How To Dress A Window Seat

Download Article

A window seat can make a quaint and cozy addition to any room in your home. You can easily build your own unique window seat using ready-fabricated floating cabinet units as a base. Just choose a window with a pleasant view, build a frame for your base, and so assemble the cabinets and add cushions, pillows, and other comfortable accessories.^[1] Every bit a bonus, your window seat will double as an attractive storage solution!

ane
Select a window in an unobstructed area to use as your window seat. Ideally, the window you cull should be recessed, as this will provide a perfect nook for the seat itself. Any window can work, nevertheless, equally long as at that place's ample space in forepart of it.^[2]
- If you lot go with a non-recessed window, your demote will project outward from the window a couple of feet. Go on this in listen while deciding on a location.
Tip: Option out a window with a pleasant view, or one that's situated in a key expanse, such as the living room or beside the kitchen tabular array.
two
Purchase two 15 in (38 cm) floating cabinet units to use every bit the seat base. Over-the-refrigerator cabinets will work best, equally they're shorter and easier to maneuver than full-sized cabinets. For an average-sized window nook around vi feet (ane.viii g) in length, you'll need a pair of cabinets. Consider buying more units if you recollect you lot might want to add more storage.^[3]
- Measure your window to the nearest ¹⁄_ii in (1.3 cm) and, if possible, shop around for cabinets that will fit this space exactly.
- Alternatively, yous could discover an open-faced bookshelf or vertical cabinet and turn it on its side to part equally both base and bench.^[4]
Advertisement
iii
Remove the baseboards from the wall effectually the window. Wedge the tip of a crowbar or trim puller into the space between the baseboard and the wall. Pull up gently on the handle of the tool to loosen the baseboard. Stop pulling the baseboard free by hand to avoid damaging the drywall.^[5]
- Yous may also want to remove the molded stools from the bottom of the window if yous think they might interfere with your space or clash with the look of your new seat.^[6]
4
Accommodate 2x4 or 2x6 boards into a frame around the front of the window. Fit the boards together into a rectangular shape the length and depth of the window space you've chosen. This type of frame is known every bit a "toekick." When it comes time to assemble your window seat, you'll but side your cabinets correct inside your frame.^[7]
- Use a circular saw to trim your boards to the necessary size.
- If you want, you can extend your frame enough on either side to make room for boosted cabinets or bookshelves for actress storage space. Be certain to measure out your cabinets or shelves in advance to guarantee a proper fit.^[8]
5
Spike the toe kicking using 3 in (7.6 cm) wood screws. Apply 2 screws for each joint where the boards connect to ensure that your frame is secure. One time you lot've done that, ballast the toe kick to the floor by driving a screw into the floor or wall stud at each corner of the frame.^[9]
- To salvage yourself some time and piece of work more than precisely, use a cordless ability drill to bulldoze your screws.
- When anchoring a toe kick to a concrete floor, yous'll need to utilize a powder-actuated nailer or plastic screws instead of ordinary screws.^[10]

1
Fit your cabinets into place abreast one another inside the toekick. Bold you measured correctly, they should slip right inside without difficulty. Have a moment to brand sure the units are centered and sitting perfectly flush with both the surrounding walls and 1 another.^[11]
- Employ a level to cheque the orientation of your cabinets before proceeding.
- If necessary, fill in any small-scale gaps between the cabinets and the toe boot with wooden spacers cutting from leftover boards.^[12]
2
Attach the cabinets using two 2.5 in (six.4 cm) drywall screws. Sink the first screw through the edge of the face frame at the tiptop of one unit into the neighboring unit. Bulldoze your next spiral in the contrary direction through the confront frame at the lesser of the other unit of measurement.^[13]
- By sinking your screws in opposite directions, you'll increment the strength of the connection site, which is a skilful idea since y'all'll be putting weight on the cabinets.
- Information technology may assistance to clamp the face up frames of the cabinets together to agree them affluent until you're ready to begin drilling.
3
Install side cabinets or shelves and fasten them to the seat cabinets. As an optional step, you lot tin can put in one-2 more than floating cabinet units in the same dimensions on one or both sides of your demote. Fit these cabinets into your frame alongside your seat cabinets, then fasten them to their face frames using 2.5 in (half-dozen.iv cm) drywall screws.^[fourteen]
- Brand certain you lot've measured and synthetic your toe kick to accommodate any other cabinets you want to add together on.
Tip: Flanking side cabinets can give your window seat a wider, more luxurious look and provide you with even more storage.

