The top part of the upper cabinets always needs a stepstool to reach comfortably. Might as well have that little bit of extra space!

If you intend to store things in higher cabinets like 48" then you'll need a tall step stool tucked away somewhere. I can't reach the top shelf in our 42" cabinets, so I put stuff up there I use less often. Usually when we gain space, we use it! If you decide to go 48" then consider removing the pantry walls and have that area be an all-cabinet pantry with pull out shelves (no drywall). Looks like you could really use more pantry space. Is there room for more storage space to the left of the kitchen?

Also, consider having a deep drawer base cabinet on each side of the stove, much easier to access items.

First, what is cabinet style front and ARE you continuing crown molding as the rest? No matter 42/ or 48 you have either 12" or 6" of gap to a 108" ceiling.

Rather than lose precious inches to pullouts, drawer storage is a one hand motion and more storage.

A tall pantry cabinet can be DRAWER base and upper doors . shelves behind doors....+ a vertical gain AND width - not lost to studs/ drywall..

What is happening with floor, continuing from the other I see? Or a change?

If you look at the left upper corner here, it nothing more than framed out, fascia, and crown to take 48 inch upper to the nine feet. You can do same with 42 inch and close the gap, scribe "crown" to the ceiling.

Kitchen redo with butler · More Info

One motion.....!!!

A pantry can be a lot of things...

If you draw/measure the kitchen walls to the last inch? You might get more ideas: )

I would take out that 'pantry' and put in cupboards of some sort. If you are going to bother at all it makes sense to bring your uppers to the ceiling. If 48 and crown does it, that's your answer. Step stools are common in kitchens. Have you removed some crown? I see two strips and then nothing. What is the story there? Not where you were going but what is that bump out the garbage can is sitting next to? It seems like a closet. I would do whatever it took to make it kitchen space.

^^

My guess ? A foyer entry closet.

It is VERY worthwhile to show ALL your living space, draw and measure every inch of the existing kitchen .Graph paper, to scale is fine.

The full context gets you the best advice and suggestions.

Thanks for all the thoughts thus far, super helpful. To answer a few questions:

I’m going with boring white shaker with dark counters. The space is so small, I just want to go bland.

Below are the measurements as best as I can get them. I’ll have it professionally measured before I commit.

I havent decided about molding. Mostly because I need to decide what cabinets and how much space there will be up there. (on the current crown - this is a 20 year old builder grade kitchen and this is how they built it).

The bump out is an entry closet, which I need for coat storage, so it has to stay.

Not doing lower drawers. I had them in my old house and they just didn’t work for me. I don’t really know why.

I have thought about changing the pantry for a cabinet. But I may not gain that much space. 1) I have all of my spices hanging on the door, which I dont think I could do in a cabinet, so I’d have to find space for them, 2) I think with the sapce I have and the stock cabinet sizes, then the space you lose for the roll outs, I may not actual gain space. Which is my #1 proprity assuming there isn’t a good reason not do do something. But I am having a coupe cabinet places tell me the actual size of the pull outs in a cabinet pantry that would fit to test that hypothesis. It’ll depend on if I gain space, how much, and how much that would cost.

The floor is tile in the kitchen, wood next to it. The issue is the entry (which continues into the 2nd bath) is also the same tile and both can be seen fron the kitchen. I like tile floors, but haven’t decided what I’m doing with that yet. I am not willing to re-do all the tile in the 2nd bath, so can’t re-do the tile in the entry. So still thinking about this.