We use our microwave a lot and I would not want it over the stove if I had other options. It just means somebody would be in my way when I'm cooking and my daughter is just starting to use it too which would not be a good thing if over the stove. Mine is above the oven and in an ideal world I would want it lower so she doesn't have to pull a chair over to reach it.

In your setup I would see if you could put it over by the refrigerator side of the kitchen. Out of the main cooking space and also near the fridge and freezer where stuff often comes from in my house to then get put into the microwave.

I would want the 30" drawer base as it holds more.

I'd really really like to help you make that kitchen work better. And it could. But, if you are unwilling to make changes, then the kitchen is really "done" and there isn't anything that can be suggested.

This post was edited by live_wire_oak on Fri, Apr 4, 14 at 15:48

It's not that I am unwilling, but all that stuff is done--framing, electric, plumbing, ect. It would cost wads of cash that we don't have to change it now. I did seriously consider moving the microwave somewhere else and doing a range hood, but honestly the OTR microwave doesn't bother me at all, and even though the range hood looks nicer, I would rather have things like gorgeous tile in my master bathroom that I love, or a couple of drawer stacks instead.

And we did put an outlet in the upper cabinet next to the fridge, so in a few years when there is more money, we can switch out the OTR microwave for a range hood. But for right now, it is what it is.

We really do not cook that much, so I am not worried about making the kitchen as efficient as possible.

I would love some advice on the cabinet choices that remain, that will work well and look nice. Where to put drawer stacks. Where to put glass doors. Where to put an open shelf.

Thanks lyfia on the point about the 30" drawer stack by the stove. It would be quite a bit larger than the 24" on the peninsula, and probably much more useful.

I would just get an under cabinet hood that is less obtrusive than the OTR MW and save the money. It will be cheaper and then at least you can have the MW in a good spot.

Desk: I think it looks a little wonky, off centered like that. Why not move the desk to end left end, so you have more landing space by the fridge? I can't tell if the desk is counter height, or the whole counter is desk height.

I don't associate desk and pretty display, so I wouldn't put glass doors there. The area near my desk contains things like boxes of envelopes, phone books, and other not-so-pretty things. I also have built-in file drawers near my desk, which I love.

It doesn't look like the cabinet over the fridge is full-depth. Why not? A 12" cab over a fridge is pretty useless, while a full-depth could be put to great use (see a recent thread for examples). Does the fridge stick out far enough past the wall to open the door all the way?

Corner by range: do you have access to the corner? Do you need it? I closed off a corner in my kitchen to allow drawers on each side of the corner, and I don't miss that inconvenient corner storage space one bit.

Corner upper: I hated the angled corner upper cabinets in my old kitchen, but I didn't have a LS in it. That would improve the function, for sure, but I still prefer an easy-reach upper. What sort of things would you display there, if it had a glass door?

OTR MW: these are great in kitchens that have very limited space. But you have quite a bit of room, and could put a MW by the fridge, as suggested, or get a small one for the corner. For the cost of an OTR MW, you could buy a nice small MW and a standard range hood - assuming you can vent the hood to the outside.

Why no drawers at the end of the peninsula?

Thanks for responding.
Desk--I think if I switch the drawer stack to the left side it will look less "wonky". I think that combo drawer/door on the right doesn't look very good. I have it all counter height--I don't personally care for the look of the lowered desk area in a kitchen.

I do agree on the glass doors. What about a 30" open shelf like this picture below, flanked by standard 42" doors.

corner upper: I've looked at lots of angled versus easy reach, and I think I like the easy reach better. It opens up the corner more.

Glass doors: I would still really like to do a few glass doors. If I get rid of the angled glass door, where could I do a couple of glass doors that would look nice? I'm not sure where the best placement would be.

corner by range: I don't think I will miss that space either. I can do one more drawer stack, other than the one to the left of the stove, so I was thinking of putting a 30" stack to the right of the stove. I can only do one more--so it's either 30" by the stove or 24" on the end of the peninsula. Thoughts?

Fridge: It is only 12" right now. Would it look okay to pull the top cabinets out to 24" without doing a fridge panel? I am not against a fridge panel but the cost to add is $400 I think, so I am not sure if we can afford to add it. The wall is only 28" out, so the fridge doors should be able to open fully on both sides.

Microwave: we do have a vent to the outside, so a range hood would work. When you say, in the corner, do you mean on the counter top? We do have counter top space, but wouldn't having the microwave on the counter be more of a "no no" than above the range? We do use our microwave daily, so I don't want to stick it in a pantry or anything like that.

I take it back on the outlet in the cabinet by the fridge--it is in the future cabinet on the far left above the desk. I was planning to charge iPads and such out of sight in that cabinet.

I kind of feel like since I can't afford a really pretty range hood, then I might as well just leave the microwave OTR since its never bothered me before, and use our limited funds for other pretty things I will enjoy/use every day, such as a few glass cabinets and drawers.

Our range hood isn't fancy, but it is useful, and I don't consider it an eyesore. It is certainly a lot better than not venting to the outside! We have cold winters, so we don't open the windows, and we've noticed a huge difference in the removal of cooking odors. A MW can be damaged by the heat and moisture produced by the stove, and then it's expensive to replace.

We have a little MW on the counter in our U-shaped kitchen. It doesn't take up a lot of room, and it is across from the range, so out of the way. I'm not worried about if it's a "no-no" - my kitchen is never going to be in a magazine - what's important to me is function. The fact that a small MW and an undercabinet hood are less expensive than an OTR is a bonus!

I assume the reason you can only do one additional drawer stack is for budget reasons? I think a 30" by the stove would be better - but you won't be able to open those drawers when the dishwasher is open. Figure out what you want to put where - that will help you decide where drawers would be optimal.

One thing to remember about drawers - they are not adjustable. My cabinets where custom built, so the bottom drawers in my 3-drawer stacks are taller than the middle ones. If they were the same size, I wouldn't be able to use them for my canisters of sugar, flour, etc, or to put cake pans on their sides. You'll hear a lot of love for drawers here, but make sure your stuff will fit!

I'm not sure how a deep cabinet over the fridge would look without a side panel. With the wall on one side, you should have adequate structural support for it. Try searching on Houzz. I do know that the added space is wonderful! In my old kitchen, we just put things on top of the fridge, which both looked cluttered and blocked access to what was in the cabinet.