This is hard to resolve. In the far distant future, kitchens will have one wall with a deep counter, i.e. 28" or 30" deep. Not today. Too many people cutting a 4' by 8' sheet in half to make "standard" size cabinetry.... Are you aware of Cabinet depth and Counter depth ? These are two different terms for what you want. One meaning the entire appliance including door is flush with your 24" deep counter -- but that loses So Much space I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Another term means the box before the door is 24" deep, and a thin door adds another 2 or 3 inches. If your layout lets you use a French Door fridge without making you open both doors all the time, you have one more option and a more regular depth. The minute you look at a shallower depth French-door fridge you have to spend $500 more just for a basic model. French-door fridge-bottom-freezers LG and another brand too, but I forget which one it is right now. Single door fridge-bottom-freezers that are not as deep as Amana Whirlpool etc : Miele KF1801 (84" tall). Summit FFBF285SS 26" deep (75" tall). Only 28" wide so the door doesn't need as much space as a 30" door. Liebherr has a couple. Fisher Paykel is about 31" wide and 26" deep Consider cutting into the wall to make a recess to stick the back of the fridge into. -David

@enright5 - I know this is a few months after your initial posts, but I came across your posts while I was looking for photos of real life installations of Lyra and Lagoon Silestone. I can total relate to the original post. I love marble too and the look it provides, but it is not a good fit for my family. Knowing this I am not looking to trick people into thinking I have marble - just LOVE the general look and feel. SO what did you finally decide on?

I suggest doing your research on fantasy brown if you are considering it. It sounds to me like a marble. (Super white is another that is often billed as quartzite but is is actually usually marble.). Not that there is anything wrong with marble--I chose it for the ktichen in our last house, but I did so knowing what I was getting. Those countertop geology threads are really informative.

wdccruise--Yes, that is a misleading photo of the louvered door area because there is a mirror that inaccurately reflects what the area is truly like. The area is 34" deep, so I can get a fridge in there. You are right that perhaps the GE profile spacemaker may be my best bet. (There is also a Sharp that can also be hung from a cupboard, but it is much deeper than the GE.) My uppers will be 15" deep, so I could also just use a shelf since I have found a couple of basic and cheap microwaves that would be shallow enough to fit. darbuka and all--I guess I didn't mention range ventilation. I am going to have to do recirculating because we have absolutely no way to duct to the outside. I am thinking that I need all the air flow I can get, and a chimney hood will blow the air out at ceiling height rather than right in my face like an OTR would. partim--Good point about not having a landing spot when a microwave is placed in a pantry. che--Great to hear from someone who is actually using exactly the solution I am contemplating. All of you--thanks a lot!