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January 6, 2016 43 Comments

How To Build A Window Seat

Filed Under: DIY, kitchen, My Home, My projects, organization, tutorial 43 Comments

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Create more seating space and storage with this do it yourself project, window seat.

Hi friends! Today I’m talking about how to build a window seat! One of my favorite spaces in our house is our breakfast area. It is one of the rooms that get the most use. We eat all of our everyday meals here, my daughter plays here, draws here, my husband sits here and chats with me while I cook dinner and in the mornings I even blog from here. I love the big window that allows so much natural light to come in – it’s just a great spot. The big window presented an opportunity to create a window seat, sort of like a banquette style seating area. I was also desperate to get some of the larger, infrequently used appliances off the countertops, so it just made sense to create this window seat with storage.How To Build A Window Seat - I love this - plus it has a ton of extra storage!!

We built this window seat over a weekend and it really could be pulled off in a day but we were kind of flying by the seat of our pants and that required a couple of trips to Home Depot so we built it over a couple of days. I love it so much, and it was so simple to build that I thought I would share with you how to build a window seat of your own!

How to Built A Window Seat with Storage

Supplies:

2 sheets (4×8) of 3/4 in birch plywood (box)
1 sheet (4×9) of 1/2 in birch plywood (top)
kreg jig
1 1/2 in kreg jig screws (NOTE: Kreg jig recommends a 1 1/4 in screw for 3/4 boards but in our case 1 1/4 didn’t hold the wood together tight enough so we moved up to the 1 1/2 in screw and that worked like a charm)
(3) 12 in piano hinges
(2) 1/2x3x6 pine board for trim
nail gun – this is one we have – no air compressor needed!
finishing nails
wood filler
paint

The first step is to measure the window you’re building a seat for. Ours was 71 inches, we planned to have the seat 71 inches long, 17 inches deep, and 18 inches high. We asked our friends at The Home Depot to cut our boards for us. Here were the dimensions of our boards.

From the 3/4 in birch plywood boards:

17 x 71 in (bottom)
(2) 16 1/2 x 69 1/2 in (front and back)
(2) 16 1/2 x 17 in (two sides)

From the 1/2 in birch plywood board:
17 x 71 in (top)

Building the seat is very simple, it’s just a basic box. We used pocket holes to join together the boards.
Storage Window Seat-11

Storage Window Seat-19

First we joined the two short sides to the bottom using the kreg jig pocket hole system.

Storage Window Seat-20

Then we joined the long sides (front and back) to the bottom and the sides. That gives you the base of the window seat.

Storage Window Seat-14

I decided to add trim to the front for a more polished look. For that, I simply re-measured the entire box and cut my 1/2 x 3 in wood to fit. So (2) long pieces at 71 inches (I actually purchased (4) 36 in boards because my store didn’t have a 6 ft board in 1/2 in. so I ended up having a seam in the middle you can see it in the photo below.) and 3 shorter pieces (measure between the two pieces of trim so about 12 inches).

Storage Window Seat-15

Attach the boards to the box using the brad nailer.

Bench-3

Here’s a snapshot of the fully built seat. Then we sanded the entire thing, and sanded, and sanded until it was reallyyyyyy smooth.Storage Window Seat-13
After it was pretty smooth, we filled all the seams and holes from the nailer with wood filler. After the wood filler dried, we sanded some more.Bench-4

After it was all smooth, we wiped it down really well, inside and out then it was time to paint! The plywood isn’t the smoothest surface so it was necessary to sand after every coat. This was pretty time consuming because we had to wait for the paint to dry, sand, wipe it down, then paint the next coat. It’s completely worth it to have that nice smooth finish.Storage Window Seat-18
The last step was to attach the top. For this, we used piano hinges. One reason we decided to use the 1/2 inch plywood instead of say the thicker plywood or mdf is that we didn’t want the top to be too heavy to lift. The 1/2 plywood seemed to be the perfect weight. Storage Window Seat-17
To attach the piano hinges we set them in place – making sure all three hinges are even on the box. We first attached the hinge to box portion of the seat. This was simple – drill a hole, screw in screws. The top required a bit of muscle. Matt held the top in place while I marked a couple of the holes with a marker. Then he drilled a couple of the holes and placed the screws. We did about two on each hinge, then the top was in place so I didn’t have to hold it up any longer (phew). We continued to screw in the rest of the screws. Window Seat with Storage

That’s pretty much how to build a window seat. We added felt pads so it would close softly. They also leave a bit of a gap just in case little fingers get in there, I don’t have to worry about them getting stuck or slammed on.

window seat with storage 1

Guys! I can’t be happier with how it turned out!
storage bench window seat
I mean, look at all that storage! I’ve got my bread machine, crock pot, stand mixer, all in here and it frees up cabinet space for the items I use more regularly.

storage bench

DIY Window Seat

I still have to sew a cushion for it so stay tuned for that. For now, I’m borrowing a few pillows from the living room.

DIY Storage Bench

breakfast nook

You can see the kitchen and breakfast nook in full detail here.

