How To Fix Your Upper Cabinets So Your Kitchen Feels Less Cramped

Cramped, heavy, and maybe a little dated, lofty upper cabinetry can hinder the look and feel of your kitchen. While often necessary, upper cabinets could be shrinking the size of your space, making it feel like the walls and ceiling are closing in. Bulky upper cabinets can obstruct lighting, casting shadows across countertops and giving the work surface a dingy look. Further, walls covered in cabinetry provide no visual negative space for the eyes to gravitate toward. However, there is a way to combat this. One kitchen cabinet trend that creates an open and clean aesthetic involves removing or changing up your existing upper cabinets to create an unobtrusive and airy design. Some solutions include opting for open shelving in place of upper cabinets, using glass-front doors, or even ditching the uppers altogether for an ultra-minimal, modern look. And, by removing the cabinets, you allow another feature, such as the kitchen island or range hood, a chance to become a focal point.

Although, before you go ripping out all of your existing cabinetry, you should determine whether fixing your upper cabinets is best for your space. If you're struggling with storage solutions at the moment, nixing the upper cabinets may create additional organizational dilemmas. Be sure to have a backup storage space prepared before opting for open shelving or no cabinets. For example, professional interior designers like David Bromstad make a solid case for ditching upper cabinets in a small kitchen by using a central island as your go-to storage instead.

With a few solutions to choose from, first determine the needs of your space before updating your kitchen cabinets. If you remove your bulky uppers for open shelving, consider which items you can display on the shelves that are both functional and stylish. Keep in mind that these spaces are prone to clutter and may need more maintenance to keep the dishware dust free. Or, if you wish to go bold, you can remove your upper cabinets entirely. Both options create an expansive look in the kitchen. However, they present challenges with storage. While opting for a kitchen island or turning a standard pantry into a butler's pantry can be great for some, these solutions aren't within everyone's budget or space constraints. As a solution, you could implement the bespoke trend that's replacing open cabinets by adding custom features and storage solutions elsewhere.

If the commitment to open shelving or an ultra-minimal, no-uppers design sounds daunting, you can start small by removing only a few upper cabinets for open shelves. Or, you can install one large pantry-style cabinet in the kitchen and blend open shelving or blank space alongside it for a similar open look but with added storage. Glass-front doors are also a good compromise to give you that airy feeling without ridding your space of its existing storage. However, glass doors on cabinetry also mean you need to be aware of visual clutter that could be put on display.