Eric Tonks wrote:
I see a solution.

Do a return, but make it short. You cut it the same length of the short
cabinets with a 45 degree angle, and fill in the space behind it with a
short piece fitted in. this will leave a small opening under the angle
formed by the crown moulding return. You back this with a piece of matching
cabinet material to fill the space.

Only problem with that, beside the look, is the fact that it will limit
the amount you can open the doors. Eventually, you'll get little wear
spots.

To the OP - I think you need to retool some of your ideas. Lowe's may
not be the best place to go for a design - those computer drawings were
sketchy at best.

Having the cabinets jump up and down doesn't really add anything.
Higher cabinets add space and make the crown simple to do, lower
cabinets same money and make the crown simple to do. The top of the
cabinets jumping around looks busy and doesn't add much. Having a very
dark countertop and dark wood cabinets in what is already a tight space
is going to make it feel more claustrophic.

I'm not trying to tell you what to do in your own house, just that
those decisions are pretty much the opposite of the things that are
done to give a tight kitchen more visual space.

As far as your father's experiences with contractors, that's a shame.
It happens. It almost always happens because the homework wasn't done,
the right type of homework wasn't done, or because someone is trying to
get something that is beyond their budget. They'll talk themselves
into believing that the guy with the lower price can do an equal job.

There are good and bad contractors just as there are good and bad
people - and in about the same proportions. Maybe you should do a
Google search for Lowe's and check up on some of their history. Call
the BBB, etc. The big boxes use expendable contractors. If one
installer causes a problem, they throw them away. If something goes
wrong with your kitchen, don't bet on the same guys coming back to fix
it unless it's just a few weeks down the road. They use the lowest
price contractors to do their work since the big boxes are all about
margins.

Good luck with it.

R