I don't like the top trim in the picture, but since you have trim on the bottom of the cabinets, I think it would look unbalanced if there were nothing on the tops. Could you maybe do something flat, like the bottom trim?

Believe me I have looked for a better solution maybe someone will chime in and show me an example of a flat trim that will work better.

Subject should summazie, like "Crown molding with different cabinet heights".

You might attrack someone who knows crown molding versus someone that like huge problems.

I like how it looks with trim, and would want the trim to mimic the style that's below the cabs as jenva says. (Mockup below.) I can think of a few workarounds, none of which are perfect:

1. Have the middle doors extend just a bit (1/2"?) by adding an extra frame behind them. This might not be allowed due to the vents below.
2. Have a frame down center of your middle cabinet and swap the doors so they hinge from the middle and open from the sides. You might hate how this looks (2nd pic) and it admittedly looks weird. It would look OK if you could fill the holes and either use a long bar centered along the bottom, or no knobs or pulls at all and just open by pulling the door frame.
3. Have trim on the side cabinets that only steps out on the sides away from the middle and is flat on front. Center cabinet has stepped trim. (image 3.)
4. Have trim that is set in a bit so the stacked lower part is inset and the upper part is flush with the cabinet fronts. Potential dust trap but might give you the look you want.

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Sorry, one more.

I think your picture up top just looks odd because the trim is stepped in from the sides of the cabinets, but it doesn't really have to be, does it? Couldn't it extend further to the right on the right side, and just be longer in the middle? It might still be stepped back toward the wall on the side cabs for clearance of the center doors, but the side edges can still extend.

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We have a similar design planned for our new kitchen and I know the KD had to use a filler on the side cabinets in order for the crown on the higher piece to look right.
Obviously, it is too late for that on your cabinet run but I definitely think you should find a way to keep the trim- I really like the way it looks.

If you get a minute, check out a post on the home decorating forum called "accessories/antecdotes"- about 1/2 way down there is a response from Oakleyok. She is a valuable contributor over there and her picture shows a cabinet run like yours. Maybe she would be willing to tell you how she got the look?

Lots of luck to you!

Chicagoans,

Thanks so much for the mock up. I see that you are correct that the trim should step out on the side like the light rail on the bottom. I'll have to go shopping tonight and look for some different trim. I just don't think I could ever like this.

Is it impossible to move those two lower side cabinets over a tiny bit to make room for the filler that crescent50 mentioned. I can't tell from your pic if there is room on the left of the hood, but it looks like there may be room on the right. The filler would only have to come to the bottom of the hood, not to the bottom of the side cabs.

I ran into the same type of problem. All of our cabs are the same depth except for the hood. I couldn't get crown on all of the lower cabinets to where it would look good, so I just did the uppers. I kind of like it. We only have 8 ft ceilings so it gives me room to put stuff above the lower cabs if I would want to. My kitchen is just getting finished up. Here is a pic of our uppers.

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