and by the way, I have never seen built in cabinetry with that gap.

All you need is a painted cleat or equivalent. Can you get the install crew to come back and raise it?

The crown molding should be flush with the ceiling. It looks like there is a big gap between the two doors in the first picture, which they should also fix.

Yes, flush! Make them fix!

Not just flush, but caulked and seamless.
If the crown is for some reason (mismeasurement?) not tall enough there are lots of ways to fix/extend the vertical trim so the crown can reach the ceiling.
With that gap, it is cabinet trim, but not "crown molding"

oh 10KDiamond... someone else on GW had this problem too. i'll have to see if i can find the thread. :(

i think you can have it that way (if you choose) when the ceiling is wonky, but it's not really supposed to be.

your cabs/molding are very pretty, though.

i'll search now and come back....

here's the thread...

i'm so sorry you have to deal with this!

Here is a link that might be useful: Now what? Crown moldings are 1/4' to 1/2' from ceiling

Wow! No professional cabinet installer would leave a gap! It should be tight to the ceiling! Also the middle door needs to be straightened up. It is not following the same line as the other doors.
Should not be too hard to fix, may need to touch up the paint when it is done.
This kind of work is embarrassing to quality minded cabinetmakers and installers. In fact I'd come and fix it for free...if I had the time. :) It makes me cringe to imagine what homeowners think of cabinetmakers in general, when they see this kind of shoddy workmanship.
Hope you can get if fixed soon!

Ueueueueue. My crown has always been flushed and caulked. That would BUG me. I hope you can get it fixed.

Sigh - I am so over this kitchen remodel. Why would any self-respecting cabinet installer do two walls of cabinets if the crown looked this way?

Think of how hard it's going to be to dust on the top ....! Make 'em fix it, fill it, or change it. Ditto the complaints about the doors. Those in first pic don't meet and middle door in second pic isn't hung straight. Otherwise, those cabs are (potentially) bea-u-tiful! Love the restrained door panels and the soaring curve on the crown. Very nice choice.

L

Whether the 1/2 " gap was accidental or on purpose, this makes it look like they mismeasured. They should fix it. But the cabs are beautiful!

I would certainly want the crown molding to meet the ceiling. That said, here is an example of a beautiful kitchen in which the owner chose to leave the little gap like you have.

Here is a link that might be useful: Crown just short of ceiling

Anyone who does that doesn't know. It's completely wrong.

Sometimes cabinets that don't extend to the ceiling have a finishing crown but there's normally a foot or more of space above those to the ceiling.

Question for me would be whether the top piece of the molding comes off and is replaced with the correct height or whether you'd accept a workaround that is a flat vertical piece from the top to the ceiling -- however, that should match all around.

Francoise, amazing that you found an example. It does look alright in Mary's kitchen!

There's no reason to be worrying about the doors at this point--they are adjustable and (let's assume) will be adjusted.

Update -

I am getting the "it's-not-my-fault" song and dance. The installer - privately hired because he touted his skill - claims he was simply following the layout and specs. So he installed 2 of the 3 walls of crown even though there was an ugly gap. The kitchen design company where I bought the cabinets says it's the responsiblity of the installer to figure this out, shim it if necessary.

I hate this whole thing - who is reponsible here?

I think Mary's kitchen is gorgeous, but this crown issue is not what I want.

Looks to me that the crown riser is too short. Most riser will be either 5 or 6 inches high to fill the gap between the top of the cabinet and the ceiling with the crown attached to the riser to reach the ceiling.

What exactly do the specs say about the crown? They can't possibly say to do THIS!

Is the distance between the counters and the bottoms of the upper cabinets correct? I can think of 3 things that might have caused this problem: (1) the upper cabs were hung too low and so the crown can't reach the ceiling (installer error), (2) the crown molding was attached too low on the flat vertical riser (installer error unless the design specs/ installation instructios are wrong), or (3) the crown molding and/or vertical riser is too short to fill the space (kitchen designed/cabinet company error). I think you need to look at the design specs and get out your tape measure to try to determine who caused the problem.

I agree with Fori and Kaysd,
Find out what the specs say. See the measurements and
go from there. It will work out. You are on your way to
a pretty kitchen. Be strong, firm and demand they fix it.

Deep breaths and inner strength.
Thinking of you.
~boxer

10KDiamond -

I can't tell from the picture - is your ceiling sloped?

