to the standard measure. The top of the cupboards line up with the top of the window. All depends on ceiling height but ours would need to be fitted more than 10cm's higher to go to the ceiling which would just look odd. I'm not sure if I considered it at the time but standard height plus top box might also be an option.

cherrytree12345 · 28/02/2025 15:39

Yes I have cupboards to the ceiling and love them. No more cleaning the tops of the cupboards. I cant reach the top shelf without a chair, but just use that for things I only use occasionally. The other 2 shelves are no trouble to reach

Anyone got tall kitchen cabinets to the ceiling?
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