DIY Stacked Kitchen Cabinets: Kitchen Chronicles VIII
Our kitchen soffits were hogging some of the best real estate in the room.
Instead of letting that space sit there looking bulky and unnecessary for another decade, we removed them and built cabinets above our existing uppers to display some of the vintage pieces we’ve collected over the years.
And let me tell you right now — I should have done it sooner.
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| Removing kitchen soffits and extending cabinets |
Why I Could Not Stand Our Kitchen Soffits
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| Sorry for the mess, this was Day 1 of our home |
When we bought this house twelve years ago, I immediately despised the soffits above the cabinets.
That might sound dramatic.
It’s not.
We only have eight-foot ceilings. Those soffits made it feel like the ceiling was practically sitting on your head. I would walk into the kitchen and think, why does this feel so low in here?
Because it was. Visually, at least.
Remodeling the kitchen was one of the first things we wanted to do when we moved in. Then the quotes came in.
And we decided it made more sense to remodel the rest of the house first and save the kitchen for last.
Practical? Yes.
Patient? Not really.
But here we are.
The Plan: Cabinets All the Way to the Ceiling
From the beginning, I wanted cabinets that went to the ceiling. Not only does it make an eight-foot space feel taller, but it also finishes a kitchen in a way soffits just… don’t.
Here’s the funny part.
The sweet woman who remodeled this house in the 1980s kept the original upper cabinets, trim, and even the stove in the basement. When we found them, it felt like we’d struck gold.
Had she not saved those pieces, this kitchen may have gone in a completely different direction.
I love old homes. I love their stories. And I love that this kitchen still carries pieces of its past.
We Collect Things. A Lot of Things.
I won’t strictly say we collect antiques… although we do have quite a few.
We collect whatever makes us happy at the time.
I, however, have a very specific weakness for vintage kitchen paraphernalia. Milk glass. Jadeite. Salt and pepper shakers. Cake plates. If it lived on a 1950s countertop, I probably love it.
I later found out my great-grandmother also collected salt and pepper shakers. I bought several from my grandma’s auction so I could keep that connection alive.
So yes — these cabinets were partly about storage.
But mostly?
They were about giving my collections a home without covering every square inch of counter space like I had been doing for years.
How We Built the Cabinets Above the Uppers
Now let’s talk about how this actually happened.
Because in theory?
It sounded easy.
And if you’ve ever remodeled anything, you already know what I’m about to say.
Nothing is ever as easy as it sounds.
Step 1: Removing the Soffits (And Finding Surprise Wires)
Removing the soffits cost us zero dollars.
Just sweat, dust, and optimism.
Until we found pigtailed wires hiding in the walls.
That’s when the electrician got called much earlier than planned.
He rerouted wiring and installed several new lights because our kitchen has always been dark. The total cost for the electrical work done during this phase was $2,430. Now, keep in mind, this was a pretty big job, the part where we added lights to places there had never been lighting before.
After that:
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The ceiling had to be repaired.
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Areas not covered by cabinets needed patching.
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The ceiling had to be stippled (which we hired out because that is not a skill set we possess).
Ceiling repair total: $600.
We also stuffed denim insulation into openings in the wall cavities for warmth and sound barrier. If it's open, we’re doing it right (you can read more about the steps taken for these projects in Kitchen Chronicles at the bottom).
Step 2: Measuring the Space
Before building anything, we measured everything.
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Ceiling height: 8 feet
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Existing cabinet depth: 12 inches
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Trim depth added to front: ½ inch
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Available height above cabinets: 14 1/4 inches
My husband measured and mapped everything out before reinstalling the original cabinets.
He thinks ahead.
I operate more on vibes.
It works for us.
Step 3: Building the Cabinet Boxes
We used:
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½-inch cabinet-grade maple plywood (4x4 & 2x4 sheets) – $300
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Drill + wood screws
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A miter saw (because that’s what we had)
Now, before anyone assumes we have some elaborate woodworking setup — we don’t.
At the time, a miter saw is what we had available (we've recently upgraded for the next project we have planned), so that’s what we used to make all of our cuts.
My husband would measure each piece carefully, mark it, place the plywood on the saw, make one cut, then flip the board and cut the other side to size. Slow and steady.
Was it the most high-tech method? Probably not.
Did it work? Yes.
The edges splintered slightly after cutting (which can happen), so he sanded everything down to create smooth, clean edges before assembling the boxes.
And I will say this — he measured well. There was very minimal waste, which made me feel much better about this project.
The man can measure, something that is not a strength for me, once you begin measuring smaller than a quarter inch, I am done.
Each cabinet was assembled using corner clamps to hold pieces in place while he drilled and screwed them together into boxes.
