Hi All - we need some advice on how to address some design issues with the oven wall in our kitchen. We have a GE Cafe Series 30” wall oven and a matching, separate GE Cafe combination Microwave/Convection Oven.

I told the designer that I have back issues, so wanted the oven higher if possible. I neglected to add that I also wanted them usable. He got the specs for my ovens, and designed a wall oven cabinet in pieces, using Two separate drawer units for the base - the lower one is 12” tall and the upper is 6” - and a 23” high cabinet for the top. This left 56 3/4” in the middle for the ovens, for which he supplied two shelves, one tall end panel, and filler strips.

Our carpenter put the side panel up, the base units and the top cabiinet in, and designed a face panel for the wall oven section out of plywood. He centered the units as designed, putting an equal reveal of filler strips around and between the two units. This design put the microwave so high that I couldn’t even reach the control panel.

He redesigned it, lowering the oven as far as possible in order to lower the microwave, and decreased the area between the ovens to the minimum recommended. The microwave is still too high. The bottom of the door is 55” above the floor. I can barely rest my chin on it! I’m 5’ 6” tall. It’s not usable for me. Also. It leaves a 7+ inch space between the top of the microwave and the bottom of the upper cabinet that we would have to put a big filler piece in.

Here is a picture of the area. The brown area above the microwave is to fill in the space where he lowered the unit (we had painted The plywood as originally designed white).

Here is a picture with my 5’ 8 1/2” son in so that you can get some perspective. He can’t reach items In the back of the microwave at this height. AS this unit doubles as a Convection Oven, the door will get hot, too.

So my question is, what should I do with this area? We can scrap the 6” drawer, and drop everything down, which now leaves a 14+” section at the top of the microwave to fill. Any suggestions for that area?

Additionally, I’m Not liking how it is finishing up. The bottom drawers are 29” wide, the cabinet to hold the ovens is 34” wide, and the cabinets above are 32” wide. How should I address these width discrepancies, or shouldn’t I bother. The only problem for me is that it looks like three separate units instead of the sleek one cabinet built-in I thought was designed.

Here is the top right side Where the oven section meets the upper cabinets.

Here is another close-up of the top, front view. we have that skinny section along the side of the cabinet door to the ceiling cove molding.

Here are two pictures of the lower section. I don’t like how it is hovering above the drawers.

Any advice would be appreciated. But let me add that this is not the first big design issue we have run into with this kitchen. It is costing us a fortune in scrapped Materials and labor costs to our installer who bills by the hour, so, any advice is appreciated, but especially economical advice.

Thanks