As you plan a kitchen renovation, remember to think of the vertical space. While it's easy to plan countertops, floors and other horizontal elements, you also need interesting vertical products for balance.

The Importance of Vertical Space
The vertical space in your kitchen literally reaches to the ceiling (or the sky if you have a skylight). The distance might be seven to nine feet, depending on the age of your house and its design. That's a lot of available creative design space.

Add Vertical Interest with Kitchen Cabinet
While kitchen cabinets have strong vertical lines, they also add bulk horizontally. Ask your contractor for ways to add height in two or three key areas. You may want 42-inch cabinets to add drama along one wall. Or, consider adding 42-inch cabinets on each end of a long row of 36-inch cabinets. The extra vertical height draws eyes upward and makes a room seem more spacious.

Open Vertical Space
As you plan your kitchen renovation, think about how much visual weight your room design can handle. If you have lots of tall wood cabinets, you may want a few tall glass doors for balance. If the budget and layout permit, ask the contractor about adding a tall window or skylight. Rope lighting around the top of the cabinets also draws the eyes upward and softens the weight of the cabinets.

Decorating Ideas
There also are many ways to use textured paint treatments, wallpaper borders along the ceiling, canned lighting above cabinets, and other elements to enhance the vertical flow of the room.

Vertical space is an important and sometimes overlooked kitchen element. It can add drama to an overlooked corner and bring balance to the room. Talk with your contractor early in the planning process for tips on using cabinet details, crown molding, paint treatments, and lighting to enhance the vertical space.