One cabinet-maker told me that with a sloped ceiling, there would be a slight gap between the top of the molding and the ceiling. Guess he just didn't want to deal with finishing the molding to match a sloped ceiling ...

Even with a sloped ceiling, I'd expect they'd fill the gap somehow - I guess with caulking? Or a wedge of wood trim, or something ...

Sometimes this is done intentionally and that shadow line is called a--wait for it--shadow line. It can be used when there is an uneven ceiling or when desired. Obviously, you did not desire it, though. Cabinet makers should always do their own measurements before proceeding. Is the cabinet maker also the installer? What do the drawings show?

Sloped schmoped. There's caulk for that. My ceilings are practically pleated they're so off and caulk fills the gaps. This is not a gap it's a wrong space.

Whatever "privately hired" means I cannot interpret. If the installer was hired separately by you then the installer is responsible. If the installer was hired/provided by the cabinet company then it is their responsibility.

There will be some caulk anyway due to the nature of the ceiling but the painter should be able to handle that routinely.

Yes, this is incorrect.

In my kitchens I always use a 3" filler, or a flat moulding with a bottom edge detail for the riser. (the second option saves me the effort of attaching a 3/4 decorative molding to the seam area at the top of the cabinet where the filler meets it) The filler (riser) is cleated to the top of the cabinets (Cleated - wood blocking installed to the top of the cabinets that the riser is nailed to). Then the decorative crown is attached to the riser. It slides up and down on that flat piece allowing for a tight fit to the ceiling.

Your molding is just too short for the ceiling.

Right now fix? Take down the molding. Have the installer raise molding to the ceiling by cleating (installing nailing strips on the top of the cabinets) this will allow the molding to be raised. They should have some nice flat molding (scribe type) to cover the 1/2" unfinished wood showing under the now raised decorative molding. This scribe, or any other 3/4 moulding, should cover the seam where the unfinished cleats meet the top of the cabinet, and end at the decorative molding. I would send a picture... but I haven't figured out how to import an image! Sorry.
Google images of Stacked Molding diagrams, and they have some images to give you an idea!
This is the easiest and least expensive fix that will look correct. No Caulk, or very little. 1/2 caulk will shrink and look bad after a while.

Email me if you want a picture of what I am talking about... I can email you an image.. I can do that!

Linda - ACWkitchens@aol.com

Here is a link that might be useful: ACW Kitchen and Bath

OH Went back and looked at the picture a bit closer... he has a riser! EEK.... The riser was too short... or the cabinets were hung too low. 54" from floor is standard and assumed by designers. Unless specified by the designer (sometimes we do hang a bit lower for a variety of reasons) the installer should have hung at the 54" mark... either way... needs fixing and taken down to do. No caulk fix.
Linda Berg ACW Kitchen & Bath

Yeah, that vertical piece (Linda says "riser"--that sounds right!) should be able to account for any slope in a ceiling. The riser may be taller at one end than the other when it's done but you don't notice it.

But here it just looks like it's all too low. Nope. I don't like it. It might not be a big deal, depending on if the riser is painted into position etc. It could just be pry off and reattach and patch.

I thought I would provide an update - Cabinet installer, after refusing to accept responsibility for his actions has been "relieved of his duties" and the problem has been resolved by the contractor. See picture below - still needs some clean up but is much much better. Thanks to all for reassuring me that I am not completely bonkers.

Congrats on getting a quick and satisfying resolution. Good for your contractor for stepping up and doing the right thing.

Thanks, fromthesouth. It was not my contractor's fault, but he willingly jumped in to fix the problem that was caused by the crappy installer (who I hired, not the contractor) (and that I fired)

Your contractor did an excellent fix. Worth what he charges to get rid of the other guy. Way to go!

We'll look forward to seeing a gorgeous finished kitchen.

so glad you got it resolved!

okay 10K, no more snafus for you! :)

it looks great now. can't wait to see your kitchen.

Did they straighten out the cabinet doors?
Looks like they need to finish caulking along the end of the crown mould and along the side of the cabinet.
Can't tell for sure from here, but looks like they may need to go over the top of the crown mould again, just so it looks neater.
Good luck, hope things are going better.

way to go 10K,
It looks much better and your contractor is a sweetie.
~boxer

I would make the best of it and add some LED lighting it would look awesome!!!

5-year old thread. I'm sure she's on to other things now.

Sorry did not see that! But thank you so much!!!