I can't show you but I'd tell him that it would be fine to do it without going to ceiling as long as he gets up there every other day to clean and dust them. ;)

Here are a few....hope this helps!

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

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Here are mine:

This is gonna seem awful amid all the splendor, but here is my old 8 x 10 corridor kitchen, during pre-demolition days. Just look at the cabinets. The height was a godsend--gave us a place to put off-season stuff, rarely used items, etc. As long as the doors aren't unusually narrow, there's no problem with a tunnel effect. I needed a stool to access upper shelves.

Here is a link that might be useful: 8 foot ceiling with tall cabs in old kitchen

thanks so much...keep em'coming!

Here's mine, the kitchen is about 13'6 inch x 13'6 inch. If you have a bright space, it won't be cave like, hope your DH agrees! You could also consider some glass fronts to lighten things up.
{{!gwi}}

Here's mine

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I have to say, I disagree w/ the whole cave thing. I can see why he'd think that, but - dark space or no - I think the eye is brought up when they go to the ceiling and that illusion of added hight makes the room feel bigger. But yes, having a bright space would help a lot, too (lucky you - mine faces North - bah)!

Every time I see cabinet that don't to all the way up (well maybe not every time but most) I feel like it's incomplete - like something's missing. But that's just me!

My cabs are old (1913 originals) and are in dire need of a fresh paint job but here they are, in my 11x12' kitchen or thereabouts.

Hi fivefoot...

Here's mine and I have VERY DARK cabinets. Kitchen is roughly 8 ft x 11 ft. And this picture is at night! No cave here!

KA:)

Hi, there. We have a tiny NYC galley kitchen: 7'2.5" wide x 8'3". I was also worried about the cave effect, but I was so wrong! Our ceilings are only 8.5" tall, and with the cabinets and crown, your eyes really go up, and the room looks much taller. I LOVE it! Here's a photo (and you can see more at www.pinkroots.blogspot.com):

Here is a section of my kitchen. Wow this was last year
when I had that Chestnut brown color. Now it is a soft
muted tinted green color with a gray cast. I would take
photos but I have teenagers eating Pizza and making a
horrific mess.

Boxerpups kitchen

And here are some other images of other kitchens. All with
molding up to the ceiling. And not giant tall rooms.

Trade 10

Soapstone Maple Ridge Group

Diamond Bullnose

And Wait, here are some kitchens with space above the
cabinetry. But I bet there is dust, grime and dirt there. Of course there could be a sweet DH who cleans it.

Country 1

Hood Copper The Metal Peddler

Cherry Cabinets

Whites Plumbing

My kitchen certainly qualifies as small. Here's a couple of pictures, but there are more at the album. I use to have soffits, but removed and went with 36" cabs with trim and molding. I was surprise to find that the tall cabs made the kitchen seem bigger.

I don't have photos, yet, as we are still working on the kitchen, but we have cabinets to the ceiling with crown, and the first thing I noticed was how large the kitchen seemed. As others have said, your eye is drawn upward.

It will NOT be cave-like, I promise. ;^)

I think it looks more cave like to have the dark shadow above the cabinet than to have the cabinet go all the way up. Maybe I will file old taxes or something up there, but at least it won't be dark and grimy.

These pics are great but has anyone put crown above the cabinets to a VAULTED ceiling that is peaked in the center?

Wow...thank you all so much. I will use this thread as ammo! You all have such beautiful kitchens...I can't wait to be able to post some pics of mine that don't want me to change my name to anonymous.

Thanks again!

Another with crown to the ceiling, top of cabinets.

If these are caves how soon can I move in?!!

Such pretty kitchens, everyone!

I wish I could remember the post with a similar question a few months back. Someone made the point that cabinets that don't go to the ceiling in a small kitchen may even increase the cave effect, and gave renderings to illustrate as well as reasons why that is true. It made sense seeing it.

I think also if you can find a way not to fill every inch of wall with upper cabinets but maximize the space in a few as well as lower cabinet space, that will help too.

Not at all knocking anyone's kitchen with uppers not to the ceiling. People have reasons for choosing that, and I hope some may chime in who have them and love them.

However, I did have 36" cabinets with 8' ceilings and am so glad to be rid of them now. Why? Dust and dirt for one; also, one cat liked to jump up there and put scratch marks all over the uppers; I tended to put things like trays up there and it looked so cluttered; having no space means nothing above, a clean, uncluttered look, which can help in a smaller kitchen. (Decorative things can look nice but I never saw anything that I thought would work for my tastes to put up there.)