We're embarking on some remodeling, and we are stuck with what to do with our kitchen cabinetry. We really would love to emulate the style of these:

Highland Terrace · More Info

However we are working with this kitchen:

As you can see we have a problem area above the cabinets. Without opening a hole in this area I think it's safe to assume it is only there to accommodate the exhaust duct from the microwave, but I would like to get other people's opinion. Notice that the structure doesn't extend over the door to the right, so the duct must exit through the back wall (in the garage.)

Here's a picture of the back of this wall (our garage) where I think the duct runs.

There is an outside vent exactly where you'd expect it to be.

As you can see it's pretty safe to assume this is where the duct runs. If this is true, my plan is to divert the duct straight through the back of the wall into the garage instead of going up in the area in question. This would free up the area in question, allowing us to install new cabinets that would include glass doors in the upper areas, along with trim & crown moulding like the example picture.

Opinions? Thoughts? I can't imagine there is power or gas running in this area, but without making a hole and looking around I can't be 100% sure.... Right? Do I have any other options here?

Thanks for taking the time to read this! I'm looking forward to reading whatever input you might have.

Patrick