Many cabinet makers won't produce cabinets over 42" without breaking them into two doors due to the risk of warping. If they make them, they won't warrant them. That's the height that marks the beginning of needing stacked cabinets, usually a 30" + an 18".

I'm getting 45" cabinets from Starmark delivered next week. We currently have 42" but ceiling is 9.5 ft and the KD wanted to add 3 more inches. We told him to do it. We'll see how it works out.

Thanks - the designer said one of the manufacturer's. we are looking at do the 48" cabinet one door panel without having it look like two cabinets.

I am worried about the cabinets looking too long or out of proportion. I am pretty certain, however, they I have read on GW that some people have done 54".

Would love to see pics of cabinets at 48" or more with a 9' ceiling.

All lines that I deal with who use 54" cabinets are "pre-stacked" as in a single cabinet with two doors. 48" is a stepchild, with it being a bit tall for a single cabinet and a bit awkward for a stacked. What I've been doing currently with most 9' ceilings is 42" cabinets and 12" of crown molding. I usually start with a horizontal profiled piece, then use blocking to place a baseboard molding upside down and finish it off with a tall crown molding. It gives enough interest and height without breaking the budget. Or, if the cabinet style is really simple, I use a simple horizontal profiled piece to start it off, then 6" of straight filler, and another 6" of straight filler overlapping that, followed with a 3" filler floating up and down that last 6" to account for the wavy ceiling. It gives a simple "stair step" look to the molding. All of those choices are lower in price than doing stacked 30+18 or a 36+12 (which looks off proportionately to me anyway.)

live_wire_oak - thanks for the details. Do you have any pictures of 12" crown? That seems like aq lot of crown to me!