I have a high seiling (9.5 feet) kitchen with lots of wasted space above the cabinets. I seem to recall an article (FH or FW) about using this space via cables/pullys which lowers storage bins to counter height.
Anyone remember this or any other suggestions for using this space without need for a ladder?
thanks
Fred
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Replies
I don't know anything about a cable system, but I think using the storage area is a great idea.
We currently live in a very old house with 10' ceilings. Whomever did the kitchen cabinets built in storage above the cabinets.
I wouldn't trade that storage area for anything. Old houses like this one tend to have very small closets. Even though we have to use a ladder, it's a great place for Christmas decorations and other stuff you don't use regularly.
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I wouldn't trade that storage area for anything. Old houses like this one tend to have very small closets. Even though we have to use a ladder, it's a great place for Christmas decorations and other stuff you don't use regularly.
Absolutely. Everybody has Christmas mugs, Channukah dishes, or gawdawful pieces that you have to get out when Aunt Meg visits. I can't see bothering with anything but a ladder though, for those few times. Ours go up to 8' 8", uppers are 51" tall.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
with lots of wasted space above the cabinets
With 30" tall uppers, that would be a lot of "blank" space. But, with a set of 36" uppers at 54" a.f.f., it's only a 12" tall space, which I happen to think is a very usefull area in a kitchen. But, that's also because I like to put indirect "up" lighting in that area, too.
If you use it for storage, a continuous, finished surface top is a must. Even if it is only gloss white painted hardboard, it makes for better display for "stuff" (and for the cleanup when you get the step ladder out for your seasonal items).
Did one for a neon sign guy. We had lots of neon lighting on that job (no real surprise). Wound up running "egg crate" white plastic grills across the uppers (we had already cut down all the intermediate endpanels for the neon anyway). Kind of slick--I still wonder if any of the transformers are allowed to get that "hum" . . . The island had a dropped, multi-lever, "cloud" ceiling (with wavy edges, no less). Multiple colors of neon in there--you could make it almost look like a sunset sky, a very cool effect.
I did some work in a house with ceilings even taller than yours. They had kitchen cabinets all the way to the ceiling, and a rolling library ladder to access them. It looked pretty slick.
Edited 6/16/2004 6:16 pm ET by JAMIE_BUXTON
I also remember seeing those. The ones I remember were spring loaded with arms, kind of like the inverse of an under counter mixer lift. I don't think they lowered the bin all the way down to the counter, but I could be wrong. Unfortunately, no idea how long ago. I couldn't even narrow it down to a five year span.
My kitchen has 8' ceiling and about a foot open above the upper cabinets. I have a variety of rarely or never used stuff up there. I'm just tall enough that I can hook a fingernail under most of it to pull it down, but I have a stool I can stand on when necessary.