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I vote for no soffits, because of the vaulted ceiling. I think that would look the best. I don’t love the way your canned lights look. They look like telescoping lights, but perhaps that’s just a representation.

Just to add one more question: your joists don’t make it look like there’s a vault there.

Thanks, J Mig! Leaning towards that way, but also like the idea of the “built in look.” But with no uppers on the left side of the kitchen might weigh it down. Yes,lol! Uploaded the wrong rendering. We will have 3” recessed lights in place of the telescopes. ;)

No soffit.

"to make the fridge and pantry cabinets look more built in" the GC is reacting to something. they are not trained particularly in aesthetics. but distilling down his comment what is going on is the heavy look of stianless fridge w pantry cabs right in the middle of everything. What is needed for "built in look" is a panel ready fridge so it in truth becomes built in .

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Thanks HerbFlavor, totally hear you on the panel ready appliances. We have a panel for our dishwasher, and opted for the Bosch “black stainless steel” to blend more with the Sherwin Williams “sealskin” colored cabinets that will surround the fridge. The rendering is kind of a mess, I just layered different elements over the cabinet rendering…yikes!

Absolutely no soffit.

You don’t have a lot of uppers planned anyway. Add uplighting on their tops, so you can put something decorative there - glass vase, plant, stuffed bass, whatever. Almost anything you put there will be preferable to the soffits.

And, by the way, where are the soffits supposed to end? Or does contractor want to take them all the way to the vaulted ceiling?

Thanks! Haha I am always looking for where to put my stuffed bass ;)! They would go all the way up to the ceiling

I love the idea of a soffit above the bench seating because it makes it into a cozy nook, but the ship sailed a long time ago about working through the many considerations of adding a soffit. You don't just slap something like that up. It impacts lighting design and how your eye is draw to many of the elements that are not centered. At this point - no leave it as is.

Love your color choices! Hope you will post pics when it is completed.

There is still time, in fact this is the exact time in our project to make some of these calls. The construction pictures are current state as they are just starting to vault the ceiling this week. We have waited to make specific lighting and design (that we could delay) choices until we could see the full vault and how the space feels.
I also like the idea of a cozy nook. So many choices in a remodel, but for some reason really struggling with this one even with all the research saying that soffits are outdated. Having a hard time picturing the space.

Thanks! We will see how it all comes together. I’ll post the finished kitchen for sure!

Change the PLAN. Which is not good. The vault/soffit issue is the least of it. but no to a soffit in any scenario

The island appears a postage stamp, rendered even MORE so by the fridge location.....needs major extending to at least the 120"

You made a fridge a feature and it's a mile from water, and "black stainless" will have a NOT very forever moment in time......more a fad finish.

Reverse your dishwasher location, please? It should be left of the sink not a door open to be tripped over or crowd a cook top and someone using it.

Also in the "no soffit" camp, but PLEASE pay attention to Jan Moyer's kitchen comments and incorporate them.

No soffit. Why have a vaulted ceiling and then try to close up the space?

Not seeing the vaulted ceilings ... you have trusses?

No soffit. We have vaulted ceilings and 90 inch cabinets.

Built-in is meant for a benefit. Like if you added cabinet doors and shelves all the way up the vaulted wall. Or some kind of display art framed by material matching your cabinets. Maybe that could work in a library room, but not as logical in this kitchen.

One more vote for no soffit (not that you needed one.) In addition to the comments above, I find the transition from the soffit area to the perpendicular wall to be potentially awkward, at least as it is in the picture below. I'd want to be clear how that would be handled should your builder keep pushing it.

I think if you were to do the soffit ( assuming all the horizontal beams are being taken out ) , it would have to go all the way across like the picture you showed and would need to be deep. It looks good in the picture below because there are cabinets all across and it is a much shorter length than you have. In your plan you have the windows, so that won't look as nice. So my vote is no.

Jan is spot on with what she is saying to you about the layout. I would make the island longer ( right now it would only seat 2 people ), flip the dishwasher and move the ref to the left and make it a 36" pantry on the right of it since that is the pantry size you have on the other side of the bench.

