One more thing: I'm also not thrilled with how the cabinet doors above the MW are lower than the doors in the wall cabinet to the left. What's best:

OPTION A: Raise the doors above the MW to match up with the doors on the left.

OPTION B: Lower the doors on the wall cabinet to the left so they match up with the doors above the MW.

OPTION C: Leave it as is. Maybe it isn't so strange looking since all three sets of doors on that wall don't match??

How about putting the MW in the upper cabinet so they are the same height above the counter?

I did this with mine and I love it. Before it was complete, I can't find a completed pic right now. What I also love is I can easily swap out the MW if it dies without spending a bunch of money. Uppers on this wall are deeper than average to accomodate the MW. It sits in there flush with the front.

Sorry I was on my ipad and couldn't get the pic to go. I did find the finished and unstaged pic on my pc though! Sorry it's not great quality.

You could still have the supports come down if you were wanting it to be hutch like which is what I think you are doing? The upper above the MW could match the one above the fridge. Or you could leave it open above the MW for cook book storage?

I am getting this same microwave and also placing it in a 30" wide cabinet (upper). We were just discussing the extra width space and pondering the same cubby like option you are! Verdict is still out, but we are leaning towards leaving it open. With it open, there is more flexibility if the microwaves changes; will likely just stand a cook book or two next to the microwave to fill the visual space. By the way, Ms. K and autumn.4, what software/site are you using to create your kitchen layout pics?

autumn.4: Thanks so much for going through the trouble of digging up a photo for me! That does work out so nicely, with the MW raised up! I really like how tucked away it is in your kitchen. Unfortunately, I didn't mention that I placed the MW lower because I'd like to accommodate my young kids. They'll soon be old enough to use the MW so I want to make sure it's at a comfortable height for them to safely access it. I'm also very short so it's partly for my benefit too that we're moving it down to counter height! ;)

I likely won't be raising it as high as in your drawing, but I have been mulling over building a shelf below the wall cabinet. That would look really ugly, though, and totally ruin the hutch look that I'm trying to achieve (which I'm so glad you noticed!)

lisa7242: That's what I love about this community - I'm never alone in my wonderings! You make some excellent points about the benefits of leaving the space open. Hmm... I might have to just pop some kind of pretty magazine box in there or something to divide the space without making it permanent.

Oh, ha ha... the very "fancy" drawing program I used for my drawing is just an Excel spreadsheet! The learning curve for the design programs is too steep for me to take on. I just wanted something simple to map out the exact dimensions of my plans. Graph paper was great for doing a one time only drawing, but not for doing the endless fiddling and readjusting I needed. So I figured a digital graph paper would be the perfect solution. ;)

This is our microwave set up at the riverhouse. The space is 36 in wide. My husband made a shelf for the microwave to sit on. The height is perfect for everyone in family - little guys and 6 footers. I plan a similar set up for the new kitchen at home.

Closer view in next post. Photo will not load.

That's a really clever idea happy2b!

Ms K, You could also deepen your uppers to accommodate the depth of the MW down to the counter and keep your hutch look, without losing the space in the back. I did that and the bonus with the deeper uppers is that I can store baking and broiling pans vertically on their sides in the cabinet above the MW, much easier to access than before. I like the side storage compartment esp if the vertical divide was thinner than the exterior walls so that visually it is less prominent than the outside walls.

You could also consider a pullout "cutting" board under counter in front of that microwave. It is very unobtrusive and handy for placing items to be "waved" without using the counter next to it. It is a minor detail but ALL microwaves have doors that are hinged so that they open to your left. So the pullout board is really handy for not having to move items around the open door.

Thank you, scrappy. The upper and lower cabinets around the microwave are 24 inches deep.

You could add another drawer below the MW, but the difference in the countertops might bug you as much as the differing door heights. Instead of a drawer, it could be a pull-out board for a landing space.

I'm of no help on the microwave, but if you want to visually even up the cabinets you could consider short flip-down doors. We used 6" tall ones with soft-close hinges in a "hutchish" cabinet and had outlets put in. We usually charge phones and whatnot elsewhere, but I'm thinking they'll be handy for a rechargeable screwdriver and flashlight, charging DH's many bike lights, and filling with the paperwork and other detritus that normally accumulates everywhere I go.

I plan to buld an appliance garage for the microwave:

http://build-basic.com/build-a-diy-appliance-garage/#.VzoG2dROKrV

I do not like to use the microwave much so I would be happy to have it behind closed doors when not in use. If you do this, you could add shelves or partitions or just store things in the available extra space. You could align the cabinets to be visually pleasing and have more options for changing out your microwave.

happy2b: ooo, how clever! I really like how it's not permanent, and can be removed if wanted at some point. I do have nice deep 30" counters under my "hutch" so perhaps that's a really good unobtrusive solution! Thanks so much for sharing.

scrappy: Thanks for the plethora of excellent suggestions - I'm considering all of them, especially the pull out board. :) It was also a pleasant surprise to see your name on my thread - I've quietly admired your kitchen so, so much and funny enough, I was just looking through your reveal photos before you replied! I was carefully noting how you fit in your MW. It's so nicely done - the space you slotted it into fits like a glove. Absolutely perfect. You designed every inch of your so thoughtfully. It's truly an inspiration! Thanks so much for sharing it.

mama goose: you and scrappy were on the same wavelength! I really like this skinny drawer idea. It's functional and it helps to address the "lining up" issue at the same time. I can't think of a very good use having the drawer on top of the MW so I'm leaning more towards having the drawer under the MW to create a shelf for resting items on it.

AvatarWalt: what a gorgeous "hutchish" cabinet you have! I really like the flip up doors - very creative idea. I have lots of "detritus" that could go into that space! ;) I also like how your cabinet has the "stacked" look... I'm thinking maybe that's another way I can get the cabinet doors to look more lined up at the top. Hmm...

Jane: Another very creative idea! I did really want an appliance garage when I started out my kitchen planning but nixed it in favour of open counter space. I'm going to revisit the idea, though... it might maximize space better than my current plan.

mama goose: you and scrappy were on the same wavelength!

I don't recall seeing that part of scrappy's post when I added my post two hours later, but I'm happy that it's given you some inspiration.