If you have a hole for the air gap but use it for soap or whatever instead, you can always pull out the soap dispenser/lotion dispenser/reverse osmosis faucet etc., and put an air gap in there if you need to. It's a very simple swap. I certainly wouldn't encourage you to just opt out of the air gap if that would cause a health problem, but it doesn't. High loop and air gap are two approaches to the same issue - backflow. Air gap is the old fashioned way to deal with it, high loop is the modern way. Generally speaking, I'm a big fan (big fan!) of doing everything to code, but this is an exception. I don't know what TX is doing, but in CA I believe this code to be a remnant of older technology that's just waiting to be written out.

I just remembered something you might be interested in, regarding beadboard on the soffits. Not long ago I saw some postings (not sure which site) about bead board wallpaper. Now, trust me, I am not a fan of wallpaper, I've removed more of it over the years than I care to remember. But this looked good, its a thick wallpaper, not sure if its vinyl or paper, but it is grooved just like the real wood and can be painted. That might be a good option for you, since there was a concern that the real wood beadboard would protrude out over the cabinets. I saw some photos of it installed in bathrooms and kitchens, it looked great. I found some for sale in HD not long ago, when I was considering doing a bead board ceiling in my kitchen. I thought the beadboard paper would be a lot easier and less costly, although in the end we left the ceiling as is. (for now, anyway, I still haven't ruled it out) It was not expensive and might work for you. Since you are painting, not staining, I think it would blend well and look good. Might be worth taking a look at if you get to one of the big box stores.

With my layout, the extra steps have to be taken somewhere--either when unloading the dw or when gathering the dishes to put on the table. My preference is to have dishes stored close to the table. I tend to unload the dw when I have the spare time. Getting stuff onto the table always seems hectic and that's where I need my systems as streamlined as possible. The extra plus is that others don't have to come all the way into the kitchen to grab a glass or plate. It still only takes about 5 minutes to unload the dw.

Joe, I actually think your solution is kind of genius. I'm wondering if there's any way to make some kind of handle that would provide leverage so your wife could lift the platforms. I take it they can't just roll out for the mopping? One idea I had was to make some way of sliding the platforms under the toekicks but I think the plumbing, etc., might be in the way, and it might make cleaning harder rather than easier. The new thing they say is that for chopping et al. the counter should be an inch or two below your level forearm. Also, the theory is that the counters should be height/2 + 10 cm (used to be plus 5 cm). It also used to be elbow height minus 6". For my height (average for my age cohort), the old way of doing it (the 5cm or 6") puts me with 36" counters. I get a backache from them being that low because I end up hunching over. The new rules give me 38" which is more comfortable. So if your wife is 4'10" - 5' 2", indeed the lower countertop (higher floor) could be the problem. Certainly if she can't comfortably stretch her forearm across the counter without raising it. Some people have pullout boxes to stand on in their toe kicks. You could probably retrofit these. But I still think your platforms are fantastic, and the best solution ever. Just finish the plywood with some waterlox and make them pretty! So... how to make them liftable? Even a standard drawer pulls on the underside of the outer edge, that can be gripped easily by small hands, might be enough for your wife to be able to lift them. Especially if the pains in her back go away from standing on them. (Maybe gel mats on top instead of waterlox?) Theoretically, if you can find a way for her to lift them, the lifting would be good exercise unless she has debilitating issues. Oh? Is it more moving them out of the tile area than flipping them up? In that case, can you mount some inline skate wheels on the sink side edges that will slide under the adjacent surface? Then she could lift and roll, right? Those platforms really are genius.