- Window seats are designed for many purposes and in many sizes and shapes. A window seat can make use of a wasted space between two bookcases or can provide a place to curl up with a good book. A large window seat can serve as a daybed. A seat or a long bench can add seating in a family dining space or in a living room or den for large gatherings. Window seats also can be used for hidden storage.
- Comfortable chair height is about 17 inches. If your seat or bench is intended for comfortable sitting with feet on the floor, it will need to be standard chair height. A bench in a child's bedroom or playroom can be lower to accommodate smaller legs. Benches intended to serve as beds or cozy curling-up spots can be as high as you like. You're limited only by your needs and imagination, as well as the height of the window itself.
- If you intend to install a seat cushion, you need to lower the height of the bench to achieved the desired seating height. Regular 2-inch cushions compress to 1 inch, so you can leave bench height the same or reduce it by an inch, according to your preference. Firmer, higher quality cushions compress less, so reduce bench height accordingly. If using a firm 4-inch cushion, for instance, reduce the height by about 3 inches.
- A window seat can be as simple as a trimmed-out plywood board spanning two built-in bookcases or as sophisticated as shop-built cabinetry installed by a carpenter. It doesn't have to be built-in. A simple padded bench painted the color of your woodwork can be moved from room to room as you need it. If the bench is to be built-in, remove baseboards from the area and reinstall them on the bench for an integrated appearance. If you can't find matching molding at your home center, you can often find it in closets, behind kitchen appliances or in back hallways.
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