Many kitchen wall cabinets reach to the ceiling. For a particular look, for extra storage space, or just because they can! Hello again, Susan Serra, CKD, here talking kitchens!

Wall cabinets, and tall cabinets for that matter, which reach toward and are connected to the ceiling is a great look, and functional too. It can be tricky, however, to know just how to tie the cabinetry into the ceiling. Here are some tips to make it an easy installation:

Room Height: This is critical. Will the flooring be replaced? The ceiling relevelled? If you do not know the finished height of the room, you cannot plan cabinetry to the ceiling in most cases. Take measurements at different spots in the room to determine where the room is off level.

Allow adequate "insurance", that is, flat, vertical, material to bridge between the top of the cabinetry and the ceiling. It is this bridge piece which will "absorb" the level changes of the ceiling. Alternatively, the crown molding can be installed perfectly level, and rather than seeing the level change in the bridge piece, it will be seen in any gaps at the ceiling. It is good to know what your room level situation is BEFORE you install your cabinetry!

Rather than touching the ceiling, instead, plan to have your cabinetry stop 1 1/2-2" short of the ceiling, creating a "shadow line" effect, a dark area which is difficult to see level changes. This installation can solve lots of ceiling issues.

Make sure you are clear on what you want your kitchen backsplash dimension to be. This important dimension will aid in determining just how much room you have between the cabinet and the ceiling. Of course, if there is a tall cabinet involved, that height will be the finish height, most likely of all of your cabinetry.

Note any beams too! In the image with the beam, I planned on having the beam land as close to the middle of that flat, vertical piece of wood, as was possible. I only had approximately 1 1/2" to miss by either way, but with careful measuring, and ordering of the cabinetry below the moldings, it landed in the right spot!

There are lots of great ways to add decorative detailing in this upper area near the ceiling. Take a look at the blog, One Woman’s Cottage Life. It’s a nice collection of ideas for the area above the cabinetry. Be careful up there, and be creative too!