kitchen cabinet question (ceilings, cabinets, better, construction)

[seahawksweetie]

When looking for a new construction home here in the Dallas area, I notice that sometimes on the options sheet they list 42" wall cabinets. What does that mean? Are they talking kitchen cabinets. I've also seen 30". What is the difference and what is the better value?

[CaseyB]

It depends on the height of the ceiling how tall your upper cabinets are. Mine are 38" or so and they go all the way up to the ceiling with a crown moulding on top. 30" doesn't seem like you'd have enough space.

[pslOldTimer]

Counter bases are usually 36" high, and there is usually 18" of space between the counter and the bottom of the upper cabinets. Thus, the bottom of the upper cabinets is usually at 54". With 30" cabinets, the top of the upper cabinet is at 7' (84"). Either the kitchen has a lowered ceiling, typical of houses built in the 70's, or there is 1' of space between the tops of the cabinets and the 8' ceiling.

With 42" cabinets, they either reach all the way to the 8' ceiling, or the ceilings are higher and there is space above the cabinets. Either way, there is a foot of additional storage in the upper cabinets. Of course, this space is difficult to reach without a stepstool, so it is really only good for long-term storage of infrequently used items. These cabinets are often called "butler" cabinets, because only the butler would bother to climb up there, and are considered a premium because they look more elegant and have more storage.

[seahawksweetie]

thank you very much, that explains a lot