Since you don't have uppers, you will need to have a drawer base with a storage system in it for dishes - a 36" cabinet works best. I did not see any cabinet for a microwave - are you doing one? What is your plan for glasses, stemware, coffee mugs? You could change the island and have a 12" deep cabinet on the end facing the sink to put them.

I was looking over the plan and I found a couple of issues. The spacing around the window over the bench is not the same. The spacing on the right and left of the single windows is not the same. The sink is 3" off center of the window - moving the dishwasher fixes that. Not sure why there are 2 fillers on each end of the island. Also, you can't really go bigger than a 5 ft table with the bench because you need room to slide in - anyone who is a bit fluffy will not fit there.

So I decided to just put in your plan and make some changes based on Jan's notes.

I hope this helps you!

It is going to be a great space

Hope you take our advice and thank you @ Debbi Washburn for a nice visual!!

Drawers are a YES.....

Even a no slip mat hold dinnerware in place - You don't need PEGS

@Debbi Washburn 's picture is a winner. The centered fridge was making my skin crawl in the original drawing. It really chopped up the flow of the tall cabinets in an odd way that made the bench area seem strange. This is so much more visually pleasing. The whole kitchen feels more complete with the fridge being part of the island area.

I still wish there were a way you could add a soffit to have a built in look. But, I just don't see how it works at this stage in the game.

@JAN MOYER - thank for your pictures - I have no experience with glassware in a drawer! That is helpful to know it can be done safely.

I took a second look and added a soffit. I don't hate it BUT it really does matter how tall the side walls are. This picture shows the pantries at 96" high with some trim. So the soffit is at 99" above the floor. If the side walls are only 96 " high then you might have to go shorter on the pantries. Just so you know, Fabuwood does do custom heights, so it wouldn't be too much to go to a 93" high cabinet instead of dropping to a 90.

Update: The Soffit Has Been Cancelled!

Thanks so much for all the thoughtful insights! I think our contractor was simply offering the soffit as a last-minute option to consider, but after reading your feedback, we’ve decided to move forward without it.

That said, I realize I didn’t do myself any favors by not uploading the full kitchen floorplan or providing more context about the rest of the room. I also didn’t include the actual size of the island countertop, which will be 80” x 40” with the cantilevers once the marble top is installed. I attached more detailed versions of the floor plan, unfortunately there have been some tweaks from the original “architectural plans”…but my secondary version sort of helps!

One thing that’s still on my mind is the distance between the fridge and sink — it feels a bit far. I’ve also been considering the idea of adding a prep sink on the island, but I’m unsure if it’s realistic at this stage. The cabinets are already in my garage waiting to be installed, and we’ve maxed out our two marble slabs. I’m wondering if I could swap out the side cantilever for a small sink cabinet, though it would require some last-minute plumbing adjustments? Worth it?

I’m also intrigued by the idea of moving the fridge closer to the main kitchen work area by reconfiguring the cabinets framing the fridge. Pairing them together would bring the fridge about 18” closer, which might make the flow more efficient.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and any experiences you’ve had with prep sinks! Thanks again for all the helpful feedback so far — it’s been invaluable!

WOW! Thank you so much Debbi and Jan for all the thoughtful feedback and for taking the time to mock up the changes and suggestions! It’s been incredibly helpful and has given us a lot to think about.

✅ Love the suggestion to move one of the 18" pantry cabinets to frame the built-in nook! That feels like a much more intentional and balanced use of space. We’re also checking today to see if we can swap the dishwasher with the pull-out trashcan — such a great call!

