You'll have better luck in the kitchens forum as opposed to the remodeling forum

I think this preserves the ceiling grid while still giving you a large walk-in pantry. It's large enough that you could put the MW in it - counter top model is sufficient since it will be out of sight - and install the oven below a 42" counter, something like this but with no uppers. This would give you landing space for the oven and for the fridge without a counter extending towards the sink wall, potentially directing traffic closer to the cook top. I lengthened the peninsula and eliminated the L counter you had around the duct closet. I was afraid of crowding the aisle between it and the peninsula. (could find measurements so I'm guessing aisles based on scale of appliances.) If you don't want to do the above, another way to get some kind of landing zone near the ovens would be a drop down or flip up table. That would provide counter when you need it but it would be out of the way the rest of the time. Here are ideas:

Here's what you could do if you changed the windows: Two Prep Zones: Both Prep Zones have direct water access Both Prep Zones have a nice expanse of workspace next to the sink Both Prep Zones are next to the range Both Prep Zones have at least 43" of prep workspace b/w the range and sink Both Prep Zones are separated from the Cleanup Sink and Dish Storage . Other notes: Wall ovens are protected from traffic and are on the end of the cabinet run with landing space next to them Tray storage (cooling racks, cookie sheets, roasting pans, muffin tins, etc.) is above the ovens. Glass/heavy Casserole dishes can be stored in the drawer beneath the ovens (that's where I store mine). Pot/Pan storage is under the cooktop. If needed, a cabinet on either side could also be used. The Refrigerator is next to the Tea/Coffee & Snack Center, which provides ample landing space for the refrigerator. It's also directly across from both Prep Zones and the Cooking Zone. The Refrigerator is also located near the Garage entrance for ease of putting groceries away. The Snack Center counters provide not just landing space for taking things out, but also a place to put grocery bags while unloading into the Refrigerator. Tea/Coffee & Snack Center is located near both the Refrigerator and Pantry where most snacks come from. It has two 18" swinging doors (swing both ways) that provide a 36-inch entry. They don't have to swing both ways, but I thought they'd be more useful. I debated pocket doors, but they take a greater effort to use and might be a problem when trying to enter the Pantry with your hands full (ingredients or grocery bags). A built-in MW drawer is in the Tea/Coffee & Snack Center next to the refrigerator and out of the way of prepping, cooking, and cleaning up. There's a large step-in pantry across from the Prep & Cooking Zones and next to the Garage entrance, which makes it easy to put groceries away. No walking across the length of the house with heavy grocery bags. The shelves are floor to ceiling on 3 sides. The long back shelves are 12" deep (the "sweet spot" for pantry shelf depth) and the shelves along the sides can be either 12" or 15" deep, your choice. They could also be 18" deep, but at that depth things begin to get lost (experience speaking...my old pantry had 18" deep shelves and things always got lost!) The Cleanup Zone and Dish Storage are next to the Dining Room -- easy access to dishes for setting the table and to counters for dirty dishes when clearing the table. Someone loading/unloading the DW will be out of the way of someone else prepping/cooking Finally, there's a shallow closet for your husband's "new" office where the door used to be. . The aisles are wide enough to accommodate a busy path b/w the Game Room/Garage/Powder Room and the rest of the house. The placement of the doorways, now, are actually beneficial. Traffic is directed away from the primary work zones: Prep, Cooking, Cleanup. Work Zones:

From a countertop fabricator/installer's point of view. If you add new countertops to the existing cabinets, no problem there. The potential issues arise if and when you decide to get all new cabinets and want to use the new countertops. You'll have to get the same fabricator to remove the tops from your original cabinets and then re-install them unto the new cabinets. Other fabricators will not want to take this on as it is fraught with issues. We get asked all the time to do this and we always politely decline. Material breaks, sizing can be off on the new cabinets compared to the original. You would have to keep the cabinet footprint exactly the same and hope it all re-installs perfectly. More often than not homeowners who have done this wind up buying all new countertops, thus doubling your cost for this one portion of your project. Best of luck with your project.