As you can see, we had the raised countertop lowered, upper cabinets and microwave removed, and a new countertop (honed Carrera marble) and backsplash installed along with a new vent hood, sink, and faucet. I love the open shelves. The kitchen feels 3 times larger! (FYI: we put a countertop microwave in our adjacent pantry.) We still have undercounter lighting to be installed.