Regarding some of the other points:

• The side walls are standard 8ft.
• Yes, the measurements I originally posted from the cabinet folks are not quite right. But rest assured that, in real life, all the windows will be centered and properly positioned with the cabinets, etc.
• The 2" fillers on the island are for power sockets, so they do serve a functional purpose. is this not standard practice?
• We don’t have a microwave (and don’t plan to add one)

We’re planning to store most of our glassware and dishes in drawers, similar to the setup pictured above. We’re also considering some additional storage solutions:

• Narrow recessed floating shelves on the left side of the fireplace wall by the dining area for more fragile glassware.
• Possibly a unique bar furniture piece on the backside of the fireplace to help with additional hidden storage and function. Maybe this? potential console

We’re definitely on the hunt for the right table for the dining nook. We’ll likely keep it smaller day-to-day, but are looking for a table with the option to add a leaf when we need more seating.

Again, I really appreciate all the thoughtful suggestions. You’ve given us a lot of great ideas, and I’ll keep you posted on how everything comes together!

In the pictures you had posted, the fireplace looked so much father from the kitchen. Now I see that is not the case. Definitely switch the pantries with the ref. In your blue print, it looks like the ref is basically in the next room. Your designer should have put that in the design so you can see how it relates to the kitchen.

The ref is about 2 steps further away than I would like, but it is not the end of the world. Just make sure the walkway between the stove and island is big enough. I would go at least 48" .

In looking at the blue prints, the best I can make out is that the fireplace is about 14 ft or so from the door to outside and only 13 ft to the hearth in front. That will be too tight for an 80" island. 13 ft = 156" - 26" counter - 36" minimum walkway - 80" island top = 14" left between the end of the top and the hearth. Please double check this!

Here is a new picture - the block on the floor is representing the hearth step.

Good GRIEF!! YOU HAVE TO GET RID of the raised hearth. Why was this element left in place? You may need a new insert. The pictures were deceiving, with no full context included . Construction photos, real time don't allow accurate imagined dimensions....:(

Hi Debbi and Jan,

Thank you both so much for the thoughtful feedback — always appreciated!

I’m heading back to the house today to triple-check all the measurements. I’ll admit I’m feeling a bit annoyed, as it seems like every set of measurements digitally are slightly different '. So, my plan is to remeasure everything carefully and update my digital drawings with the real-life dimensions now that the walls and framing are fully exposed.

Our contractor is also drawing out the cabinets directly on the new subfloor today (again because we ripped the old), and based on our real life measurements in the space, things seem to align well — we’re showing 45” clearance around the island and 50” between the island and the new fireplace (without the raised hearth). Based on that, I think the rendering is correct, but I’ll feel more confident after today’s walkthrough.

Regarding the fireplace:
I realize I should have been clearer when posting those photos. We are absolutely getting rid of the raised hearth (tile on floor in front of fireplace) . and stove and reverting it back to a traditional wood-burning fireplace, which I think will be more functional for us long-term. We actually used the stove a lot, but even in Montana with our old poor insulation (getting spray insulation - yay!) and old windows, it made the house way too hot. Maybe some wood storage recessed under the fireplace?

That said, my next dilemma is the fireplace design.
I’m leaning toward something clean and simple — more contemporary — but the challenge is that the only viable spot for our Frame TV (due to room orientation and views) is recessed above the fireplace. We’re planning to conceal a telescoping mount that can move the TV up, down, and around to make it more functional. We’re also wrapping a fire-retardant mantle to help protect the TV from heat, but I know that having a TV over the fireplace will shorten its lifespan, and I’m accepting that reality.

Do either of you have experience with a similar setup? Any tips on design or heat management would be greatly appreciated!

Debbi — Sharing Some Updated Photos!

Here are photos from yesterday after the trusses were removed. The beam is going in next!

After seeing the space without the trusses and reviewing your renderings again, I’m surprisingly 80% in favor of a full 24” soffit — shocking, I know, especially given the poll results!

It feels like a full soffit would:
• Make the lighting feel more intentional and balanced
• Help the hood vent look more integrated (rather than floating awkwardly)
• Define the dining nook and make it feel cozier and more purposeful

I also spoke with our contractor, and he confirmed that we can make a soffit work with the cabinets and avoid that weird corner slope you flagged.

Curious — are youTeam No Soffit, or has this swayed you toward Team Soffit? I’d love your thoughts!

Thanks again for your support and for helping me think through all of this. I’m really grateful!

