The Downside You Need To Consider Before Installing Ceiling-High Kitchen Cabinets

Floor-to-ceiling kitchen cabinets are a major trend in modern home design. After all, they offer a sleek, high-end look that many homeowners love, and close the gap between the top of the cupboard and the ceiling. This eliminates that notorious dust shelf where grime (and sometimes your pet cat) settles. However, before you commit to this towering cabinet option, there are a few things you should first consider about the daily reality of living with it. Most notably, while ceiling-height cabinets look stunning, those extra-high shelves usually become a dead zone.

Despite the fact that many folks are always on the lookout for more storage around the house, the top shelves of ceiling-height cabinets may just stay empty once installed. Why? Because they're just plain hard to reach during day-to-day use. In order to access them, you'll need to drag in a step-stool or ladder every time you want to clean them or grab something from inside one. It's fine to leave them empty, but you want to consider this added difficulty if you're keen to install ceiling-height cabinets for the sake of having more storage.

The people who do use their to-the-ceiling cabinets opt to organize them like an expert, using those higher shelves to store less-used objects like serving platters or seasonal baking items. You're still going to need to locate and bring in a stool to get things down. However, if you're not going to need to do that frequently, it's not as much of a bother.

Beyond the flat-out impracticality of having a bunch of unused, unreachable shelves, safety is also a big concern here. Falls in the kitchen can happen when people are stretching to reach heavy, high-up items or use unstable furniture like dining chairs to get some height (and these cabinets will only add to that). Balancing a heavy ceramic bowl or stack of porcelain plates while standing on narrow ladder rungs is a recipe for a trip to the hospital. Holding these heavy items on a ladder not only makes it hard to stay steady but is also hazardous. And this risk grows if you are in a hurry to get those things ready before tonight's dinner party, for example. Using high shelves introduces an unnecessary layer of danger into a room that's already full of sharp tools and hot surfaces.

Also, think about how your needs and abilities will change as you age. What feels like a little climb on a step stool today could become a serious threat later in life. And regardless of your ability level, it's easy to forget those upper areas when cleaning your kitchen, since the effort to reach them is too great. This could cause them to gather layers of grease and dust that defeat the purpose of seamless cabinetry to begin with. This can turn into an eyesore if your cabinets have glass inserts and accent lighting. Ultimately, a beautiful kitchen shouldn't ever come at the cost of your safety. It's always better to keep the things you use within comfortable reach. Maybe one of these stunning backsplash trends could make for a more exciting focal point for your kitchen.