Home Architecture and Home Design 19 Window Seat Ideas For Comfort With A View Window seats are an understated architectural element that can make a big impact in your home. By Abby Fribush Abby Fribush Abby Fribush is the Editorial Fellow at Southern Living and joined the team in 2023. She is a writer and editor with almost 5 years of experience in lifestyle content for local and international magazines. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on February 9, 2024 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Laurey W. Glenn; Stylist: Matthew Gleason There's no better spot to relish the day than a window seat. Perfect for reading a novel, taking a little nap, or just basking in the sunlight, a window seat adds an element of coziness and romance to any room it occupies. Commonly seen in bedrooms and breakfast nooks, window seats add a beautiful and practical element to a space without taking up a large amount of room. Some window seats are even built into a protruded window so it completely maximizes the space. Not only do they create seating, but they can also stylishly add space for extra storage. Window seats are customizable and can enhance your personal style. From paint to cushions to throw pillows, window seats offer a chance to innovate your home's look and get creative with decor. Whether a long booth in the kitchen or a small seating area next to a bookshelf, window seats are a fantastic and charming architectural element in any home. Check out these window seat ideas to inspire your next home project. 01 of 19 Add Seating in the Closet Alison Gootee; Styling: Matthew Gleason Whether you're putting on shoes or choosing what to wear for the day, having a place to sit in the closet is always appreciated. Make closet seating intentional by adding a window seat between wardrobes to incorporate both practicality and design. 02 of 19 Incorporate Shelves Brie Williams; Styling: Page Mullins Make a breakfast nook an integral part of the kitchen by attaching it to shelving. This bright beach kitchen connects a breakfast booth with a decorative shelf and reinforces the connection by painting them the same shade of soft yellow. 03 of 19 Go Full Farmhouse Cody Ulrich It's no secret that Southerners love the farmhouse aesthetic, and a window seat can enhance the style greatly. This breakfast nook has a charming wood window booth that plays well into the farmhouse look of the space. 04 of 19 Play with Pattern Alison Gootee; Styling: Suzonne Stirling Cushions and throw pillows are a simple way to add patterns and texture to any space, and a window seat is the perfect opportunity to do so. This window seat has a long striped cushion with bright throw pillows on top to add visual interest to the room. 05 of 19 Create Comfort in the Office David Tsay A window seat adds comfort to any space, and home offices could always benefit from added coziness. This office has a built-in window bench that adds color and homeyness to the space. 06 of 19 Make a Daybed A made-in-America throw by Pendleton delivers a saturated dose of color to the foot of the bed. Joseph De Leo If you're in need of a quick catnap, a daybed is the perfect resting spot. This cozy bedroom features a window seat laid out as a daybed to add extra coziness and utilize the space thoroughly. 07 of 19 Add Space Between Sinks Alison Gootee; Styling: Jenny O'Connor Storage in bathrooms is highly sought-after, and adding a window seat can incorporate storage and style. This bathroom uses the window seat to add to the blue color palette and extra cabinets. 08 of 19 Work with Jewel Tones Laurey W. Glenn; Stylist: Matthew Gleason In a room with sharp color contrasts, a window seat can play into that nicely. In this bedroom from the 2023 Southern Living Idea House, the cushion on the window seat meshes well with the wood tone from the ceiling and floor to create a harmonious blend. 09 of 19 Make it an Accent Dane Tashima Window seats are such a fun architectural element, so they're the perfect place to add an accent color to your space. This kitchen features a small window seat with a bright blue base to draw the eye to it. 10 of 19 Offset with a Shelf Brie Williams Styling: Jennifer Berno Decleene Window seats don't need to be large benches or booths. This window seat is squeezed next to a tall shelf to create a cozy reading space. 11 of 19 Add Cozy Details Annie Schlechter A window seat already brings an air of coziness to any space, but emphasize the comfort by incorporating little details. This window seat is topped with fluffy throw pillows and curtains to add to the effect. 12 of 19 Match the Trim Laurey W. Glenn; Stylist: Matthew Gleason Window seats become a part of the window itself, so make it a seamless connection by matching paint colors. This breakfast nook from the 2023 Southern Living Idea House matched the bottom of the window seat paint to the window trim paint to make it one piece. 13 of 19 Wow with a Window Box Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Kendra Surface If you're renovating or designing a home, adding a unique skycove like this one from the 2022 Southern Living Idea House will bring the wow factor. Natural light spills beautifully into the space and creates a gorgeous spot to relax. 14 of 19 Keep it Cohesive PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAUREY W. GLENN; STYLING BY KENDRA SURFACE Color plays a large role in making a room look well-designed, and this doesn't stop with a window seat. This guest room from the 2022 Southern Living Idea House matches the colors from the wainscoting and carpet to the colors in the window seat for a clean, purposeful look. 15 of 19 Span the Length of the Window Photo: Ngoc Minh Ngo; Styling: Ed Gallagher With a protruding window area comes the perfect space for a window seat. This breakfast nook from this 1930s colonial is cleverly situated in a large bay window to have a window seat span the perimeter and welcome the natural light in all over. 16 of 19 Make it L-Shaped Photo: Erica George Dines Shaping a window seat to multiple walls of windows is a effective way to maximize space. This breakfast nook has an L-shaped window seat that creates a clean, efficient seating area. 17 of 19 Bend with a Bay Window Photo: Max Kim-Bee; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas A classic bay window creates a stunning shape and welcomes natural light into a space. This eating space highlights this great feature by adding a window seat around the shape to bring the outside in. 18 of 19 Relax Under an Arch Hector Manuel Sanchez Make your window seat its own separate space by adding an arched element to the recessed feature. This patio has a small window seat tucked into the wall with a stunning arch above it to make it a distinct area. 19 of 19 Make it Girly Molly Culver Window seats can add the ultimate girly ambiance to a room. This beautiful window seat boasts a variety of feminine details like charming curtains and pink pillows and cushions. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit