Hi -- If you have the 42 inch cabinet up to the top and add a 12 inch cabinet stacked under , that will fill the 9 ft. height. So this is how it would measure up. base cabinet 36 inches high - 18 inches from counter top to bottom of 12 inch cabinet , then 42 inch cabinet on top , brings you to 9 ft. high. But no molding room. Or you could have two 24 inch uppers stacked or one 48 inch upper then that would leave you 5 inches room for molding .

We are building our retirement home. We have 9' walls as well. I am planning on using a 36" upper with crown and keeping them all the same height. I know people stagger the cabinets but our house is very traditional and I want to honor the style and not blow the budget. The extra 6" will give me more room for larger items and not so cramped. I have spent months on all the details and for us this was the solution.

There are a couple of options but you would need to work with the company supplying the cabinets and see what they have available to accomplish it. You could use a 36" wall cabinet with a 15" tall cabinet above each one. Many put clear glass in these and lights. This would allow for a nice crown molding at the top. A less expensive option is to have the cabinet company create a wood soffit and crown molding matching the cabinets and have that fill the space above. Makes it look as if cabinets go to ceiling and keeps out dust. You'll see examples of both if you peruse the traditional kitchen pictures here on Houzz.

I was told the gap is needed for installing full height cabinets so installer can slide the unit in. But you can also add a piece of straight trim work above the cabinet to give a finished look.

The large stacked moulding on the right photo is the most economical solution. The stacked cabinet solution would work but hide the seams! Two cabinets are more expensive than one. To get 96" or 102 tall cabinets to stand upright, order the toe kick unattached & assemble on site.. The problem with using 48 " cabinets to a 102 height is that the oven, pantry, & ref. end panels are more expensive than the standard 96" materials. Your designer could carefully design trim moulding to hide the seams on the tall cabinet end panels. I often spec 48" high cabinets a single door split into two sections with the top section( 15 or 18" high) with glass inserts on top of a 33 or 30" bottom section. This eliminates the seam on the sides although you could use a styed end panel. A single 48" high cabinet looks top heavy.
Staggering cabinets without careful planning could result in a drunken chaotic appearance.

I agree with Sheryl's well stated comment. Another thought could be creating a soffit and box tray ceiling above a standard cabinet and trim increment. No dust collecting space and a great look.

Toni has it right. A simple soffit will allow additional lighting (on dimmers) & molding will keep the traditional look. I have the same problem & the last thing I want is to put items in that space to collect dust.

We need to install a pantry that is the same height as our ceiling. When we try to put the pantry in place the top corner hits the ceiling before it is in place. We thought maybe we can cut a back corner of the pantry off to put it in place, than glue it on when pantry is in place. That corner will be hidden by the refrigerator. Thanks for any suggestions.

Dz59 - When we install full height cabinets like your pantry, we remove the toe kick first. The cabinet can then be raised, The toe kick installed in place and the cabinet lifted onto the toe kick and secured in place. If your cabinet has an integral kick you'll have to cut it to remove it. and it may require rebuilding

Steve

I raised my bottom cabinet one inch to 37', left 18" from top of counter to bottom of 42" upper cab, mounted the upper cab down a bit and covered the gap with 6" crown moulding. Looked lovely. You could always go drastic and lower your ceiling by a few inches!

Please help me understand. Is staggering cabinets considered modern while straight and up to the ceiling traditional?

volneym, I do not think staggered cabinets are considered modern. I see them as a (now dated) trend. Staggered cabinets in AZ was a small upgrade about a decade ago that was seen in a lot of Tuscan styled or traditional (but not necessarily classic imo) homes. I think cabinets straight up to the ceiling can be traditional, classic, contemporary/transitional or modern. I also think cabinets not going to the ceiling with just crown & a gap can be traditional, contemporary, transitional or modern.

Personally I like a clean line & no dust. So either stacked cabinets (42" with say 12" above) to the ceiling or 42" with large crown/soffit depending on ceiling height. After that if I couldn't take the cabinet to the ceiling in some manner I'd just go straight cabinets with space above the crown. Staggered rarely looks good imo....though there are a few pictures I've seen with a layout & cabinet style (usually traditional) that it works well. However, in a lot of kitchens the layout with staggered cabinets just seems off.

I made this [cabinet height guide[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/cabinet-height-guide-contemporary-new-york-phvw-vp~42287300) with different combinations when dealing with 8 or 9' ceilings. Disregard 42"+15" cabinet that was just to show someone that it will not work. I hope you find this helpful.

Good luck

I like the idea of a board above the cabinets with maybe fluted trim at top of cabinet and crown to the ceiling. The 9" gap would just be awkward.

I think it is all relative to the ceiling height and shape. The higher the ceiling, the more options you have, A sloped ceiling would be a great place for staggered height cabinets. It is truly about the fit and the context.

Anyone have suggestions for cabinet brands that offer a 108" (9' tall) pantry cabinet?

Not many companies make that size unless it's a custom shop and even most custom shops will suggest a 90"H pantry with a 15" stack cabinet, that will give you 105"H total leaving just enough room for crown molding.

Any ideas for a 9 inch ceiling that slants up to a cathedral ceiling. I would like to use stacked cabinets. Should is us 33 and 15, 36 and 12 or 36 and 18?

36+18 will not work on a 9' ceiling.

Why?