ane
Install molding forth the bottom of the seat base to hide the toekick. Cutting your molding to lucifer the dimensions of the frame, then adhere it using 1.5 in (3.8 cm) finishing nails. Space your nails 1–two anxiety (0.30–0.61 m) autonomously and fill the holes with wood putty if desired.^[fifteen]
- Consider adding a thinner trim along the profile where your demote meets the wall likewise to help the eye transition more than easily.
- In one case in place, the trim volition comprehend the toekick and lend some decorative flair to the lower edge of your window seat.
Tip: For ease of installation, look for a fashion of molding that's the aforementioned width every bit the boards y'all used to fashion the toekick.^[sixteen]
2
Use matching plywood skins to conceal the joints in stacked cabinets. If you opted to incorporate both cabinets and vertical shelves, you may want to cover their outer faces to give them a more seamless appearance. To do this, use a utility knife and straight border to trim plywood skins then that they'll fit over the unabridged surface. Glue the skins directly to the cabinet using contact cement.^[17]
- Plywood skins are available at any hardware shop or dwelling comeback center. Yous can also get them from the same company who manufactured your cabinet or shelving units to make sure they're a match.
- Contact cement dries and holds fast, so you lot'll need to work quickly and make certain your pare is lined upward properly the kickoff time.
3
Paint your completed seat base if desired. Brush the bench superlative, cabinet doors, and surrounding molding with a coat of interior latex primer, then follow that up with 2-3 coats of interior latex pigment. Allow each coat to dry completely before applying subsequent coats. When you're done, your new window seat will be one uniform color.^[18]
- About water-based interior latex paints dry to the touch inside an hour, and tin can be painted over in 4-six.^[19]
- Use strips of painter's record to protect any nearby areas y'all don't pigment to get on.
- You may elect non to apply paint if you picked out cabinets and molding with a natural wood terminate.
4
Bring in cushions and pillows to provide the finishing touches. Lay downward 1 or 2 long cushions to cover the demote from terminate to end. Identify a few decorative throw pillows on top, along with any other accessories yous wish to include.^[20] All that's left to do at present is sit down downwards, boot your feet up, and relish the fruits of your labor!^[21]
- A cozy coating or quilt can besides be a good to have around for both comfort and presentation.
- If you lot don't want your bench absorber to slide around, cover information technology with length of durable cloth and staple the edges to the lip inside the meridian of the cabinets.^[22]

Advertizement

Add together New Question

Question

What height should a bench seat be?

Alberto DeJesus is a Construction Specialist and the CEO of DeJesus Industries. With more than 4 years of feel, he specializes in high-end real estate development and construction. Alberto and DeJesus Industries have been featured on NBC News and have worked with numerous well-known companies, including Mazda, Amazon, and CVS. Alberto holds a Bachelor'south caste from Boston University.

Structure Specialist

Expert Answer

Base the superlative of the bench seat on whoever volition exist using information technology the nigh. Some people like to sit lower than others, which is of import to go on in heed.
Question

How can I make my window seat expect nice?

Alberto DeJesus is a Construction Specialist and the CEO of DeJesus Industries. With more than four years of experience, he specializes in high-end existent estate development and structure. Alberto and DeJesus Industries accept been featured on NBC News and have worked with numerous well-known companies, including Mazda, Amazon, and CVS. Alberto holds a Bachelor'south degree from Boston University.

Construction Specialist

Expert Answer

Keep it simple and endeavour to use effectively forest. If you're going to use any molding, brand sure that it's consistent throughout the seat.

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your e-mail address to go a message when this question is answered.

Submit

All in all, your DIY window seat project volition probable cost you lot somewhere from $500-2,000, depending on the style of cabinets you lot go with and your other materials and accessories.
Plastic laminate cabinets can make a more cost-effective alternative to hardwood ones if yous're looking to salve some money.
Take advantage of your window seat'due south built-in storage to continue books, toys, and household items put away and organized in the expanse effectually your window.

Things Y'all'll Demand

Circular saw
2x4 or 2x6 boards
Crowbar or trim puller
Record measure or ruler
Cordless drill
iii in (7.6 cm) wood screws
Powder-actuated nailer or plastic screws (for concrete floors)

2-four 15 in (38 cm) floating cabinet units
Cordless drill
2.v in (6.iv cm) drywall screws
Level
Matching bookshelf units (optional)
Table clamps (optional)
Wooden spacers (optional)

Wood molding
1.5 in (3.eight cm) finishing nails
Plywood skins
Utility knife
Direct edge
H2o-based interior latex primer and pigment
3–iv in (seven.half dozen–10.2 cm) angled paint brush
Wood filler putty
Painter'due south tape
Cushions, pillows, and other contrasted accessories

About This Commodity

Article Summary X

To build a window seat, first get 2 floating cabinet units to use as the base. One time you have these, fix the area by removing the baseboards from the wall section. When that's washed, create a frame around the front end of the window using 2 by iv or two by 6 boards. Fit your cabinets within this frame and screw them in place. After you lot've fastened the cabinets, install molding forth the bottom of the seat base to hide the frame. If you want to give your seat base of operations a more than attractive terminate, you tin paint it using interior latex primer and then a couple of coats of interior latex paint. To add together some final decorative touches, lay downwardly 1 to 2 long cushions to cover the bench and throw on some pillows. For more help, including how to employ plywood skins to hibernate joints in stacked cabinets for your window seat, curl downward!

Did this summary help you?

Cheers to all authors for creating a page that has been read 26,645 times.