The corner cabinet required patience.
The tiny spice cabinet? For some reason, that one nearly sent us over the edge.
It’s always the small ones.
He had to chisel out a few pieces so they would all fit together nicely.
We attached backs to the cabinets to cover the wall damage left from previous renovations and to give everything a finished look.
Then we sanded again.
Next I stained.
Finally came wax.
A Tip If Your Wood Starts Bowing
We ran into a small issue where one of the boards had a slight bow in it and wasn’t sitting perfectly flush.
Instead of fighting it (or pretending it would magically fix itself), here’s what my husband did:
He drilled a screw into the side of the bowed board — just deep enough for the screw to grip securely, but not all the way through.
Then he used the claw of a hammer (like you would when pulling a nail) to gently pull up on that screw.
That slight upward pressure helped lift the bowed section just enough to bring the board level and smooth before securing it fully into place.
It’s one of those simple little tricks that makes a big difference — and probably something he picked up somewhere between woodshop 30 years ago and stubborn trial and error.
A Quick Reality Check: We Did This During a Snow Dump
We stained these cabinets during one of the coldest stretches I remember here in Ohio.
My weather app said it was 17 degrees outside, but felt like 6 degrees. I trust it felt like six degrees because it was cold!
We also had the back door open for ventilation while staining indoors with a fan directing fumes outside.
I am not looking forward to that gas bill.
Step 4: Installing the Cabinets
The new boxes were built to sit directly on top of the existing upper cabinets.
Each one was:
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Secured into wall studs (minimum two screws per box)
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Attached to the cabinet beside it for alignment and stability
My husband put them up.
Took them down.
Adjusted.
Put them up again.
Multiple times.
I was getting frustrated for him.
He was calmly thinking through it, making sure the trim would line up perfectly.
This is where our personalities shine. I am in-the-moment. He anticipates future problems. He would probably say I invite chaos occasionally.
He’s not entirely wrong.
Trim: What Worked and What Did Not
We first tried double-sided nails for the trim.
They give a beautiful, seamless finish.
They also give you zero room for error.
You tap the nails into the cabinet face, align the trim perfectly, place scrap wood over it to avoid hammer dents, and commit.
If it’s crooked? You start over.
Ask me how I know.
We switched to fast-drying wood glue (about 60-second set time), and everything went much more smoothly.
Trim was added while the cabinets were in place so corners lined up properly.
Lesson learned.
Stain and Finish
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Stain: Old Master's – Early American
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Wax: Minwax Paste Finishing Wax (Natural)
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Dry time: 24 hours between stain and wax
I used the same stain and wax I’ve used throughout this entire kitchen remodel. It’s amazing how far one can goes when you stretch it.
Styling the Cabinets (My Favorite Part)
As soon as the first cabinet was installed, I was on a ladder.
Inside you’ll find:
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Vintage salt and pepper shakers
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Snowflake bowls
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A cake plate in the corner cabinet
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1950s milk glass mixing bowls
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A jadeite mixing bowl
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A squirrel figurine we call “Mr. Trouble” (Bentley’s backyard nemesis)
If you have nesting bowls, here’s a trick: place a smaller bowl or cup underneath to elevate pieces so they don’t disappear visually.
It makes a huge difference.
Why Display Space Matters (Especially If You Collect)
If you collect things, you should see them.
My husband’s great aunt filled her home with antiques she loved. She started collecting hand mixers at sixteen and displayed them on pegboard in her kitchen.
You couldn’t see the pegboard anymore.
Even as someone who leans toward “more is more,” I found it overwhelming.
These cabinets allow me to display what I love without making the kitchen feel chaotic.
And the biggest bonus?
Taking cabinetry to the ceiling makes eight-foot ceilings feel so much taller.
Are Cabinets to the Ceiling Worth It?
One thousand percent yes.
We did lose some lower cabinet storage when we removed one base cabinet. These new uppers don’t fully replace that space.
But they:
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Freed up my countertops
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Gave my collections a home
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Made the kitchen feel taller
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Made everything look more intentional
We could have added doors. My husband would have liked that.
But I love them open.
Storage and styling in one space? That’s my sweet spot.
Up next: installing the range hood, designing the cover, building even more storage. And yes, I am aware we need trim molding, but we haven't figured it out yet. Let's just say, it is a work in progress.
Backsplash and flooring are coming soon.
I’m nervous. I’m excited. I’m probably going to invite more chaos at some point (more vintage charm to our 1950 kitchen).
But so far?
I think we did a pretty good job for two people who are not carpenters… just stubborn enough to try.
If you would like to see how we ended up here, you can read our Kitchen Chronicles for more information:
Ciao for Now,
Cara
