So your cabinets have been installed to great fanfare, but what to do about that dreaded soffit that makes your cabinets look as if they are cut off mid-air? A  kitchen soffit is known as an empty space where the ceiling and your kitchen cabinets don’t meet. Soffits are formed because while there is no typical height for kitchen ceilings, there is for cabinets. Most homeowners find this gap to be unsightly on top of being a haven for dust, so getting rid of it or concealing it is usually right at the top of their kitchen remodeling agenda. Hiding the gap between the cabinets and ceiling can become a major kitchen remodeling quandary – if you let it. Follow these five design tips to turn your soffit into a  good fit for your kitchen.  

Image source: Pinterest

1. Paint the kitchen cabinets, soffit, and walls the same color 

Blending in is the best disguise, and painting the kitchen soffit the same color as the wall and cabinets will make it look inconspicuous. 

2. Paint the kitchen soffit in contrasting color to the walls 

Transform an unsightly kitchen soffit into a unique design feature by painting it in an accent color that stands out from the rest of the space.  

3. Go green 

Use the space above the kitchen cabinets to house miniature pot plants,  specifically of the succulent variety, as exposure to sunlight and watering on a  daily basis is not a must.  

4. A storage space for mason jars 

Store your flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, and other dry foods in mason jars above your kitchen cabinets. In this way, your soffit can serve both a decorative and practical purpose.  

5. Light it up 

Install downlights, also known as recessed lights, in the ceiling above the kitchen soffit. It will light up your whole kitchen!

6. Bring out the wallpaper  

Wallpaper and kitchen soffits go together like cherries and cream pie. For retro-style kitchens, wallpaper is the perfect decorative element to conceal the soffit and provide some added vintage charm.  

7. The taller the cabinets, the better 

Extending your kitchen cabinets all the way up to the ceiling is very effective at keeping your kitchen soffit out of sight and out of mind.  

8. A good trim always does the trick 

Filling in the space between the upper echelons of your kitchen cabinets and the ceiling is largely possible due to crown molding. It connects your cabinets and ceiling in a congruous and attractive way and reduces the probability of a build-up of dust.  

9. Add Shelving 

Bookshelves aren’t just for the library you know. Open shelving that floats in the space between the ceiling and the cabinets can serve as a landing place for display pieces that are just dying to get out there! 

But before making over the soffit, comes the designing of the kitchen. Nelson Cabinetry provides a FREE kitchen design service at www.nelsonkb.com 

Visit our website now and we’ll do all the decorative planning especially for you!

Allen