We figured however we put it into the cabinets, those holes are easier to fill than tile holes. I don't mean to be adversarial, but I disagree completely. Replacing a tile is a 15 minute and $15 DIY job, getting a paint and sheen match on cabinets is something I would not even try and I have years of experience doing it. I would just respray the entire sides of your cabinet as that would take 1/10th the time of trying to match them. However, the problem isn't drilling through your tile and that wouldn't work either. You need to accomplish what you want without drilling through the sides of your cabinets. Which can easily be done. You can make it look like it was a planned part of the kitchen and not an afterthought while preserving the sides of your cabinets. Or something like this..

It sounds like the bottom shelf is situated where it is because the outlet can be used for something on the bottom shelf. But those corners that stick out are a accident waiting to happen. See if you have someone somewhat handy with wood, or bring them somewhere and cut the corners off at a angle on all three (soon to be three) shelves. Or someone will hurt themselves sooner or later. Or at least put something, table or what ever that will keep people from walking into those pointy corners.

Thank you both! The idea is to gently light the texture of the wall tile, lessen the comparatively dark space above lighted floating shelves, and for a soft effect in the evenings, not to light the ceiling. Everything will be on dimmers. It's a very narrow galley kitchen circa 1979, and having some floating shelves will hopefully give it a bit more breathing room. I've had open shelves for years and enjoy them very much. Dust control isn't a big issue for me. I'm careful not to clutter them, and I don't mind dusting everything in my house once a week or as needed. My modest amount of open shelving is no exception and worth what little trouble it is to enjoy a few special things I like to look at. Jennifer, I've seen what you mentioned, and I appreciate it. As you said, the more commercial look isn't the vibe intended, but the concept is similar. We've decided to move forward with it. If it doesn't look right, the led strip can be removed with a quick snip of the scissors! :0)

Very nice fireplace! I would play up the modern aspec of it and definately continue the marble all the way across in a horizontal stack, That may require changing the marble sides so they are also placed horizontally. Then I would paint the top portions a dark color, keeping the niches a whitish color or painting them a shade or two lighter. I would also suggest being on the lookout for modern ceramic/porcelain vases to fill the niches. The mockup didn't turn out quite as well as I had hoped because the marble is too faded out/shadowed in the pic. Can you take a straight on pic of the entire fireplace wall? Please show us what you decide!!!