I would want cabinets up there, I just couldn't stand the empty dark space. Sorry - just my own preferences. If not, then yes definitely do strip lighting up there, and lighting under your cabinets as well. I think you will surprised at how that lightens things up.

I agree to put no objects up top, and to add lighting.

A maybe crazy idea....put lights up there and a piece of frosted glass in front, across the top. Make it look intentional...Add a piece of trim first, as Chessie suggested; then the strip of frosted glass above.

Angel, it’s a GE profile hood and no we haven’t selected a backsplash yet.

@Shmoo

I understand that you are disgusted and angry right now. I wouldn't/couldn't pay this CM more money, But I would hire someone else to finish the job and I would use the money stilled owned to the CM to finance the job. You are married and feel you have to compromise with your husband, who is just as adamant that you not hire someone else to finish the work.

Between you and your husband you have to decide what you want to do.

1. Pay the original CM and have him place another row of uppers above the cabinets that are there.

2, Pay the original CM and have him place remove the incorrectly sized cabinets with cabinets that are the appropriate height for the space

3. Pay a new CM and have him place another row of uppers above the cabinets that are there.

4, Pay a new CM and have him place remove the incorrectly sized cabinets with cabinets that are the appropriate height for the space

5. Live with what is there.

1 and 2 require that you pay the remaining balance to the original CM and any amount agreed to to finish the job.

3,4,&5 will require a second decision - do you pay the remaining balance of what you were billed by the original CM or tell him to pound sand.

5 would be my last choice. I don't want to be harsh or mean, but the cabinets look like they are a mistake or like you couldn't afford custom and just bought stock cabinets that were on sale and stuck them on the wall. Do you really want to compromise on the aesthetic aesthetic and be reminded of the issues every time you look at your kitchen?

I know you feel that by signing off on the plans you somehow are obligated to pay, but I think that the CM failed to install the cabinets according to the plan - where is that 2:" scribe to soffit? Where on the drawing that he provided is the 14" gap between the cabinets and the soffit? Any deviation from the plan has to be agreed upon, and there was a deviation from the plan when the CM could not install the cabinets with a 2" scribe to soffit. Most courts would hold the professional to a higher standard and would use a reasonable consumer test to determine fault. In my mind a reasonable consumer would have expected the cabinets to be within 2" of the soffit. It may be worth the cost of an hour consult with an attorney just to get an opinion on how much risk there is to not paying the CM the remaining monies and using that money to pay another CM to make things right.

Jennifer your comments really do hot home for me. I will always see it as MY mistake even though it isn’t. Unfortunately I don’t think any lawyer involvement is in the cards. So we are hoping to adapt what we’ve currently got. Some more insight/design help needed please.

If we do go ahead and make these cabinets taller, we would probably put a trim piece at the top (like the one beneath them). How tall can/should these cabinets be? Truly up to the soffit? That would make them somewhere around 48” tall, seems really big. Would that look dumb? If we do the horizontals I’d go up without a trim piece.

Stuff from top is already down!

Either take them up to the soffit, or add some cabinetry up there. The tallest I could have would be 42 and if I ever replace mine, that is what they will be (unless the soffit above them contains something important). Could you do smaller boxes with glass doors? I always thought that looked nice. Here are some threads/articles to give you some ideas.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/842856/are-48-tall-upper-cabinets-too-huge

https://www.bobvila.com/articles/upper-cabinet-height/

https://www.byhyu.com/home--podcast/ceiling-height-kitchen-cabinetsawesome-or-awful-byhyu-177

https://www.bestonlinecabinets.com/blog/double-stacked-cabinets/

Updated your photo using excel and snipping tool, so not perfect, but should give you a pretty good idea of what it would look like with single cabinets up to the ceiling

One with stacked cabinets

I think the tall cabinets look odd. Something isn't right proportionally. I don't have the tools Jennifer does for a mockup but would love to see the existing cabs hung to the soffit and remake the one shorter to hit at the same height (shown in the article I linked to earlier). This is really easy to do yourself, if you are inclined. It looks so clean and simple, and can make a backsplash take center stage. I like how the stack above the fridge looks though (less massive), and can see how that would be awesome storage in my house so I would add that to the existing fridge cabinet. It can look intentional and great.

