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Ideas for finishing top of cabinets after soffit removal

last year

We did a total gut in this 1990 raised ranch that had sat unconditioned for 10 years about three years ago as our forever home. The cabinets were one of the few things I kept as they were custom and structurally sound and I wanted to spend the initial budget elsewhere in the house, there was so much to do. The soffit was easily removed and I thought I would eventually reface the lowers and replace the uppers. However being one of the few details left original to the home even the cathedral shape has grown on me over the last couple years and I’m looking for ideas on how to finish the tops and keep them around for a while. I was thinking maybe a veneer on the top that is cleanable and crown but wasn’t sure what style of crown to use or if it would make it look worse? Adding upper closed in storage could be problematic with the custom mill work on the windows that I definitely don’t want to remove. Maybe a combination of open and closed? All ideas other than replacing them is welcome.

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Comments (7)

Nicole Ayres
Original Author
last year
This is what we started with….
User
last year
Restore the soffit. It provided a solution to the problem you have now created.
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Thank you everyone for your comments and sharing photos! I really appreciate it. The renovated kitchen in the blog link is exactly what I was envisioning and it's good to see someone else has done it. We'll peek in the soffits to see if anything is in there. Our house was designed very efficiently (in 1969) so all water and toilet systems are stacked all above each other from the basement to the top floor. It is possible there's plumbing in the soffits. I probably should have been more clear that the open shelves below cabinets would hold dishes and bowls that we use daily. It's just that they're nice-looking so they're okay to leave in the open as a display. Right now our kitchen is full and those dishes, bowls, platters, etc. are stored in another room! They're in an antique Chinese cabinet so at least that cabinet is useful and not just standing there looking good, but it's a pain to go to the family room to get the dishes for the dining room. I think our lack of kitchen cabinet storage space is due to two big windows in there, but I wouldn't want to lose those! I will think through if anything we need frequent access to would get placed too high up. This shouldn't affect our microwave because it's located above the oven in a double-oven wall unit that won't be impacted by this change. We have high quality oak cabs and I wouldn't want to discard the entire cabinetry. So I'd also paint the kitchen lighter like the owner of the kitchen in the blog link did. What a nice renovation!
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Hey Jache. We had the exact same problem. Because our project is an addition we were faced with having the beam run RIGHT through the middle of the room. We have remedied the problem with columns, half walls etc. We aren't finished so I have no pictures BUT I can tell you the amount of time that I spend researching this was enormous. It sounds like your soffits are going to be above your cabinets. If so, you have some options. Have you thought about taking your cabinets to the ceiling and having the beam run through the top shelf of the cabinets? You won't need the space anyway. I have a lot of pictures that I saved when I was doing my "research" if you want me to email them to you I can. Some of the other things I thought about doing were creating a reversed tray ceiling effect. Lots of pictures of this as well. You could also, depending on the height of your ceiling open up the soffit, expose the beam and then do matching faux beams all the way across your kitchen. That is what I wanted to do but I have 8.5 foot ceilings and my beam is 14 inches deep:( Good luck!!
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can't picture current kitchen or eventual space from glimpses through doorways. also, not sure what you are asking -- how to design the whole kitchen, or how to deal with cabinets on a wall with a sloped ceiling? 1) ignore the slope, and let it just be far above the cabinets 2) fill the extra space with shelves 3) Stagger cabinets but don't fill space to vault 4) pick a height and soffit down to it 5) fill the vault to ceiling with custom cabinets So, the right answer depends a bit on the size of the vault, the style of your kitchen, budget, and personal preference. Hope this helps!
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mainenell
last year
I would use a high gloss interior/exterior paint to make it easier to clean. Some people put wax paper or newspaper up there and change it out once in a while. With a simple crown it would not be seen at all. Nice job brightening it up.
Nicole Ayres
Original Author
last year
@Verbo- we took this house down to the studs in most places as most of the exposed drywall had mold from being unconditioned. This kitchen also didn’t have a range hood the soffit was disgusting. I didn’t create this problem the previous owners did by allowing it to sit for 10 years.
rebasheba
last year
The "problem" is a design problem -- how to bridge the gap between cabinet and ceiling. Soffits and crown molding are the usual solutions to this problem.

If soffit doesn't appeal, my suggestion would be to add a very simple molding so it looks more finished/intentional, and then not put any stuff up there. To me having decorative items up on top always increases the impression of clutter and the shadows created in the corners. Maybe you can find or create a little shelf space elsewhere for your copper collection to come down from the ceiling and shine!
palimpsest
last year
I would cut thin veneer and paint it with gloss paint or varnish so you can clean it, or laminate if you have the ability to cut it, and I would just put a simple crown molding around the top.

I know someone who just cut plastic shelf liner for the tops (the thicker stuff for wire shelving). No one can see it and it can be wiped off or even taken off an washed.
PRO
The Kitchen Place
last year
Leave it be, take down the decor, possibly add crown if you want Wait until your ready to reface the lowers and replace the uppers. Then take the cabinets up to the ceiling with 39" upper wall cabinets and crown molding.

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