You are painting and not refacing right? i think it would be hard to add boxes above the cabs - paint the walls the same color as the cabs and that little strip is less noticeable. I’d wait on the backsplash until everything is installed so you can make sure it works

You're worrying on a backsplash?

Down Here:..............!!

There is no way I keep this wall as is

Why blue anything with this "Colton" ? quartz creamy with faint brown veining....

I. You need a 36 inch hood for decent capture!!

I'd replace the door base cabinets below with Drawer bases !

Do you WANT a 30" cook top? You could have 36 ! and a hood capture of 42"

What I would do is get a local cabinet guy asap . You are in deep at this point, probably with a lot of other things that could have been improved, but we can't see the entirety of the space and what's beyond.

The uppers ( this change, and everywhere , leave alone, the juice isn't deserving the squeeze. Paint the wall above, same white as the cabinetry

Back to the cook wall?

This: You could have this.. so much more convenient, and you should have more hood capture too even with the 30" cooker

Talk about late to the party! But then if you had come here first you would have little support to paint those cabinets. Forget the DARKENING tile with all the lines in that small space, it will only make it look smaller. Use the same countertop as back splash where a back splash is needed. No don't put random back splash in as wall art. Since you are painting you can camouflage the new boxes added to the tops of the cabinetry. And yes I probably would then top with a large crown. Yes all cabinets ought to have the same treatment assuming they are under a ceiling. What is the flooring? It matters. Where is the sink? In the peninsula so the world gets to see you wash dishes likes it's performative????? Ya you needed to think about function long before the jewelry!!

Sorry but why do you possibly think you can add a cabinet above the ones you have ? At best you can add some big chunky trim to close the gap or remove the uppers and move them up You have dated cabinets anad now you want to dress them up to go to the party . Waht you need is a complete redo of the kitchen no angled island and all drawers for base cabinets not putting new stuff on old dated cabinets makes no sense to me .

Have you gone over your budget or are there $$$ to get new cabinets? Then you can have ceiling high cabs, drawers in the lower. Sink in island because? What else will you use island for - eating, baking?

It doesn't appear that you have much space between the upper cabinets and the ceiling. If you were able to add any cabinetry up there they would be so short and squatty that I doubt they would be usable..

This type of hood really needs space between it and the cabinets on each side, and the hood will look and perform best if it is wider than the cooktop.

Changed right side.

Have you priced painting the cabinets? It is not inexpensive and you will be shocked at how close it may be to new for a professional paint job.

Was there a hood there before? If so, what type was it? Do you have pictures?

Thanks Buehl, there was a microwave and two cabinets above previously.

Thank you for the visual PPF!

Millwork Man thank you; our contractor/friend says painting is way less...

before pic:

Do you still have that cabinet? I wonder if it could be re-installed with an under-cabinet hood instead of a standalone. The lack of "breathing room" b/w the flanking cabinets will likely be an issue aesthetically. Functionally, as long as you can fit a hood at least as wide as the cooktop/rangetop and at least 24"D (or 27" if you plan to pull the cooktop forward), you will be OK. Although, it will be difficult to clean its exterior sides b/c you won't be able to get your hands b/w the cabinet and hood.

I really think an under-cabinet hood would be better for your space.

Now that I look at them, I wonder if they would have the same cleaning issue.