If you're planning to do ikea and not in a hurry you might want to wait for Sektion next Feb. Of course nobody for sure which options they'll have, but the Metod line (European equivalent) has lots of cabinets with doors with glass only at the top, like this:

What comes to mind is a concern that it would actually make the ceiling look lower since it would break up the elongating effect of a tall cabinet to the ceiling. Sort of like how monochromatic clothes make you look taller and leaner because there is no line to break it up. Just an idea off the top of my head, I'm not a designer! Also, have you tried it out on the IKEA planner?

I have 8' ceilings and I am planning an upper that will start at counter height and go to the ceiling. I actually want a stacked cabinet there to keep it from looking top heavy. You may not have considered balance, but you'll know it when you (don't) see it, and I think spaces with lower ceiling heights are especially prone to this blunder. I think stacked cabs are a great option for you. But keep in mind your budget. You will be buying two cabinets instead of one.

Good Luck!

Why do you want stacked cabinets instead of one 39" upper?

The advantage to a single cabinet is that you can adjust the shelves inside to what you need. I have tall uppers with 8' ceilings, and I ordered extra shelves for all of them. I like being able to store things without stacking.

I never post on GW anymore, but happened to be browsing today and saw your thread.

I have stacked IKEA cabs exactly as you describe with an 8' ceiling. If they make my ceilings look lower or make my cabinets look short and fat like @nancyjwb says it will, I've never noticed or cared.

Here is an old pic taken before the trim was finished. Maybe these will be helpful. I have a better more recent pic somewhere, but don't have time to look for it right now.

Bottom cabs are 24", top cabs are 15". There is 18" space bw counter and upper cab, and 3" molding (now) closing the gap to the ceiling. It all fits.

jenswrens, I think those look great! I do like writersblock's solution, though, as it will result in less to buy and less to install while looking the same.

Yes, I have stacked uppers with 8' ceilings. I opted for 15" over 27", which left no room for crown, but I like my simple trim just fine:

I might have gone with a single 42" cab with stacked doors, as it looked nice to me and cost way less, but DH uncharacteristically had an opinion about the kitchen reno and insisted on stacked.

jenswrens - thank you for posting the pics! Looks good to me!

writersblock: I'm *not* actually using Ikea cabinets. I just like to use the Ikea planner as I find it more intuitive than Google sketchup.

I'm hoping that the cabinets I'm getting come in 24" high and 15" high versions. If not, I'll have to think of something else.

This morning, I took the time to make a mockup, using a doctor'ed up version of what's presented in the Ikea planner. (Ikea won't give you 15"high uppers with glass.)

I think it looks pretty good.

I also tried the mockup with 36" wide uppers (instead of the 30"s, shown), to have perfect symmetry on the left and right sides. But, with the 36" wide cabs, the bottoms looked too squat, imo.

fouramblues: Your stacked cabs look great! I think it really adds a nice detail to the kitchen.

Ok, great to know that 27"+15"s fit and look good without the crown.

*edited to remove a statement that made no sense.

This post was edited by Hydragea on Thu, Oct 23, 14 at 11:18

I don't understand why you would want to stack cabinets either.

Stacking cabinets cost more than using one 39" cabinet.

More material & hardware cost. More shipping cost.

Double the assembly cost.

Double (at the least) the installation cost.

Additional weight.

Loss of useable space.

Loss of flexibility in shelf adjustment.

Less user friendly. With stacked cabinets you have to open double the number of doors to see what's in there AND you'll probably need a step ladder to open half of those doors.

Ci_lantro - I want them because I get the display on top combined with the concealed storage on the bottom.

If I do all glass, then I'd have no place to food items like peanut butter, flour, and other ugly stuff. (I suppose I could put them in a drawer, but I've had this arrangement before, and it is much easier to reach from eye level than it is to bend down into a drawer.)

If I do all concealed storage, then I have no place for display, and also, I think it might look a bit heavy.

I would be happy to do a single 39" with a glass pane on top. I'll ask the cabinet guy about this.

re:" I might have gone with a single 42" cab with stacked doors, as it looked nice to me and cost way less, but DH uncharacteristically had an opinion about the kitchen reno and insisted on stacked."

Why would you choose one over the other? Do they look different? Function differently?

thanks so much jenswrens. You are a true expert when it comes to stacked cabs, haha!

Haha! Well, I don't know about that, but I can build IKEA cabs blindfolded anyway we've done so many of them. ;-)

This post was edited by jenswrens on Thu, Oct 23, 14 at 15:57

this looks great! Love this look!!!

Mine are similar to fouramblues and for the reason that you are wanting to do it.

I wanted some display space as I have some colourful pottery that I wanted to display. I have 4 uppers where the top part is glass and then the lower part is closed and they are a true stacked cabinet with separate boxes and doors but I also have 2 full height cabinets all in glass to display my glass ware.

People will tell you that 8' ceilings shouldn't have stacked cabinets because they aren't high enough to get proper proportion but as you can see - it can be done. I like mine.

My ceilings are 99" and I did stacked INSET cabinets. I used 45" uppers and had my cabinet installed 51" off the floor. I like them lower....easier to access. Using inset, gave me more room for crown molding.

Here's a pic of my partially finished kitchen.
KOMPY

The proportion looks right based on what I've seen KDs here post--a division of thirds. I would check that a 15" wide door gives you enough glass once you subtract for stiles and rails. I've seen kitchens with a row of tiny squares dotting the ceiling with one little piece of white pottery barely discernible behind the glass. Not worth drawing the eye up there or paying to light and paint the interior imo. I also prefer the doors to be the same width on a wall so it looks like one unit. Fouramblues has a nice width that displays items well.

Otherwise I'd put that money into a fabulous range/hood/backsplash since that's your focal wall.

All your kitchens look great! I didn't mean to offend, simply offered something off the top of my head. Do what you love, and it will look great!

Here's another option....go with one single door and put the smaller glass opening or mullion at the top only. You will have to decide if you want all of those units to have finished matching interiors or not. One client of mine bought extra stained paneling to skin out the upper section only. Labor intensive but she did it herself.

Here's a photo of a kitchen I did for a client NON_stacked units and just glass at the top. There are several lines that offer this: Medallion, Showplace are two that I can think of off the top of my head. KOMPY

See more pics on the houzz profile
https://www.houzz.com/photos/shiloh-cabinetry-sw-cupola-yellow-custom-color-farmhouse-kitchen-phvw-vp~3577936-Construction-with-Old-Farmhouse-Kitchen-traditional-kitchen-cincinnati

thanks Kompy. You have a lovely kitchen, and the kitchen doors you posted above are really pretty, and create a nice, warm, look. I'll ask my cabinet guy about them.

may_flowers. I'm ditching the old stove, and getting an induction cooktop and accompanying convection oven.

re: I've seen kitchens with a row of tiny squares dotting the ceiling with one little piece of white pottery barely discernible behind the glass.

Yes, I've seen this too, and noted that it's not a good look.

Not worth drawing the eye up there or paying to light and paint the interior imo. I also prefer the doors to be the same width on a wall so it looks like one unit.

I agree with this too.

Fouramblues has a nice width that displays items well.

Yes, they look like 30"s to me.

Thanks for the kind words about my cabs!

I misspoke, though: it wasn't the one-cab-two-door look that DH disliked, it was the all-one-door-with-glass-pane-at-top look that he rejected. I thought it looked pretty, though not as substantial.

My glass cabs are only 18" wide, and I use the bottom section to store my everyday dishes, so it's quite a useable width.

jenswrens you posted years ago about farm sink adjustable legs exploding? Need info about that.