I'm sorry, but I think I would dig my heels in based on this picture you posted earlier:

This clearly indicates what should have happened - the cabinets should have been 2" below the soffit. It is also showing a height ( most likely a ceiling height ) of 106 ".

Clearly you have more height. Whoever measured and the designers are both on the hook for the measuring error. If the cabinet maker measured, then shame on him when he saw this plan knowing the height of the soffit.

If the soffit was not in place, then it would have been up to the GC to determine where the soffit would be.

I f measure something wrong in the field or dont ask the right questions when things are up in the air and the cabinets don't fit - I am on the hook for the fix.

I would not settle for anything.

Jennifer Hogan, thanks for doing that! I think the stacked look pretty good.

As far as digging in, believe me I want to! I think with timing and costs, at this point we will not be able to find someone else to finish the job before we return north in May. I’m disgusted by all of them.

Shmoo, I know you have struggled with this. I know you are disgusted. I also know there is a time to step back and let it go, move forward and stop stressing. It sounds like that is where you are at and that is okay.

Hello, I wanted to share a photo of the almost complete upper cabinets we put into the space between The soffit and the shorter cabinets. I’m pleased with how this turned out. Still have 3 panels to go in, then the backsplash install will begin.

Thanks to all who commented here previously.

That looks much better. I did not realize how far the soffits extended - but those last pictures really make that clear.

Much better - Enjoy!

"You can also file complaints with the licensing boards the bbb and give them lousy reviews on yelp and other social media outlets."

Florida law specifically exempts cabinetry installation from licensing requirements. Tile too.

Looks 100 times better. Glad you are happy with your new kitchen!

Much better. Looking quite lovely!

Thanks again everyone. What color would you paint the soffit?

and the lights can’t be moved, will live with the shadows.😕

Looking good after a lot of heartache. Paint the soffit as close to the same color as the cabinets. You don't want to make it a feature, you want it to blend in. Painting it a different color will make your eye go directly to them, not the rest of the kitchen. When do you move in?

btw who did you get to finish the job the original contractor or someone else?

Angel18432, we did use the original cabinet maker. My husband was concerned about matching the finishes, and about the voided warranties of we did these apart from him. I’ll never recommend him to anyone, will be sure our GC is further aware of our unhappiness (which he is, and he basically stood with the cabinet maker, not us) and then just enjoy them and move on.

Interesting thought about the pain color, I thought it would all get lost with light paint and that contrast would show it off better. Shows you what I know about design! Thanks for your interest.

Glad it all worked out.

I see a tile sample propped up in the photo ... please do not use that mosaic style and color! That style was trending about 13 years ago and many people are tearing them out. That color will also make your kitchen dark and drab.

The upper cabinets look great.

Agree with Chispa on the mosaic tile!!! No no no no.

I would post a closer picture of that backsplash tile - If it is what I'm thinking, it would be pretty cool - it's glass/marble and a sparkly piece.

You are renovating the space for yourself - if you love it - do it!

Chessie and chispa, what do you recommend? I like it (except for the mirror) but nobody else does. Please help me! I want to bring out the gold handles.

Sorry about the mess.

I think the backsplash is awesome!

Love the backsplash!

I would be looking for something similar to these. Go see what is out there and bring home

I think your backsplash competes with the gold handles, drowning them out. It doesn't help "bring them out." I would go with something less busy.

Debbi Washburn, it’s not marble, there’s the mirrored tiles, a glass with golden veining, and the faux crystals.

@Shmoo - Question: After all the drama and heartache are you loving your kitchen?

