Are Tall Kitchen Cabinets the Best Choice?

Standard vs. Custom

• Standard cabinets are the pre-manufactured variety found at just about any home improvement store across the country. They're less expensive than custom but provide fewer options for color, size and shape. Custom cabinets are designed and sized specifically for the job and are created using the wood, color and style selected by the homeowner. Customizing eliminates the need for fillers, meaning every inch of space is usable for storage. Standard sizes offer some diversity in height, width and depth and are mixed to create the best possible arrangement for the space.

Standard Sizing

• Pre-made base cabinets have a standard depth of 24 inches. This measurement is taken from the front of the cabinet to the back, essentially measuring shelf size. Standard height is 34½ inches. Width measurements vary and start at 9 inches wide and go up in increments of 3 inches. The largest standard width is 30 inches. Overhead cabinets are more diverse to accommodate architectural features and appliances. Depth for these pieces is either 12 or 24 inches, and the height could be as short as 12 inches and as tall as 42 inches. Depending on the manufacturer, heights will go up in increments of either 3 or 6 inches.

Tall Cabinets

• Tall cabinets, according to ABM Cabinets, define those that are 4 feet in height or taller. These pieces include pantries and column cabinets, which are most often used to fill narrow areas next to appliances. The depths for a column or pantry range between 12 and 27 inches, with widths between 12 and 36 inches. Heights for pre-made models are generally 84, 90 or 96 inches and may be created by stacking two smaller cabinets on top of each other.

Benefits and Drawbacks

• Tall cabinets make excellent additions for spaces that are long and narrow and provide much-needed storage, but they aren't appropriate for all kitchens. In standard homes, tall cabinets will have a great deal of unused space, as upper shelves may be too high to reach everyday objects comfortably. To prevent wasted space, bring standard-sized cabinets to a comfortable level by adding a kitchen soffit between the top of the cabinet and the ceiling. For small gaps between upper cabinets and the ceiling, add crown molding.