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kitchen ceiling lower than rest of house

Karen Wuestewald

6 years ago

My kitchen ceiling is a foot lower than the rooms around it, it's a regular texturized drywall ceiling. I am wanting to remove the soffit above the cupboards but got to wondering why they would have made the ceiling lower in that room. A higher ceiling would really open up my kitchen! Does anyone know why this may have been done this way?
My house was built in 1900, we bought it 5 yrs ago and I'm guessing the kitchen was done maybe in the 50's. I'm not good at guessing eras, the counters are yellow and walls are painted paneling.
thanks!

Featured Answer

PRO

Brickwood Builders, Inc.

6 years ago

No way to know for sure without opening it up and taking a look. Generally done in an older home or basement because plumbing or hvac runs under the ceiling joists. If you are going to tear out the soffits, go ahead and tear out some areas and see what you find.

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Comments (11)

ninigret
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
when it was last remodeled isnt the same as when it was built.

anyway, you'll want to get rid of the textured ceiling in any case. before you order cabinets have your contractor do an exploratory. whats above the kitchen? if a bathroom was added odds are you have plumbing that was covered up. but it might not be everywhere so its worth looking.

main thing, look before you order. don't order cabinets for a taller ceiling and find it can't be done; ditto dont go small if you dont have to.
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Karen Wuestewald
Original Author
6 years ago
Thank you for your input, much appreciated.

nnigrt,
As I stated in my original post the house was built in 1900 and the kitchen possibly done in the 50's, long after it was built.
I will definitely be looking inside the soffit before removing it. It is a single story home, I'm hoping there's no plumbing or wiring up there since we are doing renovations ourselves.
ninigret
6 years ago
i'm sorry, i was thinking it was an addition on your original house.. mine is that way, i was reading what wasnt there.
Karen Wuestewald
Original Author
6 years ago
Oh that's fine. I wasn't completely clear on that. I really think it may have just been an aesthetic thing. Me, I'd rather have the feel of openness.
emilyam819
6 years ago
It's possible that the lower ceiling was just to conserve heat or meet the top of the cabinets. With any luck, there's nothing up there!
leelee
6 years ago
Do you have an attic? If you do go up and see what's going on over the kitchen. Could be that the kitchen was once a porch and was enclosed and made into a room.
decoenthusiaste
6 years ago
Is it a faux ceiling dropped to install florescent lights? It may come out and reveal a ceiling behind it that matches the others.
Scotty Moir
4 years ago
My home was made in 1979. I have vaulted ceiling next to it in my living room/dining room. I wish to do the same. There I nothing .....plumbing/etc..above the dropped down ceiling. I really have been wondering why they would build a home like that myself.
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Patricia Colwell Consulting
4 years ago
This was our place that was built in 1905 we wanted to add a shower upstairs and we needed to allow for the plumbing you will see we had a piece made to mimic the hood fan that hid all the plumbing be a bit imaginative to see waht you can come up with
Rena
2 years ago
Hey @Karen Wuestewald! Did you end up elevating the ceiling? We just bought a house and it's the same situation for us. Wondering what happened in your case.

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