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Designing a Kitchen with an 8' Floor to Ceiling

When you have a kitchen with a low ceiling, there are two choices for designing your cabinets. You can either use 39" tall upper cabinets that allow for crown molding on top or you can use 39" tall upper cabinets that extend all the way to the ceiling without any molding. Below you can find a detailed breakdown of the pros and cons of each option.

Using 39" Tall Upper Cabinets

Designing around an 8-foot ceiling is definitely the safest and most effective approach. The cabinets won't reach all the way to the ceiling, allowing you the option to add crown molding. The choice of crown molding size is entirely up to you. Opting for a smaller profile crown molding will leave a small gap above the cabinets. However, if you prefer not to deal with this gap, adding a riser and a larger profile crown molding can eliminate the space and create the illusion of cabinets reaching the ceiling seamlessly. This can be the most aesthetically pleasing choice.
Below is a draft drawing of a kitchen with an 8-foot ceiling. This design features crown molding on top of 39" tall upper cabinets and a gap between the crown and the ceiling.

Here is the same kitchen, presented with a riser molding added below the crown molding; this allows the cabinets to extend to the ceiling and creates a more appealing appearance.

The riser molding is outlined in red.

Using 39" Tall Upper Cabinets

Some customers demand more storage space in the kitchen, and opting for 39" tall upper cabinets certainly provides significantly more room. Having the cabinets touch the ceiling also contributes to the illusion of a wider and more spacious ceiling, enhancing the overall appearance. However, at this point, it's important to be cautious as the additional space comes with some important considerations. The likelihood of having a completely flush ceiling is somewhat low, necessitating the use of fillers and extra work to ensure the upper cabinets appear symmetrical. When using larger upper cabinets, the option to use decorative crown molding is lost. Even if you wish to incorporate the slightest bit of decorative molding, you would need to lower the cabinets slightly, which is not an ideal solution. Crown molding is primarily a decorative feature designed to enhance the aesthetics of the space, and sacrificing this aspect might not be desirable.

Other Things to Think About

If you are aiming to incorporate a floor-to-ceiling pantry-style cabinet in your kitchen and have chosen to use 39" tall upper cabinets in that space, the corresponding tall cabinet stands at 96" in height. Consequently, you are now attempting to install a cabinet that matches the height of your ceiling. This can prove nearly impossible to accomplish in an upright position, given that the diagonal measurement required for such installation is nearly 100" or even more.

To gain these extra clearance inches, cabinets often need the toe kick portion removed or even the top back corner of the cabinet notched. If you decide to lower the backsplash height to include a small ¾" molding, you'll need even more space to deduct from the cabinet height. In short, with 8-foot ceilings, a 90-inch cabinet is almost necessary to ensure proper fit, appearance, and installation. Even if you've sacrificed decorative crown molding for more space, this single cabinet needs to be considered. Struggling to design your 8-foot kitchen? Contact our kitchen designers today and let's bring your dream kitchen to life! Our professional and expert kitchen designers will assist you in creating the best kitchen design. They offer 3D renderings, detailed price quotes, expert advice, and much more!