This Dated, “English-Inspired” Kitchen Cabinet Trend Is So Back for Fall, According to Shea McGee

It’s no secret that trends come and go, but there’s one “English-inspired” trend that’s making a comeback — and people aren’t too sure about it. According to interior designer Shea McGee of Studio McGee, upper kitchen cabinets no longer have to touch the ceiling to be on-trend and updated, especially if a few stipulations in a space are true.

In a TikTok showing off a recent kitchen redesign she did, McGee says, “You’ll notice the cabinetry doesn’t go all the way to the ceiling. There are a few reasons for this. One is that these ceilings are very very tall and our drawings started looking top-heavy, so I brought [the cabinets] down a bit.”

“The other reason is because we wanted to be able to see more stone if it was going to be carried around the room,” she continued. “And lastly, after years and years of saying ‘your cabinetry must go to the ceiling,’ we are seeing, in design, the cabinets changing a little bit, which is a bit English-inspired.”

Deciding to keep that bit of stone at the top also brings light up toward the ceiling as well, and because the cabinets are such a deep hue, this prevents the kitchen from feeling too dark and moody.

However, people have thoughts about bringing back this trend. “Ahh, the return of the dust shelf,” one person wrote in the TikTok comments. Another said, “I want mine to the ceiling. Not cleaning up there. It collects fast.”

But others are on board with bringing back the shorter cabinets — especially when the ceiling in a space is so high. “For regular walls, to the ceiling is a must,” someone else added. “She’s got a good 10+ foot height here so she doesn’t have to.”

As we all know, there’s no such thing as right or wrong when it comes to deciding to follow trends or not. It all depends on personal style and budget. However, if you’re still rocking with your “dated” cabinets that don’t hit the ceiling, you now might have a hidden gem on your hands.