Are you saying that cooking next to the chute would gross you out even if its covered? Andd to use it for its intended purpose? In the first picture, it looks like the stove is directly underneath the chute, but I can see in other pics that it is not. I think it is far enough away. If everything is bagged properly, it shouldn't be that bad. You will have to check on local code regarding having the stove next to the window. Code may make your decision for you. People usually just put shorter cabinets above that type of range hood. I would recommend doing so because you need all the storage you can get. The hood--being different from the bank of cabinets--will provide relief to the eye. With cabinets above, it'll still feel balanced. And, as for covering the chute, do you want to cover it and restrict access or do you still need to use it for its intended purpose and just want to camouflage it? To help the room feel pleasant, cheery, and light, I recommend using a glass tile. Even though it's applied to a wall, the translucency still shows and evokes a sense of the adjectives above. I think it would help keep things light. Consider a slightly higher toe-kick underneath the lower cabinets. It helps to create a lighter-footed feeling. You could also consider cabinets that have furniture style feet. for a more open feeling. Your kitchen seems like an ideal room to use modern, lacquered cabinets. I don't know if you like the super-modern look, but I think it could be nice. Maybe just for the uppers. Use a medium-to-light toned wood on the bottom. A limestone floor might be nice. Or you can do wood or laminate. You could go with dark or light. I think it's mostly about preference.

I would seriously consider replacing the cabinets before putting a new granite countertop on them. The problem is that no one will remove the countertop at a later date if you want to change the cabinets, due to the possibility of breakage. The only choice you will have then is a reface. Adding new doors, drawer fronts, and veneered sides is just a facelift. You could also add new hardwood drawers with undermount cushion close slides, but by the time you do this if will be the same cost as new cabinets now. The cabinets you have now, frameless, particle board sides are notorious for having the hinge screws strip out the particle board they are attached to. Since you can't put a longer screw in them, because the material is only 3/4" of an inch thick you have a problem. You also can't put a wider screw in them because it won't fit through the pre-drilled holes in the hinges.

Thanks, lefty47. This is an older home, and just as One Plan guessed it is a soil stack from the upstairs bathroom. You are probably right that the cost of a custom solution may outweigh the benefits. Another idea I had, along the lines of the worktop bin suggested by One Plan, is a recessed spatula and long-handled utensil holder. I found out that Lee Valley sells motorized tv lift kits like the one used in the video above. It would be a matter of getting the contractor to build the box to go on the lift. I'm still a bit hung up on the idea, though it probably falls into your cost-outweighs-benefit category! I may bring this photo around with me when interviewing prospective contractors, just to see how they answer!

consider resale as well. taller counters mean higher uppers, which would make me (5'2) walk away from buying your house. you could consider a counter section/island of thicker butcher block for prep and chopping that could easily be retrofitted with a normal thickness of granite or quartz in the future. sink grids raise the effective sink bottom by about 3/4 of an inch, i'm wondering if some are taller than that.