Well, I am a gardener, and my DH suggested we convert both our kitchen windows to Greenhouse windows. I love them, and him for suggesting it- I would have balked at the price- but then I went and got 11 window estimates (oh Yes I did!), and was able to find the quality and price I could afford. (We replaced all the windows in the house).

If I was to do it again, I'd make the windows even lower, and if possible to coordinate, have the bottom of the window be at counter height.

Also, depends on your climate- I live in the Pacific NorthWest, so fairly mild. My sister loved my windows so much, she wanted to do the same in her kitchen. But, she lives in Calgary, Alberta and it was no go, cuz it gets too cold.

We put a greenhouse window in our new kitchen and it was surprisingly affordable. The standard 3'x3' size was listed at $479. Lowe's had a 3-day Memorial Day sale which offered 20% off special order windows, so we got ours for less than $400. They offer 10% off special order all the time if you can't wait till summer. It came with low-e glass and was very well built. Install was easy. Standard sizes come in 1' increments. 3'x3', 3'x4', 3'x5', etc. If you need a special size, the price goes way up - about double for a 3'2"x3'2 vs the 3'x3'.

I do regret not installing the window flush with the counters, but that would have meant ordering a special size and reframing instead of using the existing framing in the wall. Lots more time and lots more $.

We live in Binghamton and it gets cold, bone chilling cold. Not Alaska cold, but we see negative numbers on the thermometer for chunks of January. So far so good. The air in front of the window actually feels warmer than it did in front of the old piece of sh** window. The floor of the window does feel cold, though.

Oh, one more thing. I can't overemphasize the joy of fresh basil in January.

Laxsupermom just made me do a Pavlovian drool thing, thinking about her basil . . .

It may not be as pizzaz-y as you're looking for. But we dropped our windows flush with the countertop in our new kitchen. It was a change we made from the original plans, and I can't believe how much it opens up our kitchen and frames the sink area.

One thing I am demanding when we finally redo this kitchen is a greenhouse window flush with the counter. Besides being able to have plants and more window I am short (5'1")and the thought of actually being able to see out the window gives me something to look foward to.

Laxsupermom - I went to college in Binghamton! It sure does get cold up there!

I would echo the idea of getting a greenhouse window counter height! We put one in our last house as part of a kitchen reno that was at the "standard" above sink window height - I think sill about 5-6" above counter and I found it to be a huge PITA. I am also short (5'3") and could not reach anything in it without dragging a stool out and basically climbing over the sink to get to the window.

Ditto on the garden window at counter height. We put in a garden window a year or two after we did the kitchen and couldn't do counter height...a real regret but I LOVE the window anyway. Others on here have posted pics of garden window where their granite is the "floor" of the window, and they look absolutely gorgeous.