Way Cool Window Seats

Who says you have to sit in your window seat? By surrounding an existing window bump-out with built-in cabinets, these home owners gained enough space for a bed (a single twin mattress is 38-by-75 inches). The built-ins add tons of storage, and the ladder lets little hands reach the upper cubbies.


Credit: Tineke Triggs/Artistic Designs For Living

By filling in a large bump-out with an elevated platform, designer Lauren Liess turned an alcove into a 9-foot-by-30-inch window seat big enough for the whole family. Not one but three custom-made mattresses ensure deep-seated comfort, and a pair of cool sconces provide reading light when daylight fades away.


Credit: Lauren Liess/Helen Norman, photo

This DIY window seat alcove started its life as an old set of drawers from a turn-of-the-century house that was being demolished. Using cost-saving salvaged building materials as the core, blogger Melissa Thorn at MyCottageCharm.com added side cabinets, a valance, and crown moulding to complete this light-filled getaway.


Credit: Melissa Thorn

Got the perfect alcove for a window seat but unsure how to add underneath storage? IKEA to the rescue! Three standard upper kitchen cabinets ($100 each) from the famous home supply store make the perfect base for this cozy banquette, and a thick foam cushion brings seating up to the right height (18 inches for a bench seat). The cabinets were installed on top of wood spacers to give the doors plenty of room to swing open. Total cost: about $500.


Credit: Lindsay Stephenson, photo

The airy, graceful swoop of this window alcove was designed by architect Bernardo Rodrigues for a house in the Azores islands dubbed “The House of Birds.” The cantilevered wing is made of curved plywood and can support over 250 pounds. A stack of books, a comfy pillow, and plenty of daylight make this window seat a kid’s dream reading nook.


Credit: House on the Flight of Birds, Bernardo Rodrigues, architect/Iwan Baan, photo

A discarded storage shelf (freebie!) repainted and flipped on its side becomes a de facto window seat when placed (you guessed it) under a window. Stuffed with books and topped with a comfy cushion, this seat looks bulit-in, thanks to curtains that wrap around the ends of the shelf unit.


Credit: Maegan Tintari

A flip-up lid reveals plenty of storage in this custom-made window seat. The storage compartments are made with particle board faced with white melamine that doesn’t need painting and is easy to clean. You can figure a built-in window seat like this one will cost $1,300 to $1,800.


Credit: SAN Design Group

If you like these, you may want to take a spin through HouseLogic’s library of slideshows.