I like the current look better than the old soffit look.

You could put some soft LED lights above the cabinets. Search for “lights above cabinets” images. It is a stylish look.

Paint the range hood duct the same color as the wall and fill the gap between ceiling and duct.

What the HECK?

The "framing wasn't done" What does that mean? there was NO ceiling with an ACCURATE dimension evident in the planning of cabinetry?

What is the venting..... going in there? Why not a stainless hood? too late now

Call the kitchen cabinet folks back and the contractor.

You pull the crown off the cabinets, you build/frame in a box, above all FLUSH to the cabinet boxes and avoid the look of soffit you had before. You clad in plywood, OR drywall, paint to match cabinet/ and re do the crown to MEET the ceiling.

Don't expect insurance to pay.......they will not. It's on you.

You don't need "doors" , but same idea....even IF it is drywall over

Simple carpentry below, and I would definitely fix it.!!!

https://www.tiktok.com/@buildbasic/video/7258368828646706475?lang=en

I agree now is better than the soffit look but it is unfortunate they didn't give you the option to get 'to the ceiling' cupboards. There are a few ways to fill in the gap--much better than your previous look. Google images it's a good thing. larger crown and mouldings is your answer.

IMO they are suppossed to put it back as it was but were you in the loop when choosing the cabinets ? You should have gone to the ceiling but now it just is not much to be done. For sure not some kind of fancy trim to really mess it up. I know not ideal but I think once you are back in it will become less of an issue.

We had a smaller gap than yours with our 8 ft kitchen ceiling height but were able to attach backing to the cabinets and put cabinet skin (like what is used on end panels) and the crown stood up straight.

Its simple if you have face frame cabinets because backing can be attached to the back of the face frame but can be done with frameless cabinets if you build cage to attach to the wall and your finished sheathing on top of that.

If this was an insurance claim it's possible that they would replace like for like and that taller cabinets were not a replacement option.

I would just build a discreet box around that duct, as small as possible and paint it wall color and call this finished. To me the amount of space looks fine, it's just a different look than you are used to. If you do decide to build a soffit, I would suggest building it flush with the face of the cabinets , which means that the crown would stand in front of both the cabinets and the soffit. Don't rebuild an overhanging soffit.

The hood is a concealed insert with the mechanics inside the cabinet and it looks like possibly a pull-out canopy right below the surface of the upper cabinet. It's a version of the concealed hood like there was before. I have done a few of these for people who did not want a big hood.

It won't be powerful enough to suck a tennis ball through a garden hose or practically pull your hair into it like the ventilation most in the forum seem to think everybody needs, but depending on how you cook, it may be adequate.

It really is so simple to fix it! Just depends if you want to shell out a few bucks!

Yes, you can use ordinary drywall to clad it, paint in SATIN finish match to the white of the cabinets, easy to do with a trip to a paint store.

My guess? You had a cabinet sales man...., not a kitchen designer. They aren't the same : )

https://www.tiktok.com/@buildbasic/video/7258368828646706475?lang=en

This is literally the identical kitchen with the exception of the elimination of the stacked cabinets around the cooktop and their replacement with three cabinets rather than six.

This is a replacement of exactly what was there, which is probably what insurance covered, barely. This new kitchen wasn't "designed" by anybody. It's the old kitchen. Insurance companies aren't interested in actually paying out for losses, they are primarily interested in collecting premiums and not having to pay out. They are going to pay to cover what you lost, if that. You can't treat this design as if the homeowner had significant input at all, because it's not a new design, its a verbatim replacement.

True above. As is with ALL insurance, it is never enough.......and you dip into your own coffers if you want any upgrade at all.

I like the space being there instead of filling it in with soffit. Most cabinets don't go all the way to the ceiling anyway. I would utilize that space for display.

I agree with arcy-gw before we did a complete kitchen renovation we built crown moulding up over the bulkhead to the ceiling. It look great.
Your kitchen is really lovely enjoy!

This looks way better than the original. The upper cabinets around the cooker were messy in the original.

I got a picture of the new cabinets now installed in the kitchen,

So you have not physically been inside the space yet??? I actually removed soffits in a kitchen & was amazed at how different the space 'felt'...more expansive/ open/ airy/ larger. Had just wanted the soffits gone because they looked heavy & oppressive in a way. Was not anticipating just how significant a change I experienced in occupying the changed space. IMO, this is particularly true with smallish kitchens like mine was (and yours.)

Needless to say, I agree with John Liu and like the new kitchen much better than the old one. The crown molding really makes a statement now, a lot more so than in the old. I'd say to wait and experience the space physically & not make a decision based on just a photo.

I like the new version without the soffit, too.

Having open space above cabinets is not the end of the world, as some posters on these forums like to claim!

Sure, having cabinets going to the ceiling would have been a better solution, but it sounds like it wasn't an option based on your insurance policy. I would not try to add back any type of soffit.

Curious why anyone wants the dust collecting open space above?: )

That's all it does, and why on earth look at the vent for the hood or try to box it in alone?

I'm more consumed with chasing down Sheltie fuzzballs than I am with dust in places that I cannot see!

The open space above cabinets collects no more dust than all the other surfaces in a house! If you have so much dust in your house, then you have other problems to deal with!

I had space above upper cabinets in my previous house because the kitchen had a sloped ceiling. In my current house I have 12 ft ceilings and wood ceiling beams. My stacked cabinets do not go to the ceiling due to the beams. Dust was not an issue in either kitchen.

Not every kitchen cabinet has to go to the ceiling, as the scale, layout and design of each particular/individual kitchen should to be considered before making that decision.

Sorry about the fire, but congrats on the new cabinets! I'm another who likes the look of cabinets or trim to the ceiling. Some examples below showing both simple and more formal trim. The one on the left is most like yours in terms of cabinet and trim style, but the one on the right shows more how it would look to have a flat expanse of wide trim, since your cabinets are of uniform depth.

ETA: Looking at your photo again, your cabinets do have some changes in depth, so I think if you did wide trim it would look better than my example on the right and more like the one on the left.

What is too much dust? It's about the owners tolerance. Of course no more than any other space but let's be REAL. Anyone doing regular dusting is not needing a ladder!! That space will require a vacuum once a year at a minimum. Most vacuums do not have the ability to reach that far up. Back in the day at our second home I had open cabinets above and needed to special order a hose...PITB! Fill it in and be done.

Those of us with vaulted ceilings don't get excited about open space above the cabinets. I usually lay newspapers on them, so if I do climb up there to clean, it's simply to replace the paper.

Anybody who has to the ceiling bookshelves or tall pieces of furniture has to dust standing on a step stool or ladder. And with bookshelves there are usually books that need to be taken out and dusted, or objects which need to be taken out and dusted, while standing on a ladder.

Here's a dust challenge:

Go to a home with a new kitchen, One with a cabinet clad hood, one where the owner is ( relatively ) a clean freak. Take a warm damp rag to that hood face with even a month of regular cooking. Look at the rag......... There you go!

Grease, no matter your venting.... airborne grease rises, and grabs all the dust it can extract from air. That's the challenge.