I designed a kitchen for a friend with extra depth counters and cabinets, as she needed the extra storage space. 24 inches back from the front edge, the counter goes up 4" and then back another 6. It works good, but wouldn't if the 'shelf' took away depth from the counter.

I am looking for deeper counters, is the raised area seamless to the main counter?

I'm not sure what you mean by seamless. The top is formica, as is the 4" rise and the shelf. If you want extra depth without the shelf, that could be done, too. Of course, everything that isn't just a standard 24" counter is a custom job.

No, I haven't seen anything like that. I am not sure what would be gained by elevating a section of the counter only 1" or 2" as you would have to lean over the counter to pick up or put down a potentially heavy appliance which is disadvantageous for your back, if there was no elevation you could just slide it out from and back to the wall. Perhaps there was a reason they had to bump up a section of counter and they just made it look like a good thing? I do agree that extra deep counter is a great place to store certain appliances.