To Install Upper Cabinets or Skip Them—That’s The Question

by Corcoran McEnearney

These days, deciding whether to incorporate upper cabinets in a kitchen or to forgo them entirely is a hot topic among interior designers. We spoke with three DMV area experts to gather their thoughts on the pros and cons of upper kitchen cabinetry.

Pros:

It’s easy to conceal clutter. Closed upper cabinets make it easy to tuck kitchen essentials out of sight without worrying about perfecting your styling scheme, says Catherine Ebert, the founder of Catherine Ebert Interiors in DC. “Open shelves are visually lighter than cabinets and can be used to display attractive pottery and personal items—they can be beautiful, but most homeowners don’t have the appetite to curate the shelves so that they actually look good all the time,” she explains.

Photo courtesy of Gruver Cooley

They’ll keep items dust-free. Say goodbye to pesky dust in the kitchen. “They can keep items dust-free inside, and if you bring them up to the ceiling, you don’t have to worry about dust collecting on top of them either,” Cathleen Gruver, the founder of Purcellville’s Gruver Cooley, says of upper cabinets.

They can add style and grandeur to a space. For one, Gruver notes that cabinets can “elevate a space and make it feel taller” and additionally, they can be a nice way to display items at eye level. Plus, she adds, you can choose to install cabinets with mirrored or decorative glass fronts, which are stylish, too.

Photo courtesy of GreyHunt Interiors

Cons:

They can feel heavy. Sometimes, too much upper cabinetry can feel heavy and boxy in a kitchen, Ebert says, noting that in her view, the best option is a mix of closed cabinetry and open shelving. “The open shelves can offer a bit of dimension and variety,” she says. “They often make sense on either side of a large range hood or around windows if you do not want to block the light too much.”

Lord expresses similar sentiments. “Reducing your upper cabinets also visually opens up the eye line space, making your kitchen feel more open and airy,” she says.

They may enable you to store unnecessary items. According to Gruver, too much storage isn’t always a good thing. Having plenty of storage shelves “might not help in keeping your home decluttered and encourages you to keep more than you actually need,” she says.

They’re harder for small children to access. Make it easy for the entire family to access whatever it is they need. “Having your primary storage in the lower cabinets instead of upper cabinets allows everyone to have access, from children to older adults, and to do so safely,” says Sallie Lord, the founder of GreyHunt Interiors in Chantilly.

Sarah Lyon Headshot

Sarah Lyon is a New York City-based freelance writer, originally from Bethesda, MD. She contributes to a number of national design and lifestyle publications like Architectural Digest, Apartment Therapy, MyDomaine, the Washington Post, and more. Sarah also works with designers to help them style spaces for photo shoots. Find more shelfies on her Instagram page, @sarahlyon9