Buy taller night stands. You're essentially rebuilding these, in addition to whatever you're doing with the finish. The cost/effort/benefit ratio is off. Especially since there are so many craigslist opportunities that don't have this issue. Look for side tables instead of night stands. They're usually taller.

I have a 10 foot counter and an adjacent 6 foot peninsula in the butcher block, and only two tiny sections of the granite, each less than 18" wide. Being practical, it's easier to raise the two small areas than try to modify the already installed 1980s builder grade base cabinets by a smidge. I finally got a callback from the granite yard - they said if it's not the sink area the most straightforward method is to cut a chunk of tempered 3/16 masonite the size of the cabinet top, glue/nail it down and then install the granite. Stain the edges if needed to hide them. If, as in my case, the seam is the full depth of the counter, there are small t-shaped moldings from various manufacturers such as Schluter. They come in stainless steel, brass or various colored anodized aluminum finishes. Just tap it into the silicone between the two sections.

Nic's,,the 4" piece should come off easy enough. you may tear the paper on the backsplash, which is ok if it's not too deep into the drywall. I guess if you were on scene you could have asked them not to install it. I mean, what difference is it to them whether or not it goes on the wall? to say it would be more money not to have one, is ridiculous. it takes more time to cut one and finish the edges! but, whatever. as for the design, it's a herringbone. and those I've shown you come on 12" sheets so you don't have to do the actual design (which is very difficult) the first one is calacatta marble in a 1x2 herringbone (also comes in a 1x4, which I like better). You can find this all over,,,even Houzz carries it. If you want the marble, then stick w/the Calacatta not the Carrara. carrara is a blue/white and will clash w/your counters. calacatta has a warmer tone to the stone. the 2nd on is a tumbled travertine which you can get here: https://www.pebbletileshop.com/products/Cream-Herringbone-Stone-Mosaic-Tile.html#.WhX_BLaZNT4 this will give you an idea of what it looks like installed (you can turn it longways as well) If you search "herringbone mosaic tile" you should get lots of ideas and places to buy them. this one is from Lowes, allen and roth. you could buy one and bring it home to see how it looks this is the basketweave this would also work. crackle glass by Merola tile. Olean Glass mosaic. I think Home Depot carries thesenothing wrong w/doing a little color. pale green, blue or gray would also work well. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Merola-Tile-Chester-Sage-3-in-x-12-in-Ceramic-Wall-Tile-1-sq-ft-pack-WNU32CSG/300341310 these would also look nice,,,they have them in different shades https://www.mercurymosaics.com/shapes/field-subway-tile/

36" is a compromise that works for a large part of the population. After all, tall people can bend down, but shorter people can't easily get taller. Of course, the downside is that tall people find their backs hurt whenever they work in "standard" kitchens. That's why you hear from all the homeowners who decided to raise their counters by a few inches. Since @Ellen said that she doesn't suffer from the problem of being too tall for her kitchen. So, there would be a good argument made to lower it to 36". On the other hand, another 1/4" higher than standard is barely noticeable. So, it might not be worth the hassle, when there are perfectly good solutions to adjust the appliances. This is a relatively common problem that contractors have to do deal with all the time. And that's ultimately what I would suggest doing. Defer to the expertise of your contractor. No matter what you decide to do, I bet than 6 months from now, I won't be able to tell the difference.