the vent behind a built in stacked mw oven only vents above the wall cabinets to the kitchen so there should'nt be any reason why the exact same construction couldn't be used at counter height with a suitable sized opening (width of mw and 45mm deep?) along the splashback to allow air to ventilate but safety could be compromised if the hole was accidentally covered so a raised edge or "chimney" around the slot could help stop items being placed over the opening or crumbs etc falling into the hole BUT if you had a non built in mw the ventilation requirements are less strict as there's more air space around the appliance..seems to me that like the manufacturer who provides the best customer service to clarify this issue might be the one who gains your business...good luck, but i wish you had the option of a wall mounted appliance that is so much easier to use

A draw under the MW to use the wasted space would work if you can match the drawer panel, good for oven trays etc, you can buy stainless items to frame the MW to make built in, they are ventilated, and I'am guessing that your oven might have ventilation at the rear and above it. cheers

annb1997 - I’m not sure if I was clear. The microwave and the fridge are currently side by side. Currently the fridge is to the left and the microwave to the right. I was asking about swapping them around - ie the fridge to the right and microwave to the left. Reason was to create better access for the fridge as it’s further from the island bench. The APP cupboard near the external stacker doors is just a normal full height cupboard - it was supposed to be the appliance cupboard but decided on a normal cupboard. Must update the plan to reflect this.

this is my present kitchen with stacked built in microwave above wall oven...perfect height for me to be able to look inside both ovens and also safely lift plates and baking dishes in and out onto the counter without bending my old knees...i based the height of installation on my line of sight (in my average shoes!!) being about mid height on the microwave (a little higher than the bottom of the wall cabinets at standard 150cm above the floor) so, check the sizes of your proposed ovens and specifically ask your cabinet maker to install them to suit the cook (my cook top is also off centred to create more space for using the mixer and food processor and the counters are 5cms deeper than standard so you should consult the cabinet maker and you can have the kitchen that suits you best)