Our raised bar on the peninsula will be 18" wide. About 5" of it will rest on the supporting wall; about 1" will overhang on the counter side; and about 12" will overhang on the other side where bar stools will be placed. It will be granite and therefore pretty heavy - its 7' long. We didn't want corbels to interfere with seating, so our granite fabricator is routing the underside of the granite and installing 1/4" steel plates under the bar (every 18" or so) as supports. The routing allows the steel plates to be flush with the underside of the bar. They will be visible only if one bends over and looks up underneath the bar. They charged nothing extra for doing this.

We originally had swivel stools at our last house but unfortunately they began to disintegrate after less than a year which was a shame as we chose them because they had a bit of a bentwood, slightly Parisian look going on that complemented our art nouveau stuff :( I was wary of buying more swivel ones TBH and wanted upholstered stools with studded details but in the UK it seemed surprisingly difficult - or at least it did in 2014 - to find high quality, antique style stools so we opted for non-swivel pewter look, industrial (backless) ones from Wayfair. The consolation being they have a vaguely Arts & Crafts feel! Currently we're sans island (making do with a dresser base!) so are not using them, but overall we're happy with the lack of swivel!

@rantontoo - Blocking this window doesn't violate any NYC code that I am aware of. Given that the apt is on the 14th floor and the windows start 25 inches from the floor and are 6 feet tall, blocking that window actually gives a feeling of safety. I am amazed that NYC allows a window like that to fully open. @nosoccermom - Your first pic is exactly what I was considering. The window area is very recessed. I don't have the measurements but the building required additional wall build out to provide additional wall insulation. The window is probably recessed 4 " plus probably another 2" for insulation

Here is the shop address and pictures of the valances I had made. They’re lined, the pattern in the larger one is matched up so it looks like one piece and the seams are under the sashes. They’re beyond perfect plus the turn around time was great and they returned all the unused fabric to me. Sorry, the pictures don’t show them very well. Oh! And if you find a style you want that they don’t have on their site, just ask them, they will most likely be able to accomodate you. I plan on having valances for my walk in pantry and our masterbath made by the as well. https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheIvyTrellis?ref=l2-shopheader-name