How deep should cabinet soffit be?

17 years ago

I plan on having soffit above the cabinets. Yes, I know that the modern design idiom is to have the top of the cabinets open, but it seems that having open cabinets just leaves a place for dust and kitchen grime to settle. Sure, the area could be sued for extra storage, but being so high up, one would need to get on an awkward stool to use it.

Anyway, I was wondering how deep should this soffit be. Obviously, it must be at least 12" to match the upper cabinet, but it seems that it should go a little deeper, e.g. 15".

What do you think?

Featured Answer

thrilledtoremodel

17 years ago

How tall are your ceilings? mine are only 7.5 feet tall- and we have soffits that are about 5 inches tall and come out about 24 inches (the recessed lights are in them). I personally can't stand them, they are being ripped out next week. As a side note too, many kitchen-people (contractor/designer) have said they are a 'dated' kind of them. Do 'em if you love them, but they won't be a 'plus'.

Anyways- because my ceilings aren't very high, the cabinets are going up only a few extra inches, then the crown molding will take them the rest of the way ( I agree, a gap is only a gathering for grease & dust). If I had 9 foot ceilings, that would make access to the top of the cabinets difficult, but I agree that it would make a great place for seasonal items.

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Comments (8)

als6w
17 years ago
I would also like to know this as I plan on doing the same.
idrive65
17 years ago
There is someone here who covered their soffits with wood to match the cabinets, then added trim and crown molding. It is gorgeous, perhaps someone else can remember who it is?
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laxsupermom
17 years ago
I think Casey(sombreuil mongrel, although I probably butchered the spelling) did the soffits with the trim to match the cabinets. It looked nice.

We took our cabinets up to the ceiling because of the extra storage. Yes, it's up really high, but it's great for seasonal stuff, like the bunny shaped deviled egg tray, Christmas cookie jars, and turkey platter, as well as the just not used that often stuff like my gazillion Wilton shaped cake pans. Yes, shorter people might need a step stool for some of the stuff, but we planned a built-in spot for a step stool for when my mom is here(I have very long monkey-like arms and can reach most everything).
palimpsest
17 years ago
Its a matter of personal taste but I tend to specify flush with either the face of the cabinet or flush with the face of the door. It is a little more exacting to do it this way and sometimes you can't finish the soffit until the cabinets are in place --it also gives you the opportunity to finish the front of the soffit like the cabinets, with trim or moulding.

You have more leeway if you make the soffit several inches deeper than the cabinet. The alignment does not have to be perfect and the drywall corner doesnt have to be perfect.
caryscott
17 years ago
Soffits are soffits sometimes you don't have any choice other times yo do but less cabinet means less money so they are budget friendly. I like them to the edge of the box because it eliminate the need for a filler (if they are as deep as the box and the door then you will require some clearance so the doors don't rub). My Mom's were ideal until the corner and because the other soffit was to deep she needed a filler strip along the top between the cabinets and the soffit. I think deeper can also look good. I prefer them if they are contained - the end run into walls - they look way more dated with an exposed end for some reason.

My Mom's ( I really like them, hers are necessary but I don't find them dated at all (I might be delusional):
Buehl
17 years ago
It's not an open area above cabinets that's "in" today, it's cabinets to the ceiling...whether the cabinet box itself or the crown molding for the last few inches. This provides a surprising amount of extra storage for those seldom-used items.

Even if you need soffits, they don't have to be intrusive. I have a small soffit that's only about 3-3/4" deep and 5-1/4" high. The 36" tall cabinets go right up to it but the crown molding then covers the soffit. We debated getting taller cabinets and cutting out the back, but then we wouldn't have had room for the crown molding my KD designed that minimized our ceiling height differences (we have about an inch difference in ceiling-to-floor height from one corner to the opposite corner of our kitchen).

Around the range/vent hood duct cover you do see the soffit, but it's not an imposing presence.

If you'd rather not have soffits, check to see if you need them. There was a time when soffits were "in" and kitchens had them even when they didn't need them. Other times they're only needed in one place but soffits are put in the entire kitchen just to make it all look the same. And yes, some still put them in today b/c they want less expensive cabinets (or their cabinet line doesn't make taller cabinets) and yet they don't want an opening above the cabinets to collect dust.

It's all a matter of personal preference how you handle it. If you like soffits, then by all means, put them in...after all, it's your kitchen! Even if you don't like them and you need them, you can hide them either the way I did or the way others have by encasing them in cabinetry or crown molding.

[BTW...if you do have open space above the cabinets, line the tops in newspaper or paper towels. Then, a few times a year just collect the dusty papers, throw them out, and put in new ones. Sure beats dusting.]
Buehl
17 years ago
Oh, forgot to mention, the soffits in our "old" kitchen were 13" deep. They covered the door. The cabinets were 12" deep + 1" for the door = 13". We also had partial overlay, so there was "built-in" filler all around the doors so no need to worry about rubbing.