I'm 5'2" and I'm actually going with cabinets 24" off the counter, (which will be 35.5" high) with a 10" deep floating shelf below it at 15" . My reasoning, besides the fact that I really really like that look, is that a lot of the daily use stuff that would go on the bottom shelf will go on the open shelf, and the the bottom shelf of the raised up cabinet is still several inches lower than the current 2nd shelf. So I will actually be able to reach more than in the existing cabinets which are about 17". Plus Sektion cabinets are 15" deep, and at 18", I think they kind of loom over the counter. It's a narrow galley kitchen, so pushing the cabinets up will open things up visually. And yes, even as a short person I absolutely care if the appliances fit under the cabinets. The 15" shelf height was specifically chosen so that the kitchenaid can fit under it. It won't live on the counter, but when it is out I want to be able to slide it back out of the way temporarily. The only thing that won't fit is the blender with the jar on, but that's the one thing I don't care about.

I don't know what you intend to do regarding backsplash height (that's the distance b/w the finished counter and the bottom of the upper cabinet and light rail), but here's what I usually tell people when they're considering the height for their backsplash. The standard is 18"...regardless of the reasons why, it's still the standard.. How this affects your kitchen.... Refrigerator and other tall cabinet heights...Because wall cabinets are meant to be mounted at a standard height, cabinet manufacturers take this into account when designing tall cabinets. Tall cabinets are designed to be the same height as the installed wall cabinets so the tops all line up. When you change the height a wall cabinet is installed at, it affects cabinet top alignments. With the refrigerator you can usually mount the upper cabinet a little lower OR order a shorter upper cabinet, but be sure you don't make the alcove any shorter than 72" tall b/c newer refrigerators are 70" to 72" tall (and seem to get taller each year!) With other tall cabinets like oven cabinets and pantry cabinets, they're a standard height and designed so they're the same height as the wall cabinets when those wall cabinets are installed 18" above a 36" high counter. If you have custom cabinets, this may not be an issue b/c your cabinetmaker can adjust the cabinet heights. But, if you are using stock or even some semi-custom cabinets, you cannot change the height. You can often get taller cabinets for use w/36" or 42" tall wall cabinets, but not shorter for 30" mounted lower. But, even those that are taller are also adjusted based on standard wall cabinet heights + an 18" backsplash height. Small appliance height...Small appliance manufacturers often design their products to meet this 18" standard...for example, my KA stand mixer (bowl lift) is around 17" and many coffeemakers and blenders are just short of 18". So, you need to be sure you have room under the cabinets + light rail to fit those appliances. Small appliances... Keep in mind that if you're using an appliance on your counter, you must be sure you have room under the base cabinets to move that appliance around easily. Don't, for example, tell yourself you're only going to use it in front of your upper cabinets so you don't need to worry about its fit. In reality, you will be moving things around on your counter while you work and most likely your appliance will be moved under the cabinets at some point. You don't want to tear your light rail off or damage it (or the cabinets). Also remember that "standard" upper cabinets are 12" deep + 1" for the door...so they stick out 13" over your counter...leaving you only 12" or so of workspace in front of the upper cabinets...not much room to work in by itself! (If you have deeper upper cabinets...say 15", there's even less counter frontage in front of your upper cabinets...3" less, so 9".) Vertical workspace... Another consideration is vertical work...

24"?????? Yikes. At 5'8" Id have trouble reaching into those uppers. Do you have a lot of uppers? Maybe with only one or two you might be OK storing lesser used items on the top shelves and using a stool to reach them. How streamlined are you going? I could see doing this in an uber modern, don't really cook that much, look at me type of kitchen. Oh, and 24" off the cooking surface for a range hood? That distance is too short for most usual hood specs. Typical is 30-36" or so. Which hood are you using?

I'm building a cabinet just as you describe: in a corner between two windows (one side of the corner is wider, so the cabinet will be 30" wide and 12" deep). The purpose is to hide the tangle of coffee grinder, electric kettle, and infrequently-used espresso maker (main coffee maker will be out in full view). Coffee is important to me but so is an uncluttered countertop. There are several types of doors you can use: 1) A single door that lifts up and out. This doesn't allow access to the upper part of the cabinet when open. 2) "Flipper" doors that fold to the sides and then get tucked inside the cabinet sides. These require at least 2" extra inches on each side. 3) A barrister-style door that lifts up and slides into the top part of the opening. If the opening is much taller than it is deep, it will stick out quite a bit when open (so not really tucked away). 4) Tambour door (rolltype style). I have never been a big fan of this style, but for my application - opening that is 20" tall x 27" wide in a 12" deep cabinet - I decided it's the most functional because it allows easy access to the inside and the door doesn't block anything else when it's open. But these range from hard-to-use and short-lived to lifetime doors, depending on how they're constructed and maintained. As with anything, the devil is in the details, and price and quality are positively related.