Way Cool Window Seats
Window seats are like mini-vacays. A perfect reason to build one.
Who says you have to sit in your window seat? By surrounding an existing window bump-out with built-in cabinets, these homeowners 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.
Way Cool Window SeatsBig and Super Comfy
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.
Way Cool Window SeatsSalvaged Storage
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 molding to complete this light-filled getaway.
Image: MyCottageCharm.com
Way Cool Window SeatsIKEA-Hacked
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.
Image: Lindsay Stephenson, photo
Way Cool Window SeatsFloating Seat
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.
Image: House on the Flight of Birds, Bernardo Rodrigues, architect/Iwan Baan, photo
Way Cool Window SeatsShelf Turned Seat
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.
Image: Maegan Tintari
Way Cool Window SeatsCustom Melamine
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.
Image: SAN Design Group
Way Cool Window SeatsN/A