Do you love the backsplash and your gold handles?

I think they look great together, breaks up the white and adds interest, but my opinion doesn't really matter. The only person who needs to love this is you.

Jennifer Hogan you’re very kind! I was away getting my covid shot when they started installing the backsplash and the installer expressed the concern that it was “too much” and my husband called me and so the past few days have been stressful, But we are trying one more place to look at alternatives for the backsplash and if we don’t find something we like better, will keep the ones we’ve got. I like it.

so in response to your question, my answer is almost! I have enjoyed cooking, we have a bit of furniture now so it’s starting to feel like a home. I appreciate all your comments and really wish Houzz had a message option (sometimes it feels so weird for every comment to be on every thread) but you professionals would probably be bombarded so I guess there’s a reason!

Shmoo - Houzz has changed a bit over the past few years, but I just looked at the profile setup and opted to let anyone message me. I agree, sometimes comments would be more suited to a private conversation.

I am not a pro, just an active Houzz member. I am connected locally with Real Estate Agents and am asked to help people with new homes pick colors. I have never charged anything. Someday when I retire I figure I will be able to add a few dollars to the kitty by doing color consults.

ShmooOriginal

Chessie and chispa, what do you recommend? I like it (except for the mirror) but nobody else does. Please help me! I want to bring out the gold handles.

I find the backsplash to be extremely distracting , just way too busy. The small mosaic tiles, in that quantity, are also rather a thing of the past, IMHO. I would rather do something dazzling with the range backsplash and keep the rest lower-key. BUT, like others have said, it IS your kitchen. I just feel like you may get very tired of that look, very quickly.

Thanks everyone For the backsplash help! I believe we have solved the problem. We discussed etching the mirror with steel wool to dull the finish but Decided against it. We decided we were going to keep the current gold/mirror tile unless we found something we liked better.

And we did. We decided to embrace the blue in the marble, the hint of it it the counter quartz, and found a sheet of 2x2 squares in a range of blues. It looks amazing to me. So we are going with that. I’m picking them up tomorrow and hope to have pictures by the end of the week. I’m not sharing now because I don’t want to continue to second guess myself!

I really liked the gold but it wasn’t meant to be weple les.

man, it’s really hard to type on houzz! If NEEDED we will etc....

Can’t wait to see what you decided on! The upper cabinets look great now! Definitely feels like it was on purpose.

Thanks Stefanie. Here’s a photo of where we are today, still need to grout The backsplash.

I’m curious what you’d all do with the wall behind the bar, where the floating shelves are. Leave it plain, do a textured wallpaper, something else?

That backsplash is very pretty! Not sure what I’d do behind the floating shelves. I’ll think on it.

The backsplash looks great next to your white kitchen cabinets! I’d do the same backsplash on the wall behind the bar, up to the bottom of the top shelf. I would not do wallpaper.

I wouldn't do tile or textured paper, but would try out painting a light blue taken from the tiles.

If you’re still paying attention, lol, have you any thoughts about over island lighting? I’d like something with gold finish. Can I do round if everything else is linear?

I think it would be fine - or maybe even an oval shape? if you can find that.

Me again, thanks all for your continued assistance...I promise to pay it forward!

what do you think of this light for over the island? Though I don’t have anything else in black, I consider it a neutral and like the mixed metal finishes of this one.

Too much? Just wrong? Help!

I like it the more I look at it! It echoes the mixed metals in the kitchen, which is a very nice touch, and it feels to me that it also compliments the style vibe - modern but not in your face modern. In fact it also makes me think of Art Deco.

Do you love it? and, if you get it, but feel it just doesn't work in the space as you'd hoped, can you return it?

Good to hear you survived the ordeal. Looking good. See you in the fall.

Not surprised about the island fixture. I didn't say anything when you posted the pic but I did not care for it at all. Glad you found something you like better. Classy is always good! Kitchen looks great!