I'm aassuming that you have a cabinet with counter in the base of your alcove. If so, I like the "tile up to the shelf" photo. From the style of your brackets, it looks like yours is a traditional or even period kitchen, no? If so, then what was done in the inspiration photo should work fine. There is a strip of wood run vertically under the shelf, and the brackets are affixed to that (probably through the vertical piece and into a stud). Then the tile runs up to that strip of wood - clean and no fuss/no muss. Your "tile up to the brackets" photo shows what appears to be a shelf "unit" where there is no bracket under the lowest shelf -- the lowest shelf appears to be hung from a bracket above it. That is also a good option, but a bit more contemporary looking and doesn't make use of your brackets. In a period/cottage kitchen I don't see the need to tile to the ceiling in an alcove that doewsn't hold a sink or a range.

For heavens sake. Just shorten the cabinets over the sink, and make them ALL glass doors No solid doors) on that sink side. Uppers are only good for glasses and dishes anyway. Be neat. You don't need to recess them, just shorten over the sink. Yes it's done all the time. Nobody has gone to ER for the concussion that has not happened. If they are all same glass front? You won't be counting the inches in width left, right center whatever. Or............... use a 33 inch sink base, 18 inch Bosch DW, and have 9 inches to your symmetry issue added left db and upper cabinet. And I'd still do all glass doors, and shorten those over the 33 sink base. The 6 inch loss of DW sizing ? No big deal. Most folks hardly notice. Hand wash the bulky pans. And a 33 inch sink base will take a very decent single bowl sink.

For the first time in my life I finally have enough cabinet space in my kitchen that I can hide everything behind doors, meaning this space doesn't have to be functional but thanks to those mentioning that it would be helpful to be functional made me consider another option all together, so I've included 2 options with photos. One photo I took several items off my counters all white thanks to the awesome suggestions here (fruit bowl, utensil holder, onion & garlic holder) so that actually ended up being really useful and follows the concept of clean counters ala the concept found in "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up" (I should mention I don't mind the added few seconds it takes to pull these items down as it will make cleaning my counters that much easier). This feels like the shelves are really full but when I took the photo and posted it doesn't look as full as I thought. The other option pictured is a more decorative approach (I still need to add something on the middle shelf). I think if I used this second decorative approach then I would fill that space with some beautiful handpainted teacups I saw that would make me smile. Sorry everyone I can't seem to shake that frame it's eye level and makes me happy, just need to put a photo in it. Not sure if I even arranged things right in these photos according to design principles, but here goes. Thinking of redoing the counters, backsplash, and paint but that's another post!

Put in tall cupboards.