if you wont be installing a vent hood, I think I'd tile the entire alcove walls. I would install an open shelf above the stove, maybe two shelves. Use them for rapid turnaround items like small plates and mugs etc [ then dust as many describe wont be an issue ] . Frankly, your cabinets and tall doors have nice detail...whether it's typical kitchen sort of configuration is beside the point. Adding one or two glass doored cabs wouldnt be needed as the architectural detail is the predominant feature. If you tile the walls, then the stove can sit quite close to the side as the material on the wall is safer. I would address the gap in inches remaining between stove and fridge. Can you get a small remnant of granite , on top of a 9 inch rollout base cab? it would be wise. One other thing about the alcove...lighting !!! A directional sconce fixture above described open shelf would be helpful ...they can be stylish/ focal point if you desire as well.

You cannot have anything combustible above the stove, so if you like herbflavor's idea of a shelf above the stove, it must be a stainless steel shelf. I believe they have some at Ikea. What would be the most practical for above the stove in your small kitchen is to install a 30" wide cabinet and then hang the OTR MW from it. You also need to have something non-combustible on the wall side of the stove. It is dangerous the way it is now.

Will the refrigerator door open fully to allow full extension of the drawers for access as well as removal of both drawers & shelves for cleaning?

What did you do with the cabinets you removed? Are they the same as the rest of your cabinets?

There's another thread from the OP with the exact same question as well as several other replies:

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6105232/kitchen-cupboards-above-fridge-stove

Hi Buehl, and thank you so much for your questions! I did not consider the opening of the fridge door when I switched them around! (in fact the shelves will not come out in this location) this must be why the other owner had them reversed. I reversed them only because I didn't like the feel of cooking in that corner. But I may need to reverse back. And unfortunately I reactively had my mover take away the cabinets after my electrician took them down to install a microwave plug - thinking they would not work given I was buying 24 inch appliances and would be installing an OTR microwave (I'm now chasing down my mover to see if he has them still -if not I will need to find a cabinet maker who can custom build a similar style but with modifications to fit the microwave and space in between the appliances. But THANK YOU for asking these questions. I am considering Herbflavour's excellent idea for one thing! and trying to find quotes for cabinets, Thank you again!

Dear Herbflavor, thank you so much for your comments and suggestion. I am so glad to hear someone else say they like the cabinet moulding - I thought they were very attractive when I purchased my condo and I'm really hoping to tie into that with what I do over the fridge/ stove. And thank you for the great idea to put more tile than cupboard behind there. The only issue is that I really do need a few cupboards as I'm very short on cupboard space (the area on left is only 6 inches deep). But maybe I can find a way to do more tile than cupboards (as you say to retain the left / right cupboards as main feature) not sure how to do that but it's a step towards thinking of another optioin. Thank you!