Thanks again everyone. firsthouse_mp and rhome, your kitchens have long been in my inspiration notebook and I think your thick countertops are awesome! firsthouse, may I ask how tall you are? I'm 5'7. My mom is 5'11", and designed her kitchen to have a finished counter height of 37 1/2" because standard feels too short for her. For me, 37 1/2" feels on the edge of uncomfortably high. rhome, may I ask what the floor to countertop height of your cabinets ended up being? Is it comfortable for you? Unfortunately, working with the cabinet guy isn't an option yet, since I don't have one thus far. My place is just being framed now, so cabinets won't be happening for a while. I wouldn't even have to be thinking about this yet, if it weren't for the window issue. I'm going with an induction cooktop and wall ovens, so unless there's something I'm forgetting, I mainly have to worry about the dishwasher height here. Sorry for the dense question, but is a "Euro model" one that's actually imported from overseas, or just a European brand, like Miele? (I'm guessing brands like Miele market larger units to the US market but I don't know)

Personally I love our counter heighth table. Both my husband and myself are 64, he's 6' and I'm 5'6". I have arthritis throughout my body, in particular my back and hips and my husband has had several back surgeries and both of us are very comfortable at our table. For us the key was to find a set that had good padded seats. We had found several that had hard leather seats and just testing them in the store we realized that they were as bad as unpadded, or that we kept sliding forward on them. Altho the back of our set isn't padded I have decorative pillows for the waist and hip area. Originally the pillows were for decorative use but we realized how comfortable they were for just sitting there. I sit at our table a lot as the table looks out our back slider to the pool area and it's a nice place to do bills, etc. I do have admit that the chair cross bar makes it more comfortable as well. Ours had a metal strip running the length of the bar that perfectly matches the wood color and we've yet to find any problems with scuffing. Javachik, you made me laugh when you said you had to "launch". That reminded me of when we had first purchased the table/chairs a friend who is something like 4'11" was over for dinner and that's exactly what she did. We offered to put a step stool next to her chair and after laughing she literally threw herself up. She said it was her payback for all the times we've eaten at their table which is really low. If you are interested in the higher tables I would shop around, but more importantly, sit in the chairs for as long as you can stand it and make your decision on your experience with the various sets that you try out. Jenna

https://www.houzz.com/products/gdf-studio-shea-wood-and-iron-rustic-swivel-bar-stool-set-of-2-prvw-vr~58771899 https://www.westelm.com/products/alden-bar-counter-stools-h1755/?catalogId=71&sku=8188349&cm_ven=PLA&cm_cat=Google&cm_pla=Furniture%20%3E%20Bar%20%2B%20Counter%20Stools&kwid=productads-adid^215320075618-device^c-plaid^348669715348-sku^8188349-adType^PLA&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2Ja_-fLP1wIVS1cNCh3XgQfjEAQYEiABEgJJavD_BwE&cm_ite=[[PLA]%20-%20Good%20Desktop] https://www.wayfair.com/furniture/pdp/trent-austin-design-gonesse-3075-bar-stool-tadn4281.html More similar: https://www.grandinroad.com/tractor-swivel-adjustable-counter-stool/810218?SourceCode=ZZ348076&cm_mmc=Comparison+Shopping--Google+Product+Listings--NA-_-NA&intlShippingCtx=US%7CUSD&CATARGETID=120245400000217748&cadevice=c&SourceCode=ZZ51121&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2Zfg0PLP1wIVxSOBCh1UTANOEAQYBCABEgLFMPD_BwE Sorry, can't help with the dining chair.

It may be less expensive, but only if you can do it yourself. Why? You would want to hire a crew experienced in fabricating and installation to have the best shot of getting it off and back on without breaking. But put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself "What's in it for them? Usually the answer is "not enough for them to want to take the job and risk their reputation should things go wrong". No harm in getting a quote, but don't be surprised if you a) can't find anyone interested and/or b) the cost saving is negligible.