[jfkIII]

Originally Posted by Buzz123

Wider shot, different year.

Attachment 56803

I see you got our Christmas card and are proudly displaying it on the counter. Strangely, I don't remember receiving one from you that year.

[Spraynard Kruger]

I have seen an inordinate amount of local construction here over the past 20 years and I think that your perception that there are a lot of soffits in kitchens is somewhat odd. Granted, its your perception and its true that a lot of homes do have them built in. They were popular in the 90's, like you mentioned. They were built less as time progressed because they are labor intensive. America West homes seem to feature this design more than others. Oddly, they also are one of the few builders that don't venture above 8 ft ceilings upstairs, which I also think is criminal, but I digress.

Most homes built in the last 5 years have 9 foot ceilings and 42" uppers, while not standard, are a popular option as are stair stepped cabinetry. There is a neighborhood by Woodside Homes, Las Colinas, in Mountains Edge where most of the homes feature cabinets stacked on top of the 42" cabinets. I'm talking cabinet fever here! You can take a virtual tour of the homes I mention if you are willing to search them out.

Its rather expensive to build the soffits as you describe, so you will see them in higher end homes, especially to frame in the double ovens and high end refrigerators.

What I wish builders were more inclined to do is to push the cabinets that are above the refrigerators forward. This looks pretty cool with counter depth refrigerators. I think it gives the kitchen a close to built-in look without the outrageous price.

[lisa99]

so based on the answers, it appears that I've hit a non-statistically valid set of houses in which most have soffits....so glad to know that if I keep looking I'll find my beloved 42" cabinets and not have to do demo on an otherwise perfectly good house. :-)

Thanks all
Lisa

[tazz]

Originally Posted by Buzz123

Because we're all too short to reach that high.

Actually, mine don't. We put decorative crap up there, like large plates, and chickens...but not chicken crap.

This is a tight view as seen from the living room pass through, so it looks small.

Attachment 56802

Your builder chose dust catchers insteand of soffits.

[SpamDeleted]

Okay, I still don't know what a soffit is. Here's my kitchen. Do I have soffits? Please ignore the linoleum floor, it will be replaced soon.

[jjameson922]

No, you do not have soffits. If you did have them, the ceiling would be dropped down and be parallel or almost parallel to the front of your cupboards. If it is open above your cupboards and you can set things up there, then you do not have soffits.

Another thing I have had a problem with in Las Vegas homes is the lack of molding I am accustomed to and I am comparing comtemporary house to contemporary house. I am used to seeing windows and doors that are completely framed out inside with big thick decorative molding that is then usually painted white.

[MadManofBethesda]

Originally Posted by jjameson922

No, you do not have soffits. If you did have them, the ceiling would be dropped down and be parallel or almost parallel to the front of your cupboards. If it is open above your cupboards and you can set things up there, then you do not have soffits.

Another thing I have had a problem with in Las Vegas homes is the lack of molding I am accustomed to and I am comparing comtemporary house to contemporary house. I am used to seeing windows and doors that are completely framed out inside with big thick decorative molding that is then usually painted white.

My home improvement expertise is limited to changing lightbulbs, so I'm still not sure what a soffit is, but I think the house we just bought has them. (But then again, I don't spend much time in the kitchen, so I'm not sure what the pros and cons of them are anyway.)

I am, however, pretty certain that we have the decorative molding that you like so much on all of the windows (especially in our living room). Since everyone else is posting pictures, here is a virtual tour of the house we will be moving into in a couple of weeks (there are 3 views of our kitchen half-way through):

Property Slideshow

[lisa99]

Hi MadMan,

Beautiful house! And you do have soffits above your kitchen cabinets. The framing/drywall comes down and butts into your upper cabinets. If you could put pretty plates, fake chickens and plastic ivy on the top of your cabinets you would not have soffits.

Congrats on your pending Vegas move....we hope to be shortly behind you!

[dynimagelv]

Originally Posted by Buzz123

Because we're all too short to reach that high.

Actually, mine don't. We put decorative crap up there, like large plates, and chickens...but not chicken crap.

This is a tight view as seen from the living room pass through, so it looks small.

Attachment 56802

We keep our chickens in the chicken coop....

[jjameson922]

OMG, your house is beyond beautiful. Somehow I knew it would be. You have a very, very lucky wife. There is so much style and quality in that house. Yes, you do have soffits and I'm surprised. The house is quite contemporary as I love and the windows have the molding as I have now and the correct description for them, if anyone asks, is double transom. Such an amazing builder to add all the little extra things that give that house extra wow. I especially liked the stairway, the clever way he left the niche next to them and the frosted glass windows between the bedroom and bathroom keeping privacy but adding more light. The one thing I am different about though is I don't like my square footage divided between a living room and family room. Whatever I buy I will have to most likely pay to have a wall removed so all I have is one big great room. Aren't the grounds in Spanish Trail amazing?