I think it looks just fine. The perspective in the drawing may look off since there is nothing on top (showing ) on the right hand side but that will not be the case. Something will be in back of or on the other side of the base cabinets to keep the balance. ( I assume) Good Luck

breezy, what is below that upper? Is it a backsplash/beadboard/Justine Bieber poster? I think the upper would look odd floating off in the corner, like it was trying to fly away but got lodged by the door. But something that tied upper and lower would make it work.

I think it looks totally fine! Really.

Come to think of it, I do not have anything "exactly" symmetrical in any of my spaces except for my not yet updated house 1 bathrooms (builder grade ugly vanities). Can I tell you I can not wait to see your final reveal! There has been so much activity on your kitchen and I am getting anxious.

Have you decided what you are putting on the backsplash there under the upper cab? I found this amazing tile company (through a suggestion here thanks chris) that has amazing mosaic pieces. I don't think I'd be able to afford a whole backsplash but I am using a 24x24 over my cooktop. Let me know if you'd like the link.

funny we were posting the same question at the same time...

I think it will work just fine. It will improve when the drawers are there to clean up the look of trying to make a base cab look like a cab with a drawer. You can erase the extra lines in MS paint and you will see right away....

honestly, I think it would look better if there were drawers going the whole way across the top of the lower cabs (or none at all.) Is there a reason you can't put a drawer in the shallow cab other than storage choices? What do you think you will hang on the wall that backs the fridge? A mirror, or a special piece of art? I think it is a great spot to really feature something.

Ya. I think it looks great. Umsymmetrically balanced. Ya know?!

No, no balance whatsoever. IMO i would try to make this area look a little more like furniture so that you have a truer dining room less just an extension of the kitchen.

I don't think it looks bad or unbalanced, but here's just a thought: You could make the cabinets on the left more like a hutch, deliberately making them different from the others. (e.g., wood panel on the backsplash, maybe with a shelf. Furniture feet, maybe glass windows, maybe even a different type of wood finish.) I think that would be pretty in the DR.

I played with making the middle/shallow part a hutch too. I know that the width and depth would be different than the one at left, so not sure how that would look. Also tried a wine rack which might be nice.

{{!gwi}}

overall, it is balanced.

the top drawer in the base cabinets doesn't look like a drawer in the OP, because the handle is off center.

In the post above, these drawers look better.

Also, can you put drawers in every one of the base cabinets?

chicagoans three new options all make some improvement too.

I like Chicagaoans first option. I can't imagine the other two (though attractive) being practical with the fridge bump out. In fact, you could make the piece on the left even more hutch-like by using a different finish . . . matching the dining table, or something different but complimentary. It would make it look like you designed that niche to be the perfect space for a beloved piece of furniture, rather than working around a recessed refrigerator.

Advanced--Yes, there will, of course, be a view beyond the peninsula to the kitchen beyond.

Marcolo--I don't know what I'm going to do for a bs there under the upper. I'd like something different thant whatever tile I use in the kitchen. It's an opportunity to do something creative. I'm trying to concentrate on the cab layout first. No to Justin Bieber, althought I went to the U2 concert over the weekend. I'm back in love with Bono so maybe a mini mosaic abstract of his face there? ;)

Coastal--That's too much pressure on me!! Yes, I'd like the link. Thanks.

Dianalo--See my new drawing below.

Control--I didn't put a shallow drawer behind the fridge area because I need the open storage there. I have enough drawers back there. I'm not sure what I'll put on the fridge wall, but it's calling for something special for sure! I don't have a lot of art.

Celine--Thanks!

Athome--Great idea. I'll pursue that.

Chicagoans--I was concentrating on the base cabs so I failed to mention that I'm leaning towards some kind of slightly obscured glass for the uppers. I had a thread last weekend about storing liquor bottles and all my wine/booze/etc glasses, and how to configure that. That's my beverage serving area for parties. Seeded glass or the like seems like a good idea.

