There are instructions on how to hang the cabinets higher and add a shelf underneath.

Here is a link that might be useful: raising cabinets and adding shelves

There's this one.

But, are you trying to add something above your cabinets instead?

Here is a link that might be useful: 30

Here's another kitchen; they added shelves above the cabinets on one side and below on the other.

Here is a link that might be useful: shelves above cabinets --- and below

I saw upper cabinets added to existing on HGTV. They said they were stock cabinets- maybe "above fridge cabinets" added across the top. Then I saw another show where they raised the existing cabinets and added lower cabinets with doors that were frosted glass and swung up rather than left or right. Both looked good. Sorry, no photos.

I will be adding cabinets above my oven cabinet and refrigerator cabinets eventually. My idea is to just stack them. Then I thought I would put one of those metal rails that library ladders hang from. I think it will cover the "seam" where the new top meets the old cabinet. Otherwise we could add trim of some kind. We would need the ladder to reach the top cabinets anyway. I hate dusting up there anyway.

These wouldn't do me any good (I'm 5'2). I'm not sure I'd be able to reach anything on the lowest level of the cabinet. To be able to have a double row of shelves below, the cabinets would probably have to be raised at least 12".
With 36" for base cabinets, 18" above countertop, 12" for open shelving, the lowest level of the cabinet is 4" over my head.
Maybe the cabinets are only for show--maybe they're empty. Everything is on the open shelves.

Quote from link:
""WeâÂÂve freed up some valuable counter space with all the extra storage."

Everything I see on the shelves would have been in the cabinets not on the countertop, so I don't see what counter space they freed up.

Why not add the space above the cabinets, and store the things you hardly use or for some nice display pieces?

This post was edited by canuckplayer on Thu, Mar 6, 14 at 22:26

thanks for the help and links! i love the first picture in nosoccermom's second post, it really helps me visualize because those are our exact cabinets and knobs! while i like the idea, we won't be able to move the cabinets up higher due to the over the range microwave, etc. plus i am not too tall and have two young daughters who already struggle to reach things in the uppers! the shelves above would just be used for pretty but rarely used items.

I am one who just stuck 12" cabinets on top of my 30" ones. If it's done right, there is no seam. If you're painting, it's even more perfectly invisible.

I think only tall people put things in those upper cabinets and shelves. As has been discussed a million times, those areas become the habitat for items very seldom used. Xmas junk, bigger cooking items, dead bodies of annoying relatives, etc. In my house, they're empty. Kind of like a file cabinet. The minute you put something in it, stats show you don't look at it for another couple of years.

If you're short (as I am, almost 5'3") there's absolutely no good reason to use them for anything you or your kids would need to use on a regular basis,. That's just poor storage planning in the long run. Inefficient. Kids have a habit of growing. Perhaps, in the meanwhile, a nice, handy toe-kick drawer storage area for a stepstool?

Aren't those pictures cool, though? If I were even 6" taller, I'd be very tempted to take my cabinets down again and add shelving underneath. (Over? I don't dust and I have cats. Soo... ICK ICK ICK)

I look forward to seeing what you decide to do!

My Mom has stacked cabinets in her kitchen. She's 5'4", and can't reach any of them without a stool or chair, but that doesn't mean they aren't useful! Hers contain a fondue pot (used once a year), canning jars, waffle iron, parfait glasses (used once a year), large serving pieces. Over the years as it went from a 4-person household to one, she got rid of things and brought those items down, but they were well used for 25 years.

She used the upper cabinets far more often than the 12"-deep cabinet over the fridge (I don't even know what was up there).

I've come to believe anything 12" (in relation to cabinetry) is totally worthless and should be considered a spacer.

I put a 21" tall, 18" deep cabinet over my fridge that I pulled out to the front of the fridge line. NOW I can put my unused cookie sheets up there and actually reach them if I lose my mind and decide to (actually cook) make something requiring a flat piece of metal.

Point being, height isn't important for items seldom used. At our height, we're gonna need a step stool at some point!

Even with the cabinetry I built in my laundry room, floor-to-ceiling, I need my little step stool. It slides under the cabinets' toe kick. Go figure. Way up to are the jeans I optimistically plan to get back into someday. It'll probably take another divorce to drop me back to size 0 and 1 again, but hey. Why knows?

I'm glad I seen this thread. It gave me some kitchen ideas. I'm trying to get my kitchen all figured out for when we build it later this summer.

CEFreeman, have you posted pictures of the cabinets you heightened? If so, can you direct me to a post or link? I'm still debating whether to try that, stick w/ 30", or invest in new uppers. If I go with new ceiling height uppers, I'll have to to somehow heighten the above fridge cabs and pantry to match. I'm trying to get as much info as I can on this subject.

I only have one of them in progress.
I think. I'll look.

I also took a 42" cabinet and put a rail in it, adding 12" cabinet doors to the top part. But you're not trying to put in new cabinets.

I can tell you that you can look at almost any picture of stacked cabinets and you'll see the same thing as what I did. I stacked 'em. Done. It's also THE least expensive way go get stacked cabinets. Reuse centers are CRAMMED full of your door style right now, so you can get 12" tall cabinets of almost any width for as little as $5.00 a cabinet. Throw those babies up there, screw them in and you are done.

I just looked. All I have is this picture of the one where I added the rail. But they all look the same when it's done and painted. (Please ignore the bad ceiling line. I was just learning how to use my saw. That was covered with crown trim.)

What seems to be a bit of an issue is how to handle the OTR microwave or exhaust fan if one raises the cabinets.
Both solutions in the pictures/link look a little strange IMO.

Any other suggestion since replacing with a freestanding hood isn't easy because it can't be squeezed in the space over the range between the cabinets.

What's the minimum distance? Here, it looks like the hood is touching the cabs but probably not the case.

Thank you CEFreeman for the pic & info. It gives me pause to know so many are getting rid of my cabinet style. I wouldn't have chosen the natural stained finish (they were in the house) but I consider the style pretty basic and not too trendy. But it's good to know I can find them pretty easily.

nosoccermom, the last picture you posted was the direction I was heading in before I posted here for help. Now it seems so wrong to have squeezed a chimney hood so tight between 2 cabinets. If may_flowers hadn't set me straight, this photo would have.

Amck, keep in mind that these are so common because they're a nice, sturdy and versatile wooden cabinet.

They can be painted, they can be stripped add white washed, (ceruse), they can be stripped and stained to a very trendy darker color and they can have the grain filled and painted to a very smooth finish. Trim can be added to them to fancy them up.

I'm willing to bet that 90% of the folks getting rid of these cabinets are going Shaker, which is another current trend.

Note that in my photo, I have the same cabinet doors. Several of the examples have these doors. I was thrilled to find the 12"ers for only $5.00.

If you were to decide to do a different door style, take a look at your cabinet boxes. You might have solid plywood boxes and could only need to replace the doors!

Just came across another example of raised cabinets and shelves underneath. Details are provided at the link below.
{{!gwi}}

Here is a link that might be useful: open storage below IKEA cabs

We are adding cabinets to the top of our too short kitchen cabinets. It is a pet peeve of mine that the cabs don't go all the way to the ceiling. There is way too much empty space up there! Even though cabinet style is partial overlay, I like the aged, vintage quality of the painted, distressed cabinets. (Goes w/ the house.) Will add more above, plus moulding, and repaint them all in a cream tone to match. Very inexpensive to do and it will solve my problem by bringing the eye up.