More building projects with full tutorials that might interest you:

DIY BUILT IN BOOKSHELVES

IKEA Billy Bookcases Built Ins

DIY CONSOLE TABLE

DIY NIGHTSTANDS

 

 

 

 DIY Storage Bench Tutorial- How great to have that added storage space for small appliances!

 

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About Chelsea

Chelsea Coulston is the resident decorator, baker, and pillow hoarder around these parts. A wife to an active duty Sailor and mom of two girls, Chelsea's got a knack for decorating even the most challenging spaces (just see her military base house!) She's inspired by cool beach tones and warm natural elements that remind you of a day at the beach. After living in a half dozen rentals, she's enjoyed spending the last few years in a cute ranch style home that she and her husband have almost completely renovated themselves. Chelsea lives in sunny Jacksonville, Florida with her husband and two daughters.

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Comments

  1. April Hoff says

    January 6, 2016 at 8:33 am

    The seat looks great, Chelsea! Totally pinning this project! xo

    Reply
  2. Christene says

    January 6, 2016 at 9:39 am

    This is such a great idea! I am totally saving this post for later. I think I can find a place in our home for a window seat with some storage. It turned out so nice, I love it. I can’t wait to see how it comes together with a cushion.

    Reply
  3. Jennifer @ Decorated Chaos says

    January 6, 2016 at 12:06 pm

    This is on my 2016 goals for my mudroom. I like how your bench turned out and am pinning to my DIY board.

    Reply
  4. Malia says

    January 6, 2016 at 3:54 pm

    This is a great project and I’m totally saving it for the future. And the storage space is perfect. I’d add a padding on the top, so many options!

    Reply
    • Chelsea says

      January 14, 2016 at 6:13 pm

      The storage space IS perfect. Thanks so much!

      Reply
  5. Lynnda says

    January 6, 2016 at 8:52 pm

    I’m pinning this. I just moved in to a small home and have a nice dining room window that needs a window seat under it. I love how ‘easy’ it was in the tutorial. More sitting room in my small dining room!! Yay!!

    Reply
    • Chelsea says

      January 14, 2016 at 6:13 pm

      Thanks, Lynnda! We loveeeee it!

      Reply
  6. Krist says

    January 8, 2016 at 8:17 am

    It’s absolutely perfect Chelsea! I’d love to make a pretty seat like this under the window in our breakfast nook too! LOVE it!

    Reply
    • Chelsea says

      January 14, 2016 at 6:12 pm

      Thank you! It’s so convenient. We use it every single day!

      Reply
  7. Natalín says

    January 21, 2016 at 9:22 am

    Simply beautiful!! I love your kitchen!!! (L)

    Reply
  8. Maria says

    March 16, 2016 at 10:22 pm

    Thanks for sharing this detailed tip, Chelsea. We have a smaller window but I think I can make something the same

    Reply
  9. deepti says

    June 17, 2016 at 1:30 am

    This is beautiful…the best DIY window seat post I have seen…pinning this for future use!

    Reply
  10. Charli says

    June 25, 2016 at 8:24 pm

    Looks great! Ball park of how much it cost to make this?

    Reply
    • Chelsea says

      June 25, 2016 at 8:28 pm

      Hi Charli, the materials are fairly inexpensive since we decided on plywood instead of a MDF or other product. I would say around $100 – $150.

      Reply
  11. Jenn says

    December 13, 2016 at 7:15 pm

    How sturdy is it? Do you think it would hold two-three adults at once?

    Thanks a bunch for the tutorial! It’s beautiful! 😀

    Reply
    • Chelsea says

      December 14, 2016 at 8:17 am

      Hi Jenn, absolutely! We’ve had it for about a year now and it’s very sturdy. Often, we have two adults and a child sitting on it. It’s one of my favorite and most useful projects!

      Reply
  12. Rachel Roach says

    February 16, 2017 at 1:48 pm

    Thank you for this post! I was just curious…. what size pedestal table do you have? We have a very similar arrangement in our eat-in kitchen, and I am searching for a table that fits.

    Reply
  13. Sameena says

    April 22, 2017 at 3:59 pm

    Hello! Amazing project!
    I wanted to know how one can build this, but with screwed on seat on it, for e.g. a sofa cushion? So it’s comfortable when someone sits on it.
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Chelsea says

      April 25, 2017 at 3:44 pm

      Hi Sameena, to add a cushion to the top you’d could take another piece of plywood, cushion it with foam, batting, and fabric, then attach it to the top. Or you could just create a cushion for the top adding velcro to the bottom and attach it to the top with velcro. Easy!

      Reply
  14. Betsy says

    June 1, 2017 at 11:02 pm

    Hi! This is so great. Quick question: Did you attach the bench to the wall? If so, did you remove the baseboard first? Or does it sit in front of the base board? I can’t tell from the pics and am wondering how it’s working out. I know a lot of banquette seats are attached but I’m considering building one that floats away from the wall… thanks so much!

