I'm in a bit of a bind with my kitchen renovation. My ceiling is only 8 feet high, and I wanted to remove all the soffits to install taller cabinets in hopes of making the space feel more open. However, once my contractor opened up the soffits, we discovered some pipes in the areas where I wanted to install a wall-mounted range hood and a corner cabinet. Now I'm contemplating whether to remove the soffits on the sides that can be opened and put in the taller cabinets, but my contractor thinks this will make the soffit areas look awkward. I'm considering just keeping the soffits throughout the kitchen, but I've seen some ideas involving decorative wood boards instead of soffits above the range hood. Any thoughts on how to tackle this issue?
3 Answers
Oh, and just to clarify, the 36-inch cabinets are going to be replaced by a 36-inch range hood, so I really need the soffits to hide those pipes. That's what complicates things! I want it to look good, but I'm feeling a bit stuck on how to proceed now.
You might consider a creative workaround! Depending on how low the pipes are in the soffits, one option could be to modify the cabinet boxes slightly. You could keep the cabinet doors at full height, but have the interior structure a bit lower—this way, it gives a consistent look while accommodating your plumbing needs!
I faced a similar situation during my kitchen renovation! We had a bunch of electrical lines, a drain vent, and water pipes running through the soffits. I ended up relocating the lines myself, which took an extra week but it was worth it in the end—everything looks way better without the soffits. If you can, try to see if some of the pipes can be moved or rerouted. The extra effort can really transform your kitchen!
That sounds tough! I might have to accept some compromises since removing all the pipes isn't feasible for me. Maybe I can make the soffits blend better with taller, gloss white cabinets instead?