It looks like you have a conflict with the breakfast table with stair and garage entries. Your drawing compared to the architect's drawing are different, so not sure how big the space behind fireplace actually is and if the table can go there.

Be mindful when the huge beam goes in at the ridge, it may define some space below it, especially since it will prominently have a shadow between it and the fireplace (they are not in line as your drawing shows).

So because of the beam and the scrunched in breakfast table, it may work to slide the table down and the beam demarcates the transition to the end of the refrigerator, or defines a separation between say ref and pantry cabinets.

Seeing your space sans trusses is very clarifying. And, I had no idea that this was a cabin like vibe in a wintery place. I'm 90% yes on the soffit.

On one hand it had seemed a shame to clog up the huge vastness of this open space with soffits. But, the side walls are lower than I realized, the ceiling not as high as I anticipated. The soffits will bring more of a built in custom look. The table nook feels vitally cozy in a space with so much snow. The hood will no longer be a floating oddity.

The only part I don't love is the soffit will make the windows on either side of the range feel more enclosed. But, if you put recessed lighting in the soffit centered on those windows, it will at least feel more intentional. And, you have a vast wall of sliding door so there are plenty of other wide open views to be had.

While I'm fantasizing about your home, I want a floor to ceiling bookcase on the back side of the fireplace loaded with books - and a ladder. Though I can imagine that would be freaky as hell climbing up a ladder over an open stairwell.

You have a wonderful sense of style looking at your living room mash up pic. But, imagine planting a TV on each of the glorious fireplaces you posted. Ugh. Even a frame TV, ugh. What is the intension for the wall behind where you have the sofa placed? Why not put the TV there, the sofa across from it and float the chairs?

"Living room mash ups........."

You're going to have to weigh sit down dining, versus "living room"

Not happening, sorry. which is the most vital?

( from your inches all below , from the pic doodled with sharpie)

The space and traffic between stair and fire wall is wide enough for NOTHING besides an attractive passage, storage, and anything that allows you to move.: ) It will not work as you have table and bench seating. Stools must be able to back up, you need to be able to get to sliders. But a "living room" ( couch coffee table, chairs )will negate sit down dining, completely.

What happened between your plans and the architects plans? The architects plans showed much more room on the opposite side of the fireplace. You are now showing it at 65" . Your table is not going to fit by the bench. It will block the entry from the mudroom as Jan stated. Leave it as a smaller table and then when you have a bigger event, you may have to have some narrow tables in the "hall " area.

It is a shame that your designer did not put in the whole room to see where these traps are.

I think you MIGHT be able to do a 42" round table by the bench but not sure how you would do anything larger. I would also turn the living room furniture and not do the tv over the fireplace. Offset it on the wall so the sofa is away from the sliding doors. I am not the greatest with furniture layouts - I leave that to Jan's brilliant mind.

You could take the cabinets from your island and build a bar on the back of your fireplace ( or fill in the bench area ) and put your dining table as the island.

I am actually liking the soffit idea more as well. The recessed lighting will be critical.

I hope this whole space can be brought together.

It would help if we could see the ACTUAL dimensions of the ENTIRE room, both sides of the fireplace with every opening etc marked. Just draw it out - no fancy program needed. Are you keeping existing furniture or getting new stuff? That makes a huge difference as well.

Look again? It was not a great furniture layout at the planning stage.

You may have done it on a computer, the architrct may have done it. Here to say it won't work well. You're dining at the junction of TWO "HALLWAY PASSAGES....eeks.

You can make more mud type storage, you can have a console and art. and lamp. But 65 inches is a hall . Not a room.

Feet and inches don't lie, when they are accurate from the get go: )

And yes.....mid construction photos/empty space will deceive anyone

Truth below, sorry!!

You need to get an engineer or a knowledgeable architect to look at this framing as it currently stands.

Hi all –
Sorry for the delayed response! I had a busy weekend and am just getting back to you all now.

