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Design Dilemma
tomkonian

Is soffit outdated?

13 years ago
I'm currently building a house and have planned to put overextended soffit above my kitchen cabinets with recessed lighting. Looking at more and more kitchens it seems that no one uses soffit. Is it outdated? I just hate thinking about cleaning the dust that collects up there,
Featured Answer
  • PRO
    13 years ago
    last modified: 13 years ago
    Ok, so then what is done by professionals is to run the cabinetry up to 90 " and use a 2 piece crown molding of 6 inches to go up to the ceiling. Even if you have or need ductwork or plumbing in the soffits, it can usually fit between the tops of the cabinets and the ceiling and be hidden by the crown.
    The amateurish thing to do is to run the cabinetry without molding all the way to the ceiling. It doesn't look as good and you lose the the space for venting etc. The last 6 inches really aren't a significant loss of storage space and the crown also allows you to level the cabinetry, and the top doors will not hit any recessed lights or scrape the ceiling. The 36" high wall cabinets used to hang your cabinet tops at 90" are much more appealing visually in size then the 42" high cabinets that would reach 96" on their own.

    What the crown looks like is completely dependant on the style of the cabinet you choose. The more modern and simple the door style the simplier the crown should be. Raised panel and more ornate door styles should have fancier crowns. If you show us a picture of the cabinet door style you like I can show you possible crowns.

    96" high ceilings by the way, are too short to have stacked cabinetry with glass doors on top look right. If you see the top picture from Studio S the ceiling in that picture is 102" or greater.

    Comments (20)

    • PRO
      13 years ago
      Soffits can be essential for running your hood duct laterally to avoid obstructions above, but if that is not a need, then consider doing glass-front "display" cabinets that take up this extra space.
    • 13 years ago
      I like that my cabinets go all the way to the ceiling, it's the perfect place to store not often used and holiday dishes and platters. I wouldn't want a soffit, nor would I want that weird empty space above.

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    • PRO
      13 years ago
      It would be nice to run your cabinets to the ceiling.
    • PRO
      13 years ago
      How high are your ceilings? If they are 96" then go 90" with 6" of molding to close in the tops and run any duct-work. If they are 108" then you have more options, A soffit around the entire room at 96" to 102" is a tray ceiling and can also be a coffered ceiling. Most important is if you have soffits still have some molding even a simple flat piece for modern cabinetry styles to reach the soffit. It is very outdated to have soffits directly on top of the cabinet doors, especially 30" wall cabinets with 12" soffits above in a 96" high room.

      Here is an article on the ceiling height issue:

      http://www.mainlinekitchendesign.com/general/the-108-inch-ceiling-height-dilemma/
    • 13 years ago
      I can't stand soffits, but who knows, maybe they will be in style again -- in like 30 years?
      I also suggest running cabinets to the ceiling--storage for things you don't use that often and no dust above the cabinets
    • PRO
      13 years ago
      I agree with having upper cabinets go all the way to the ceiling to maximize storage as well.
    • PRO
      13 years ago
      It would be a pain to constantly dust up there! If you need more storage then I say extend the cabinets to the ceiling.... but also keep in mind on how tall you are and what you would store up there because reaching could be a issue.
    • 13 years ago
      We just took out our (much hated) soffits and ran our new cabinets up to the ceiling. Much better looking; much more storage space. And unexpectedly, everyone who walked in said the kitchen looked bigger, even though the footprint was the same.
    • 13 years ago
      Here's an interesting alternative to the typical drywall soffit. The beadboard and crown molding look like an extension of the cabinets.
      Kitchen · More Info
    • 13 years ago
      michigammemom, that's pretty cool! And feeny, it's just so hard to tell without pictures....Bobbi
    • 13 years ago
      Thank you for the input. Our ceilings are 96". I haven't looked in extending them, but I will definitely look at the price difference.
    • 13 years ago
      last modified: 13 years ago
      We live in a townhouse and the kitchen so old and outdated. We plan to remodel but with the soffits running the length of two of the walls our cabinets would be very low like they are now. I would love to remove them so I could have a normal kitchen. Who could I call to look and tell me if they could be scraped?
    • PRO
      13 years ago
      Well said, Main Line.
    • 13 years ago
      Yes, soffits are outdated. No one likes them and they hurt your resale value.
    • 13 years ago
      you have to open up the drywall to see what's in there first. Usually there's duct work.HVAC/ and or sheet metal contractors can help you with that. We didn't have ducting, but they were structural- holding up the roof! An engineer helped the contractor figure out to provide more support while removing the soffits. I love the look without the soffits!!
    • PRO
      13 years ago
      Yes, the soffits would look outdated. Do crown moulding and run the cabinets to the ceiling or a foot or less below. Who's going to know if it's dusty?
    • PRO
      13 years ago
      Definitely extend them to the ceiling.
    • 13 years ago
      This will also allow you to put in much nicer lighting-rather than that recessed in the soffits stuff.
    • PRO
      13 years ago
      @Patricia Mitchell. My husband is a contractor and we live near Portland, Maine. He has been in business for 37 years. If you are nearby e-mail Mike at mike.mayobuildersinc@hotmail.com for a quote.
      If you do not live in Maine, click on "Find Local Pros" in the black bar at the top of the page and type in your city and state.
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