If you're downsizing kitchen size, are you willing/able to give up that much practical cabinet space by having all the uppers have the top be glass-fronted and lighted for decorative display items?

That's the problem - I'm not willing to give up that much storage. I guess it's back to the drawing board.

Maire

Perhaps it would be instructive for you to draw examples on graph paper. I think the 36" cabinet would make sense.

Oh, just read you post again, stacking cabs will also cost a LOT more also. Is 6" of storage that important?

Claire - we are going to reconsider the 42" cabinets. I left a message with the designer that we'll be back in the studio on Monday to review selections again.

As for the price of stacking cabinets - the uppers will only be one box with 2 doors so the cost isn't out of line. Plus this kitchen isn't large so there isn't an overabundance of cabinets which is why I'm trying hard to focus on practical storage.

Voila - DH drew the cabinets on graph and I cut out illustrations from a catalog and he admitted that the 18 overpower the 30 and that the 36 + 12 look better.

We thought having lighted glass cabinets would give the kitchen a more open look and break up all the wood doors.

Still working on this......

Thanks, Maire

I have to admit a prejudice against lighted glass cabinets. It always makes me feel as if I'm in the china dept at a retail store!

And do think long and hard about glass doored cabinets. When mine were first installed, I hated them. I went back and looked at all my "inspiration" pictures, and realized that every single one had staged cabinets! Now I get doing a bit of staging in a house when one sells it, but staged cabinets? Either they are all staged or the entire world, except me, has only a few all-white dishes in their cabinets. Somehow, I don't think I'm the only one who doesn't live this way...

It took two tries to get my cabinets arranged in a pleasing manner. Thank God for my tall DGS! He moved Waterford crystal (he's already dried it after I washed it, God love him), redid shelf height - we did this over two days and I think it took about 6 hrs. I'm now glad I did them as it does make the 11ft kitchen feel wider, plus I hate row upon row of upper cabinets. But I can promise you, mine don't look like any one sees online or in magazines as they actually reflect what I own and how I live!

12 inches above a cab is useless for anything so I would either have 18 inches or cabs to the ceiling. I have 2 kitchens, and one has 12, the other 18 and I would never do the 12 again.

We have lighted glass cabinets (every cabinet in our kitchen is glass except mirrored fridge fronts). We just have one big cabinet w/ 9' ceilings.

I love my tall cabinets but I use a step ladder to reach the top shelf.

In FL, we have 10 foot ceilings and also all glass cabinets. The people who lived here before us did this kitchen. It has a gap above the cabinets which I thought I wouldn't like but which I kind of do. This kitchen photographs poorly b/c the color looks dated when it's actually a really pretty off-white glaze in person.

I would not even consider non-glass cabinets. I love them.

Beagles
- what can I say - your kitchen is stunning! I like the Florida one
too but the PA one knocks my socks off - those chandeliers!

We
do plan on having at least 1 glass door front (probably the corner
cabinet) in addition to the upper cabinets. This kitchen is
significantly smaller than my current one and it only has a 3' window
over the sink and a 5' box bay by the kitchen table. Both of the
windows are on one side of the kitchen. It's open on one end to the
family room but the other 3 walls are just about wall to wall cabinets
and appliances.

The lighted glass cabinets should help the kitchen
appear more open and relieve the feeling of being enclosed by wood and
stainless.

I spent hours going through different cabinet companies
catalogs and one of the things I noticed is that in many photographs a
12" upper glass cabinet in an inset door has less glass than a 12" in a
full overlay door. That makes a big difference visually.

The
biggest decision is still to come - stained wood or painted. I'm drawn
to both. We contemplated cherry cabinets with a medium stain - or -
off-white cabinets with a mocha glaze on the perimeter and a stained
wood island - or a medium stained cherry.

decisions! decisions!

Maire - thanks again for posting