    Reply
    • Chelsea says

      June 3, 2017 at 9:44 pm

      Hi Betsy, it is not attached to the wall. We move quite a bit so I wanted something that we could take with us. It’s pretty heavy so it doesn’t shift. I hope that helps!

      Reply
  15. Kelley says

    October 3, 2017 at 8:59 am

    What kind of paint did you use?

    Reply
    • Chelsea says

      October 4, 2017 at 6:24 am

      Behr – semi gloss.

      Reply
  16. Richard says

    June 18, 2018 at 1:49 pm

    I’m curious why you decided to use 1/2 ” for the top rather than 3/4 plywood all around? It looks great and practical. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Chelsea says

      June 18, 2018 at 5:14 pm

      We didn’t want the top to be too heavy to lift one-handed. Thanks, Richard!

      Reply
  17. Ed Post says

    December 17, 2018 at 3:21 pm

    I like this design, but it seems to me the that demensions of the top (the seat) are incorrect. If the box is 17 x 71 before adding the trim to the front, after it is added the exterior demensions are 17 3/4 x 71, yes? This would indicate that the top piece should be at least that size, or perhaps 18 by 71 so there is a slight lip for fingers…Your photos show the top as slightly larger before the trim is added, also.

    Reply
  18. Jess says

    December 26, 2019 at 3:18 pm

    Such a simple and clean look. What are the dimensions on the finished product? Just trying to decide how long we are going to make ours.

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Chelsea says

      January 2, 2020 at 5:39 pm

      71 inches long, 17 inches deep, and 18 inches high

      Reply
  19. Melanie says

    June 25, 2020 at 12:25 pm

    We used your instructions to make a window seat our kids’ room and it turned out great! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Chelsea says

      June 28, 2020 at 12:16 am

      Hi Melanie, that’s great to hear! Thanks for letting me know. I’m glad it worked well for you!

      Reply
  20. Shana says

    August 7, 2020 at 3:33 pm

    Hi! Your instructions are so simple, I’ve never built anything large before. I am actually going to try to take this on!
    Could you just let me know if the math would be correct if I made it 60″ wide instead.
    17×60 (Bottom)
    (2) 16 1/2 x 58 1/2 (front & back)
    (2) 16 1/2 x 17 (two sides)

    17 x 60 (top)
    Thanks!

    Reply
  21. R says

    September 14, 2020 at 9:53 pm

    Hey, thank you so much for this tutorial! I actually ended up building it and now I’m looking for a cushion for the top. Did you end up putting one? If so do you mind sharing which from where or do you have any suggestions as to ones I can get or places to get them or maybe even something diy that’s not tooooo hard?Thanks!

    Reply

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Hi! I’m Chelsea!

I'm Chelsea. Wife to Matt, and mama to P and Millie. I'm a fan of making and decorating things and everything blue + white. I believe that there is no such thing as too many throw pillows. Lover of iced coffee and cocktail Fridays. I'm glad you're here.

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Removable wallpaper is a game changer! A couple mo Removable wallpaper is a game changer! A couple months ago Matt and I spent an afternoon slapping this up on our bedroom wall and it completely transformed the space. It can be super hard to put your stamp on a rental but I’m pretty pleased with the way this room turned out! #rentalfriendly #bedroom #milspouse #diyprojects #removablewallpaper #coastaldecor 
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#ad Homeschool/General parent “pro” tip - buy #ad Homeschool/General parent “pro” tip - buy a shower caddy and stuff it full of art supplies to keep your kids from having their markers and crayons all over the place. For real though, this was a game changer. Previously, I had one hard and heavy caddy for all of our supplies that I would plop on the table during our school day but I found my kids constantly getting up to grab a pink crayon or the blue marker. Or at the end of the day things weren’t getting put away properly and the next day we couldn’t find the glue or the scissors. Now, they each have a caddy that they are responsible for. I’ve partnered with @walmart to share this simple organizing solution. The girls keep their supplies together and carry the caddy around to wherever they choose to school that day/minute. I used my Walmart+ membership again to pull this off. I was able to order all the art caddy necessities online using the W+ free shipping, no order minimum (excludes oversized/freight & Marketplace items) benefit so I can limit my time in stores. #walmartplus
Sitting here thinking about everything that’s go Sitting here thinking about everything that’s gotten me through this last year.
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1a. My mom - in those early pandemic days, when we didn’t leave the house, she would meet me halfway between here and Vegas. We would sit in the middle of the desert with our masks on and just visit. I needed that so much and I know she did too.
2. My friends - it’s hard to imagine making it through this year without the friendships I have. They’ve carried me. A small group of neighbors here that would meet at the park for some outdoor fellowship and our weekly dinners made life feel a little more normal. Having regular calls with my best friend in FL was gold especially since we can’t see each other. And regular chats with @bykaithanson got me through especially in those early days.
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5. Exercise - this was the year I finally made exercise a priority. I love how much better I feel when I move my body each day. I’m less anxious and I’m more at peace.
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