I really like your first drawing. The feet make such a difference. I like the idea of the uppers on the fridge wall, but I think the area is too shallow. Those 13" uppers would be the same depth as the counter below so they'd be in your face too much. I will use the peninsula as buffet for our frequent entertaining, and the counter area on the left under the upper will be the beverage serving area.

Thank you so much for these ideas!

Davidro--See my comments about drawers above.

Here's what my cab maker came back with this morning.

Here is a link that might be useful: Thread on the DR uppers

I really like Chicagoans third drawing, but the lattice could be one of those fancy bulletin boards, with the kids' pictures. Would that work in the dining area? I see them all the time in magazines...pretty fabric, fancy ribbons and photos. Very stylish :)

Maybe beadboard for the backsplash area and the side the fridge wall? I thought you mentioned that earlier. FWIW, I like the feet under the left base cabinet only, as in the first drawing.

Control--We were posting at the same time. I agree about the practicality of the last two from Chicagoans. Also, I'm not sure about changing the finish on that area because there's a lot of wood going on in there already.

The floors throughout the whole living area will be new white oak stained mediumish dark. The DR table is also oak. An antique here:

What finish would you suggest?

Lavender--I think that could work in the DR. It's not a real formal space but a large table for gathering friends and family. Beadboard would work with the overall look of marble counters, oak floors, and my antique oak pieces.

Here's the link. For a fee they will cut to size the area you want done. I am using one of these "fields" for over my cooktop. You can also customize the colors with a 3-4 week lead time (east coast, not sure about timeframe to west). Enjoy.

Here is a link that might be useful: decorative backsplash

Coastal--I wondered if it was New Ravenna. I spent hours one week drooling at some of their patterns. There are a couple that I'd love to have as a BS in the whole kitchen. Yummy!! Thanks for letting me know they can cut to size. Which one are you using?

Yummy is an understatement!! "Oasis" or "Octopus's Garden" are current favorites among many. I am going Saturday to check out glass color samples. I saw the "Oasis" in person and there was too much yellow/brown. Going with aqua, blues and greens. I saw the "OG" in person also, in white. They are amazing. I am having a hard time deciding because I love the little camo'd sea animals in the octopus garden and you don't really notice the pattern until up close. And "oasis", of course who wouldn't like an ocean view from the kitchen.

I still spend hours looking at all the patterns. I can not wait until we get our bathrooms done. I *so* want my MBath floor in one of the many amazing patterns. How will I decide?

Knowing the rest of your styling for kitchen and home, as really-nice as the drawings are by Chicagoans, I think the feet and hutch-look might be too country or traditional?

If you could use the drawers, I do like the bases as drawn by Chicagoan in the last two, but without the feet.

If, as you say, you don't want top drawer (s) on that cab that's 2nd from the left, I think they'll look absolutely fine when they're done and installed. Remember, too, that they'll be behind the table from almost any viewpoint.

more bieber posters!!

I would scarify some storage space and bring the entire "upper wall" to the same depth and remove the upper cabinet all together giving you a large wall that can be devoted to art display and creating some "breathing" space around dinning room table. I think this will change the character of the space from "kitchen cabinets" to room space and the lower cabinets will not be that visible when seated at the table. This will make the lower cabinets appear as a buffet space (which I thought was your desire).

Rhome--I can see why you'd think the feet might be out of place, but the look would work with the antique table. I like modern and traditional. Modern as in clean lines, but not like modern-modern IYKWIM. The feet wouldn't have to be too country-ish.

The drawers are fine everywhere except behind the fridge in that shallow cabinet. I plan 3 shelves in there for all my china. I don't want to lose the space to more drawers, plus I've got enough shallow ones back there for what I need to store.

Sabjimata--Show me yours first!

Efs--I really need that storage space in the uppers, plus it's already framed as I drew it. Your post is reminding me to consider how it would feel to sit and eat dinner there with the cabs. Thanks for your thoughts.

It's your house and your call, of course, and none of this will look bad or wrong...But I'd still let the table stand as the traditional piece and keep your cabinets cleaner lined. And for the feet to work the suggestion is to do something like a beadboard or other backsplash to form a hutch-looking piece, right? Is that something you want?

