Yes - it's an aesthetic choice as erikanh mentioned. Most of my cabinets are full overlay with hidden hinges and the soft-close. I designed a hutch for my cabinet maker to make that is supposed to look "old" so it is in a different color (white) and is inset with exposed hinges because I thought that added to it looking old. I love that look on it but as erikanh said, it doesn't have soft-close. I have to make a conscientious effort to close those doors differently. (love that soft-close everywhere else!)

I think the exposed hinges will look most authentic for your kitchen. You have a lot of drawers so it will not be as busy as if it were mostly doors. The countertops are soapstone on the perimeter so I think black would be fine. In essence I feel you are trading a heavily patterned floor in the picture below for a heavily patterned backsplash in your kitchen, so it's a sort of update and reworking of the real thing. Below, the hardware is probably chrome or nickel but I am afraid that might fall a little flat on the yellow cabinets.

Pardon me for struggling to be convinced on a single tier counter. The island would not be a slab of granite or quartz. It would be a high grade laminate. If anything it should be less of a problem because laminate isn't as heavy as stone. Stone really needs extra support. I'd suggest asking on the kitchen forum and actually calling out Joseph Corlett as he's the resident expert on countertop fabrication. The part that overhangs the back of the cabinet would need to be supported. How do you support that? The overhang also would need to be 14 to 16 inches. Same way You'd support a stone counter. Hidden brackets between the end panel of the cabinet. Outlet wire would run through the cabinet and then you'd have an outlet on the side of the cabinet? Plug in a mixer, now have a kid or pet walk by and snatch that cord. Horrible design. Pop-up outlet? That costs how much? That lasts how long? That doesn't get crap and water in it??? Please! What is the idea there? Or you could do what I'm doing on the side and put a strip of plug mold up right under the counter overhang on the side. Gives you more than 2 plugs and it's not far enough down to be a problem. You're creating problems where there are none actually. What is your guy's idea of the bar height I speak of? Is it 42"? Or is it more like 50"? I'd like the facts so the decisions are easier. Standard bar height is 42" high. Counter height is 36" high and table height is 29-30" high. I don't see the benefit of one height when I don't need that big of space since there is plenty of counter space on the cabinet side. I can't physically reach 40" from me. That's how wide it would be. Do you have children? Do they like to do homework near you? Guests who like to help you cook? Elderly family members? Very young children? I know slabs of stone look good at one level. So does laminate. Just because it's laminate doesn't make it an inferior product. Just a note. I'm on the wrong side of 60 and while getting up into the bar height stools was not a problem even 7 years ago, I find that each year it does get a bit more difficult. And I train at a gym 3x a week doing things like step ups with weights, so it's not like I'm out of shape.

Just did this to 24 cabinets doors. Its easy. Kreg conceiled hinge jig, clamps, drill. The concealed hinges come in different cabinets overlap. Measure how much door overlap cabinets now with exposed hinges doors still attached Mine was 1/2 inch so i got 1/2 inch softclosed conceal hinge.