I really love having our hutch. Ours is 60" wide and we store all of our plates, bowls, cups, etc. in it. Since it starts at counter height, you don't have to reach as high to get down plates, cups etc, and there is more easily reachable space. Here is a picture of it before the doors went on. I will have to post more recent pictures.

I think for your remodel you ought to get what you want. A good KD will provide sketches for you, so that you can make an educated decision. And, to make sure that all the pieces fit together. The down side is wasted counter space. The upside is a kitchen that looks really custom.

Thanks. I did have a KD, (but not the whole design with uppers showing), but now am going to work directly with the cabinet maker, so I have to "wing" it a bit.
Gobruno, I love your cabinets, do you know the size of the smaller ones on top? I would love more info and pics finished if you have them. Thanks!

I think 12" framed uppers look a bit tiny.

When you do cabinets to the counter, one thing that happens is they are a bit hard to use - you need a reachable landing space because you can't use the counter (can't open or close the doors if anything is in front of the doors).

One of the ways to overcome this is to use a small set of drawers at the bottom and then layer the taller cabinets on top. The drawers are good for menus, or for storing smaller items. The drawers give you set-down space in front of the cabinet so you don't ALWAYS have to open the doors, then bring over the stuff, place it on the counter, then sort it to wherever it goes, then get out something different, carry it away, then go back and close the doors.

In the setup shown above, there's a nice pivot and set down space. If you aren't so fortunate, consider some type of lightly used cabinet at the bottom.

You know what would be fun there? A laptop desk that pulled out and then dropped down a little bit that kept the lap top on it when closed and have a slight slant when open. The same type of surface is good for a standing desk with pigeon holes.

We have one hutch that comes down to the counter. We did a set of drawers across the bottom to solve the potential problem Bmore described. We also made sure there was enough counterspace for a dinner plate to sit in front. Ours is off to the side, where the counterspace is not necessary for any other purpose, and if open, would probably only gather dust or junk. It's not in a messy spot, so not that bad to clean around. The doors, drawer fronts, and trim aren't on it yet, and DH hasn't even finished all the shelves it will eventually have, but it's functional and we're happy to have it.

Another option to leave the the counter in front clear is using sliding doors. It works well for us, but then the china is in the hutch. All the daily use dishes are in the drawers. There is no problem keeping the hutch/counter joint clean.

Glasses and mugs are next to the refrigerator.

I didn't do it and I regret it everytime I walk into my kitchen. I let the guy I bought my cabinets from talk me out of it. I can only see forgoing this if your kitchen is small and you will lose valuable counterspace(my kitchen is big) and the area you want to do it is by a sink. I absolutely need the counter space next to my sink for the dishes I handwash and the dishes that don't fit into the sink.

This kitchen I installed two years ago had a hoosier-like cabinet made (It's crown point cabs) with a tambour appliance garage.
{{!gwi}}
Casey

I wish I had done more. I love having the accessibility at counter height which the kids can reach easily. We do have the counter space to afford it.

As to the 30" and 12", I don't have those, and it's smart to get feedback about it, but to me it seems like one of those "If you like the look, go for it". I can't imagine any difference in function.

We do have landing space close by so pulling things out is not an issue. We keep plastic cups, coffee mugs and coffee supplies, which we use daily, on the lower shelves, and other things on the top two shelves.

Our cabinet maker left a little space below so that when the counters went in, they would be sure to fit. Once they were installed, he came back and put a piece of trim around the bottom, which he then caulked. I haven't found it a problem to keep clean at all.

I'm out of town right now so this is the only picture I have.

{{!gwi}}

if the cabinets are not near a sink or other super dirty/watery area, then why not, they would look beautiful. Cabinets that sit on counters drive contractors crazy because they can't fully set them until the countertops are installed, so they can't put the crown on, etc So it doesn't surprise me that he would try to talk you out of it

Thanks for sharing the pics and ideas. I am going to get them, I just have to figure out how to configure them... My dh is leaving the entire kitchen up to me and I am finding it stressful! I don't want to "mess it up". After you spend the money, in the end I want it almost perfect you know! We are doing a whole house reno, so my dh is more interested in the structural aspects...

one thing i learned early on was that contractors (i've had a lot of them) say the silliest things. sometimes they even say very stupid things. and there are many times still where they simply have no idea what they're talking about at ALL. it's infuriating really.

and no, i've never had any issues cleaning around uppers that meet the counters. -can't comment on sizes above your ovens since i'm not sure what you mean. sorry ...and good luck. get what you like!

Oh, Kate reminded me that I wanted to address the double-uppers idea. I like that look, but it's costly and it'd be hard to reach that top cab. To get a similar look, but be able to open one door and see all the way to the top, and be able to adjust the shelving inside how it best fit the contents, I have cabinets that go all the way up and ordered doors with an extra rail, centered 12" down from the top. Just another option to consider:

Oh, thank you Rhome!! What a great idea! I think that would be a perfect solution for me. I am going to bring a picture to the cabinet guy tomorrow, hope you don't mind if I copy it :-)