-- I have to add that I think those little feet reduce cleaning ease in the toekick area. ;-) I do love how they look and often wish I'd known about them in planning our design...except when cleaning.

I think the shallow cabinet's door can have "fake" drawer's faces at the top ot these doors as if there were drawers there and the doors were of the hight that matches the other doors's hight of the other two cabinets with doors (and the upper drawer matcing the other upper drawers). I think this will create a clean line of drawers right under the counter- I hope you can imagine what I mean...

I like what the cabinet maker came back with and Chicagoans first drawing. What about taking the drawer out of the cabinet on the right and make it all cabinet. Then I can see things looking more symmetrical, just a thought...

Rhome--I see your point about the table. I do like beadboard very much. It would also solve my backsplash dilemma there. The cleaning situation is the only reason I've stayed away from those feet in my planning thus far. I have to admit that my heart skips a bit when I see a pic of them. I think I could go for some in the DR where it'd be less likely to have lost crumbs than in the kitchen. Chicagoans hutch would give me the antique, vintage charm factor that I like so much in older homes.

Efs--Great idea. I know exactly what you mean. A faux drawer would make the top line across cleaner. Thanks for the suggestion!

Kmmh--My cab maker didn't, as you can tell, have a drawer there in his original drawing. I wasn't sure how an all-cab cab would function as I've never had one. I'll see if I can photoshop up your idea. Thank you.

Here's a flushed out rendering from Rhome to give you a better sense of how the area looks with the other rooms.

Cabs are white. Carrara marble tops on the peninsula.

*****NEW QUESTION******
I like Chicagoans #1.

If I go with this, should I recess the hutch part to set it apart from the rest of the wall? I have 28" of depth there so losing a couple/few inches wouldn't hurt me.

Yes? How many inches? Or no, that's the dumbest idea you've ever heard?

Do you mean recess the base of the hutch part? That would put a jog in your countertop that wouldn't be helpful?

I wouldn't like a recess in that location, jogging in right before the corner. It would look like your cabs are being sucked into the wall.

What you could consider--and I'm not recommending this, it's just a passing thought--is jutting the entire piece out just a little, so it looks more like a separate piece of furniture, with feet. I'd also add brackets or something along the sides, covering up the part where it's recessed into the wall, the way a freestanding hutch has those side pieces. This would add a lot of internal depth, potentially, and maybe you could get your liquor garage plus a pouring surface in there, too. Although I think that would look best if there were other changes as well, maybe a different color or whatever.

Alright. Never mind my silly, late night idea. I thought a change in front depth since I have 28" of depth would look intentional like I slipped a hutch into the spot next to the cabs. Maybe I'd have to change the color too.

Never mind.

re: the feet / toe kick on the hutch:

I agree that it could be a cleaning issue, and the one I mocked up is maybe not in the style with the rest of the cabs. So, again, just a thought... but here are some pics of hutches with more clean lined bases:

{{!gwi}}

Finally, if you still like the feet idea, there are so many styles from sleek stainless ones to square blocks, etc. We have 'bun feet' in our master bath that add some detail but don't get in the way of cleaning:
{{gwi:1386766}}

HTH and doesn't just confuse the issue!

Chicagoans--That did help. The bun feet would go with the almost buns on the bottoms of my table legs. The pic is above. Thanks!

Here's the latest drawing from my cabinet maker thanks to all of your suggestions and comments. We're still discussing exactly how the feet will look as it seems he makes them himself instead of ordering some pre-done ones from a catalog. The doors are glass. The base cab and countertop will be 28" deep due to the way the pantry, fridge, and peninsula laid out.

I'm happy with it unless someone has an objection I hadn't thought of. If not, then I've made another decision!! :)

IMHO (I just had to use that because I just found out what it meant) it looks beautiful. I don't know if you're the same time zone as I am but if you are, I think we should just go to bed and stop thinking about our kitchens.

Thanks Momo! I'm west coast. Go to bed? Stop thinking about the kitchen? Say whaaaaaa?? ;)