A Simple Kitchen Cabinet Renovation With Major Impact
It's time to get rid of your upper kitchen cabinets—truly. Style (no matter yours) and function have moved into a new era.
For the most part, our kitchen designs try to straddle two worlds. One world is where storage reigns supreme, often functioning more like a kitchen from the turn of the 20th century. On the other hand, we want our kitchens to make room for family/friends to be part of the experience. So, often, in the design outcomes, we end up with a design that tries to do both rather than what we want it to do most.
And it's becoming uncomfortable. Physically and visually.
Even more so, as a designer, every time I see a kitchen crammed full of cabinets, I feel disgusted—no matter how beautifully it’s done—because we’ve lost sight of the things that matter when it comes to our designs: connection, experiences, and memories. And not to mention, showing off some personality reflective of our unique character. Good design can and should help facilitate all of these.
This idea will likely prompt some important questions—from how to deal with storage to why such designs are the way of the future. But if you want a bigger-feeling kitchen that functions for experiences including and beyond the art of cooking, this recommendation is completely for you.
So, let's start with the function. Let's see how we can increase the functionality of our kitchens by removing your upper kitchen cabinets and, in turn, driving a design ripe for new experiences.
Removing Your Upper Kitchen Cabinets Will Actually Help with the Function
If we look at a standard kitchen design in a plan view, you’ll notice that the uppers directly overlap with the counter space. This might look neat, but it presents many problems.
In daily use, the most common problem because of this overlap is a lack of usable space. Since the counter space is immediately beneath the uppers, this area lacks light and, more importantly, head/arm space for preparation work. You end up with less than half of the preparation space. So, since people can’t prep in the area, the natural solution is to place kitchen equipment there – making the space further unusable. Yes, it’s a solution to use the space, but it’s not helping with how it functions. This solution crowds the counters and visually crowds your kitchen, too. It also means you’re down to less than half of your usable space, so say goodbye to having multiple people help you (or experiment) in the kitchen.
The simple design solution is to remove your uppers. You gain back all that counter space and the prep space for multiple people in the kitchen.
Some of you might say that you’re OK with losing the preparation space in favor of the upper storage that you get. Well, the truth is that the upper cabinets creating more storage are a bit of an illusion. Uppers aren’t practical for everyday life. You’re storing things that, for the most part, you don’t use and/or perhaps don’t need.
I suggest deep-diving into what you’re storing in your upper cabinets to see what you need. In most cases, clients end up with a handful of items they can relocate, making removing their uppers and improving their usable space entirely possible.
Holding onto the idea that uppers are suitable for storage also means holding onto the idea that keeping things around that we can’t access or only rarely access is more important than usable space for experiences and memories.
Pro tip: You could sit down with a designer and review your floor plan to see if a pantry could be added for your equipment and food items. A pantry is an ideal solution, as its sole purpose is to store things.
Now, on to style! For those who are very visually motivated, this is for you.
Removing Your Upper Kitchen Cabinets Can Create More Harmony for Your Style (Whatever Your style)
One of the most off-putting things about upper cabinets is their placement—frequently purchased at standard sizes and pinned up. They look disconnected from the space's architecture and often from each other. In short, they look like giant boxes nailed onto the walls. As a designer, the lack of thought around this pains me. But it also presents other challenges.
I frequently hear that upper kitchen cabinets match base cabinets, creating more balance in the design. However, I strongly question if balance is what we’re really after for this space. Balance can be beautiful, but I think that term is highly misused. You’re looking for harmony in your designs and aesthetics -- where design decisions complement each other.
Here's what I mean:
Balance would imply that we want equal amounts of light and dark in the kitchen. I would suggest that we would benefit from and prefer more light. Light is necessary for prep work/focused work, waking us up and boosting our moods. Removing the uppers would allow you to let more light bounce around your kitchen space.
Balance suggests that you need the same amount of weight on top as on bottom—hence, walls lined with base (lower) and upper cabinets. Harmony indicates that our needs are different at the bottom and the top, enabling us to make things come together for something beautifully unique.
Harmony is one of the most beautiful elements of design, giving you near-endless opportunities to reflect your style against functionality. Removing uppers would allow a display ledge for family photos or children’s artwork (or professional artwork). Add stunning backsplashes (tile, stone, wallpaper) throughout—and splash more light around. Consider adding more windows or playing with lighting on the walls. These are just a few suggestions.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what direction you go once the uppers are down or what style you prefer; playing with more harmony elevates any design.
Good design helps create a unique space to offer more opportunities for connections, experiences, and memories to be formed. This is the priority.
I am Starting to Love the Thought of Removing My Upper Cabinets – What’s Next?
I love that! If you’re leaning into taking the leap to a new era and removing your upper cabinets, the best next step is to sit down with an interior designer and/or general contractor to discuss your options. This solution can be super simple and have a big impact with a minimal fee and timeline, and a professional can help advise on the construction pitfalls to protect your budget. If you're at a loss -- feel welcome to reach out to me here, and we can connect on some suggestions for you!
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For the love of design,
Florence
Interior Designer and Founder of CCC
Read more about Florence or reach out here.
