MDT at Paragon Home Inspections, LLC wrote:
Ok Dishwasher, dedicated ice maker WILL be problems, so some areas will
HAVE to use 36 inch counters.


Not a "problem", necessarily - if you are going to be doing custom
cabinetry and you REALLY don't care about resale value, there is no
reason not to consider placing every work surface at a height optimized
for functionality

For example kitchen designers sometimes specify a dishwasher placed
8"-12" off the floor, this makes it easier to reach the bottom rack:

http://www.tndhomes.com/tndandud_images/wellborn_dw.jpg

and many lines of semi-custom cabinets provide this feature as an
option, for example, here's KraftMaid's:

http://images.kraftmaid.com/whykm/me...Dishwasher.jpg

Such layouts sometimes also specify a lowered counter height for
cook-tops (makes it easier to see what's in pots) and/or for food prep
areas.

Once you are free of design "standards" you can get pretty creative;
one custom installation I've seen placed a marble counter top for
rolling out pastry dough around 30" off the floor and cooled it by
placement over a "mini" refrigerator with it's top cut open and set
into a low cabinet supporting the counter top - when not in use the
rolling surface was insualted by a cutting board with rigid foam on the
bottom.

Michael Thomas
Paragon Home Inspection LLC
Chicago, IL
mdtATparagoninspectsDOTcom


Now we are TALKING. Raising the dishwasher and the counter above it
makes a GREAT deal of sense for MANY reasons. The photo above showing
an open slotted enclosure for bakeware items is also the RIGHT place for
storage (but not for cooking unless the range/cooktop is just off the
edge of the photo)

I won't go so far as to create the cool slab for baking.

Yes, thinking outside the box is USEFUL, and standard/semicustom
cabinets can support most of these ideas.