Oh, no! Lots of offices still keep paper files! Some are required to. Yes, for hanging files you need the aparatus they hang from and Pendaflex or similar folders. The rails come in lots of lengths, but you might need to customize. Just make sure they're well screwed together or they can be a nightmare. If you're planning on hanging cookbooks, however, you probably need something stronger that's built into the drawer. As an alternative, you could get dividers in the drawers, and put rails in just part for actual files, and just stand the books spine up in the drawers. I used to sell books and kept travelling stock in milk crates that way. They're fine, as long as they're in tightly enough not to slop over. You can always put in a can or two as bookends when there aren't enough books. They make all kinds of accessories for file drawers. Besides hanging folders, there are box folders with wide bottoms and either open or closed sides, multipocket files, etc., and pencil trays, clip rails, and a bunch of stuff I can't remember. Some of them are a little harder to find, but they're out there. I think you should get six stools. :) Five for the island, and one (or two!) to squeeze in with. :) They do make folding ones...

Here's another opinion. I am only 5'2" and I love a counter height table. A bar height stool is a climb, but counter height is just a matter of sliding my butt on the seat. My mom, who's 78, is 4'11" and has no problem with counter height seating, as long as there is a rung to rest her feet on, which most have. The idea of having your island stools and DR chairs the same height is very practical if you entertain a lot. People will often pull another stool or chair up at a casual gathering to join a group for appetizers and chatting. I will concede that most DR counter-height furniture does lack in construction and timeless style. I do think it looks trendier and not like investment pieces. We went with counter height in our lake cottage (where we plan to retire) because it really lends itself to how we live and entertain there. In our house here in suburbia I would not put a counter height set in our more formal dining room. Just wanted to offer up that, for me, as a shorty, I really find counter height seating very comfortable.

If you can get the heights and lengths close enough, you might be able to get the effect you want with a folding table set up next to the dining table and pads crosswise across both of them, all covered with a tablecloth (which I think you'll probably have to make to fit). Like the way hotels make a double bed out of two twins pushed together with mattress pads crosswise.

I hadn't heard of this store. Thanks for the recommendation. I checked out the site and it's definitely got the vibe I'm looking for, but I didn't see a table that completely fit my needs. Great lead though!