Transform any room with these 21 window seat ideas! From cozy nooks to stylish benches, there's a perfect fit for every space.

01of 21

Leave the Windows Bare

Design by Cathie Hong Interiors / PH๏τo by Christy Q. PH๏τography

In this light-flooded Palo Alto, California home from Cathie Hong Interiors, a built-in, wood-topped window seat in the dining room creates an off-duty reading nook or extra bench seating when there’s a crowd. Windows are curtain free to maximize functionality, while patterned throw pillows in neutral tones add softness.
02of 21

Maximize a Pᴀss-Through Space

Design by Mindy Gayer Design Co.

This spacious upstairs landing from Mindy Gayer Design Co. is flooded with Southern California light, making the pᴀss-through space an ideal location for a built-in window seat that runs beneath a wall of double windows. A natural-toned floor basket is a decorative way to store extra blankets or favorite reading material between uses to keep the space looking tidy.

Continue to 3 of 21 below.
03of 21

Cozy Up the Home Office

Design and PH๏τo by Anita Yokota

One of the joys of working from home is having the option to stay focused—and take needed breaks—in any location or posture without having coworkers looking on. This cozy L-shaped home office from Anita Yokota includes a cozy and casual window seat daybed for reading drafts, brainstorming new ideas, or grabbing a power nap.

Continue to 4 of 21 below.
04of 21

Optimize the Mudroom

Design by Becca Interiors

This built-in mudroom window seat from Becca Interiors is located steps from the front door of a Hudson River view Colonial home in New York state, making it a convenient place to take off muddy boots or set down your sun hat and farmers market haul.

Continue to 5 of 21 below.
05of 21

Use a Vintage Love Seat

Design by Becca Interiors

Becca Interiors created an improvised window seat in the home library corner of this Hudson Valley, NY Colonial home by placing an upholstered vintage loveseat beneath the window that fits snugly between a pair of built-in floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.

Continue to 6 of 21 below.
06of 21

Create an Attic Perch

Design by Jersey Ice Cream Co.

This attic reading room from Jersey Ice Cream Co. is kid-friendly but fun for the whole family, with cozy floor rugs and pillows and wrap-around banquettes that include a built-in window seat that hides the AC and offers natural light and views.

Continue to 7 of 21 below.
07of 21

Supersize It

Design by Emily Henderson Design / PH๏τo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp

In this spacious bedroom from Emily Henderson Design, an extra-long window seat is built beneath a large bank of windows, hugging the irregular shape of the room’s walls to maximize surface area and achieve a streamlined look. The extra bench space means that it’s big enough to share or use to display plants, books, or decor objects. A reading light sconce in the corner and some throw pillows and blankets make it comfortable and functional.

Continue to 8 of 21 below.
08of 21

Accessorize the Dressing Room

Design by Britt Design Studio

This fully loaded dressing room from Britt Design Studio includes ample storage for clothes, accessories, and shoes, plus a built-in window seat under the arched window for gathering yourself before heading out to face the world.

Continue to 9 of 21 below.
09of 21

Use Warm Colors

Design by Becca Interiors

This kids room from Becca Interiors has vintage wallpaper and furniture, warm colors, and tons of homespun Colonial charm. But the focal point of the room is the charming double window seat that’s all set up for story time.

Continue to 10 of 21 below.
10of 21

Add a Storage Bench

Design by Emily Bowser for Emily Henderson Design / PH๏τo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp

If you don’t have the budget for a built-in, or your window is on the smaller side, try installing a bench instead. In this bedroom window seat hack designed by Emily Bowser for Emily Henderson Design, a simple upholstered bench with built-in hidden storage is wedged into the corner for extra stability, and runs to the edge of a small window to fill the space and create the impression that the window is larger than it is.

Continue to 11 of 21 below.
11of 21

Add Shelves

Design by Christina Kim Interior Design

Christina Kim Interior Design created a reading corner in this blue-and-white home office, complete with a comfortable window seat flanked by bookshelves for storing reading materials and displaying objects.

Continue to 12 of 21 below.
12of 21

Create a Way Station

Design by KG Designs

This long, rectangular combination laundry room mudroom from KG Designs has wall hooks for storing jackets and backpacks, bench seating for putting on shoes, and a pair of window seats where you can take a load off while you wait for the towels to finish drying.

Continue to 13 of 21 below.
13of 21

Maximize Light

Design by JK Interior Living

Not every window is possessed of a picturesque view. This window seat from JK Interior Living faces a brick wall, but lets plenty of natural light into the mudroom, and includes a place for plants on the windowsill. The bench is outfitted with a generous smattering of plump pillows, and dark navy wall paint defines the window seat area.

Continue to 14 of 21 below.
14of 21

Add a Spa-Like Feel

Design by Desiree Burns Interiors

This spacious bathroom from Desiree Burns Interiors has enough room for large twin vanities, with a generous window seat tucked in between them that adds a spa-like feel. The window seat is built in beneath a large arched window with a view of the outdoors, a perfect place to paint your toenails or share a moment with your partner while admiring the leafy view.

Continue to 15 of 21 below.
15of 21

Create a Kids Reading Corner

Design by Mindy Gayer Design Co.

This kid-friendly corner window seat from Mindy Gayer Design Co. is decorated in keeping with the blue, white, and red theme of the room. Built-in drawers add storage, a thick upholstered seat provides comfort, and plenty of throw pillows and a spare blanket invite quiet time and encourage reading.

Continue to 16 of 21 below.
16of 21

Add Bench Seating

Design by Emily Henderson Design / PH๏τo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp

In this roomy bedroom from Emily Henderson Design, the closets on either side of the far window make it impossible to install a built-in window seat. But there’s room enough for a small wood bench that can serve as a perch for putting on shoes, sipping morning coffee, or daydreaming by the light of the window on a cold winter’s day. Light billowy curtains scrape the floor and help fill in the empty space around the bench without looking heavy or encroaching on the closet doors.

Continue to 17 of 21 below.
17of 21

Fill a ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Space

Design by KG Designs

This built-in window seat with under-bench storage from KG Designs turns the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ space of an empty hallway into a dedicated zone for reading, chilling, or seating waiting clients just outside of the home office.

Continue to 18 of 21 below.
18of 21

Add Wall to Ceiling Shelving

Ursula Carmona of Home Made by Carmona

Blogger Ursula Carmona of Home Made by Carmona gave her parents’ rustic and traditional mountain home library a modern refresh with white paint, floor-to-ceiling shelving, and a built-in window seat for whiling the hours away reading, hanging out, and playing music in the shadow of the wood-burning stove.

Continue to 19 of 21 below.
19of 21

Add Charm to the Nursery

Design by Becca Interiors

It may be true that every nursery needs a rocking chair, but this baby room from Becca Interiors makes the case that window seats are another flexible seating option for everything from burping the baby to supervising toddlers playing on the floor.

Continue to 20 of 21 below.
20of 21

Spice Up an Eat-In Kitchen

Design by Jessica Nelson Design / PH๏τo by Carina Skrobecki PH๏τography

This eat-in kitchen dining area from Jessica Nelson Design gets an extra kick with the addition of a cozy corner window seat banquette outfitted with comfy throw pillows and a small round cafe table to preserve flow.

Continue to 21 of 21 below.
21of 21

Embellish the Bay Window

Design by Kate Marker Interiors / PH๏τo by Stoffer PH๏τography

The dark green paint on the walls of this home library from Kate Marker Interior has a calming effect that invites relaxation and gives definition to a cozy window seat that is built into a recessed bay window providing views and natural light.