Answer: Kitchen cabinets are raised off the floor for easier cleaning, protection against moisture damage, and to accommodate plumbing and uneven floors. This also allows for toe-kick space for comfortable standing.
Moisture Issues: In areas prone to moisture, such as kitchens, having cabinets that do not touch the floor can prevent water damage. If there is a spill or a leak, the gap allows air circulation and reduces the risk of mold or rot. Installation Flexibility: A gap allows for slight adjustments during installation.
Outdated Look: Raised panel cabinet door styles became popular in the 1920s, so they tend to give off an old-fashioned vibe. Think about whether such a look will blend well with the rest of your kitchen.
The standard height for upper cabinets from the floor is 54 inches, or 4 feet and 6 inches. This means the bottom of the upper cabinets should be this far from the floor. This comes from the sum of 34-and-a half-inch base cabinets, a 1-and-a-half inch thick countertop, and an 18-inch backsplash.
Because of this installation process, its recommended cabinets go in before floating floors. Cabinets, especially those with heavy stone countertops, could damage your floating floors. These types of floors also shift, expand, contract and settle after installation, causing the cabinets on top of them to move.
Floating Floor
Never install cabinets on top of floating flooring. Based on seasonal changes in humidity, the flooring material needs to expand and contract. If that can't happen, the weight of the cabinets can cause the flooring to buckle and damage the flooring's locking systems.
Conclusion. Kitchen cabinets are not always attached to the kitchen floor and most of the time, do not sit directly on the subfloor. This ensures that needed movement is given to the flooring material and the standard height of floor to counters is reached for accepted accessibility.
You should adjust your cabinet to fit your height. It would be a waste if you can't use your cabinets for storage because they are too high for you to reach or if they block your vision of the countertop when you work. It's important to adjust them to the height that you're comfortable with.
The standard practice for kitchen renovations is to install the cabinets before the flooring. This is because it allows the cabinets to be properly leveled and secured to the subfloor, which ensures a stable and level base for the cabinets.
Today, the installed height of a floating vanity can range between 28 and 36 inches from the floor to the top of the countertop. Ultimately, how high you mount a floating vanity or how high off the ground should a floating vanity be, depends on your personal choice.
Lower cabinets in dark tones are a bold and dramatic kitchen cabinet trends for 2025, bringing depth and richness to kitchen designs. Dark hues like navy blue, charcoal gray, and deep green are popular choices, adding a touch of sophistication and elegance to the space.
Giving your raised panel cabinets a coat of white, grey, or black modernizes them without feeling too flashy or gaudy. These colors are also great for small kitchens, as the solid block of color creates the illusion of space in your mind.
Experts agree that the primary thing making your cabinets look dated is their color — but those same experts are divided on what, exactly, that color is. Erica Lugbill of Chicago-based interior design firm Lugbill Designs says all-white cabinets are a dead giveaway that your kitchen is stuck in the stone ages.
In the past, upper cabinets were generally either 32” or 36” tall, and so leaving a gap between them and the ceiling was standard. Today, many people prefer cabinets that reach the ceiling. It can give a cleaner, more streamlined look, and it increases a cabinet's storage capacity.
You should install flooring after installing cabinets because floating floors need room for expansion and contraction due to temperature changes. Installing cabinetry over vinyl planks might restrict movement causing buckling or separation issues in your floor.
Installing your tiles before your kitchen cabinets will cut down on overall labor costs. Putting in your tiles first will help prevent water damage in your kitchen. Cabinets can be installed first if you're placing delicate tiles that might get damaged during cabinetry or appliance installation.
Easier installation: Installing cabinets first can be easier because you don't have to work around the flooring. You can install the flooring up to the edges of the cabinets, making the process quicker and more efficient. More design options: Not installing flooring under cabinets provides more design options.
Install Upper Cabinets
We recommend doing this so you won't have to work over the lower cabinets and risk damaging them. Ensure you have the right screw to install the wall cabinets. Installing a French cleat or screwing through the back of the cabinets are the two most common ways to do it.
The upper kitchen cabinet should be installed at least 54 inches from the floor to allow for a conventional backsplash. Keep the upper kitchen cabinets within comfortable reach by keeping the base cabinets between 32 and 36 inches high.
42” upper cabinets are a very common selection for 9' ceilings. You will have 12” of space above 42” cabinets; if you want them to meet the ceiling you will have to install 12” of crown molding.
If you're on the interior design side of social media, you're probably seeing one controversial kitchen trend popping up everywhere: Homeowners are ditching their upper kitchen cabinets in favor of open shelving. In my social feed, exposed shelves are perfectly styled and color-coordinated.
It's important for homeowners to easily reach items in their kitchen cabinets, regardless of their height. The average folk's height plays a role in the standard height of kitchen cabinets. If the cabinets were to touch the ceiling, most people would need a step stool or ladder to access top-shelf items.
For clients who have a small kitchen, cabinets with legs are a must. They help to increase storage space in compact kitchens. By lifting the cabinets off the ground, they can create more space for storage underneath them. This is especially useful if there are a lot of small items that need to be stored away.
Answer: Kitchen cabinets that do not touch the floor include wall cabinets and floating cabinets. Wall cabinets are attached to the wall, while floating cabinets are mounted with hidden supports, creating a gap between the bottom of the cabinet and the floor.
Always install the tile to the wall, under appliances, and cabinets. Good flooring could be in place for 20 years or more. In that time there could be water leaks, appliance failures cabinet damage that requires replacement, electrical problems that require cabinets to be moved, etc...