First and foremost, I really appreciate the concerns shared about the vaulted ceiling progress. The photos I’ve been posting are in-progress shots. We have worked with—and continue to work with—our talented engineer on all aspects of the vaulted ceiling and overall home renovation. All structural loads have been appropriately supported with additional ridge beams and posts extending down through our finished walkout basement below. While I’m certainly not an expert at explaining the engineering process, I have complete confidence in our vetted engineer and contractor, who have been working in Montana for over 30 years. Again, I truly appreciate the thoughtful concerns and suggestions!

That said, I completely understand the layout concerns and the frustration (trust me, I share it!) around some of the mismatched dimensions, etc. I remeasured and updated my layout below.

(update) OPTED FOR SOFFIT: Update, we are now 100% doing the soffit to help ground and balance out the space. We feel good about lighting it appropriately to make sure that the windows are not forgotten, etc.

KITCHEN NOOK:

I totally agree with the feedback! We were always planning to go with a smaller, narrower kitchen nook table that ideally includes leaves we can add for larger gatherings, either in the nook or moved elsewhere in the house. We know it will be a tight fit, but we’re confident we can find the right table to maximize and not overwhelm the space.

Fortunately, during the warmer months, we typically dine and entertain on our large deck, which offers stunning mountain views, so there will be less pressure on the kitchen nook as our primary dining space.

Also, when we entertain, everything always centers around the kitchen. We’re really excited to utilize our new island—a big change from our previous narrow galley kitchen, where everyone somehow gathered anyway, completely ignoring the living room and dining room table!

STAIRS:

The stairs are definitely wider than originally planned when we ordered the cabinets, and honestly, we’re super happy with this change! The wider staircase now leads down to our walkout basement, which is also in the midst of renovation.

Downstairs, we have a large bathroom, laundry/storage room, wet bar area, den/living room, two full bedrooms, and a small office—all of which open up to the backyard through sliding doors and large, newly updated windows.

Having a wider staircase, especially now that it’s been reversed (I don’t have it in me to dive into all the downstairs updates right now!), is a huge win for the flow of the space going downstairs compared to the strange and narrow staircase we had previously. That said, it has presented some less than ideal furniture layout puzzles for us to work through....

FIREPLACE:

Now that we have a better idea of layout options, we’re 100% leaning toward not putting the Frame TV above the fireplace. It just doesn’t feel right for the space. Instead, it looks like we can mount the TV back on the living room wall, like it was previously, which makes much more sense for how we use it.

That said, this TV is really more for casual use—news, daytime shows, etc.—so it’s not necessarily our primary entertainment setup. Downstairs, we’ll have a large sectional and TV for more movie nights, hosting guests, and a cozier overall vibe.

I really appreciate all the thoughtful feedback and ideas. We’re working through everything step by step! Thanks!

Great updates. Can you say more about how many of you live here and use this space on a regular basis? How many and how often will sit at the table? Is your vision for dinners there, other meals? Is there a restroom on this floor or are people having to go downstairs for that?

My husband, our doodle Goose, and me! I imagine we’ll end up using the island more often for meals to stay closer to the view and the main hub of activity, while the dining table will be more for occasional meals, everyday tasks, and smaller projects.

For dinners with friends, we would likely extend the table to seat up to six comfortably for a sit-down meal. With more guests, we’d keep things more casual and let everyone gather around the island, table, etc. for holidays, we would likely rearrange some furniture and move the table all together.

And yes, we have a guest restroom in the hallway, one in our bedroom at the end of that hallway, and now another right at at the bottom of the stairs!

"For dinners with friends, we would likely extend the table to seat up to six comfortably for a sit-down meal. With more guests, we’d keep things more casual and let everyone gather around the island, table, etc. for holidays, we would likely rearrange some furniture and move the table all together.

Extend THE TABLE INTO WHERE? In a little over five feet of hallway?

I understand your earlier vision....

YOU ARE 2 PEOPLE and a dog. How much furniture do you want to haul out to dine with friends?

You didn't plan well......sorry to say, and you will find that when you haul OUT furniture? It's a lot easier to move chairs, and store dining chairs. You will eat at the island.....