Yes there is a reason for this. The cabinets you are looking at are modular cabinets. That is cabinets premade at certain sizes for resale, instead of custom made for your home. They are made to fit in any home with any height ceiling. If you want the cabinets to go to the ceiling then you can have a spacer or molding put in to fill to the ceiling or spend a bit more for custom cabinets and have that space available for storage. It is totally up to you.

The normal ceiling height in houses is 8 feet. There are actuallt two different stock size upper cabinets you can purchase. 30 inch high cabinets will leave a 12 inch space between cabinet top and ceiling. Some people put in what is called a dropped ceiling (that is a short, 12 inch, wall is built between the top of the cabinet) to cover this open space or they leave that space open. The other cabinet size is 42 inches that goes all the way to the ceiling. Naturally these are more expensive but they also provide more storage space. Your answer depends on your budget, and the look you are trying to achieve. In our house I built the cabinets to go to the ceiling because I believe it’s a classier look, more finished, provides more storage and breaks the old style of a dropped ceiling

Ready made furniture is accurate and square and rooms are never truly square so the gap means it will fit. If you try to but the cabinets to the cieling you will find they won’t all fit.

you start setting upper cabinets at 7 feet from the floor

I think if you dont have the cabinets go all the way to the ceiling, they should be finished with a crown molding if you’re not going to display something on them. If you plan to display things on them I would install some lighting in the foreground pointing to the ceiling.

But cabinets that go all the way to the celing are also nice . Though the trend has changed.

just cosmetic

it depends on how high the ceiling is and if u can reach inside the cabinets…. where they have to put them on the wall.

its up to you some people leave them down either because of celling hight to display stuff or for extra storage some like to put a crown molding that is raised from the top of the cabinet

that is your choice. If you choose no space, then you wouldn’t have to worry about dusting on top.

Whatever Works For You. I Hope They Look Nice.