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Welcome guests to take a load off (and take their shoes off) with a wonderfully plush window seat. Blue and white pillows and a throw blanket helped turn this Massachusetts abode's previously unused niche into a destination.SHOP THROW BLANKETS","image":"https://hips.hearstapps.com/countryliving/assets/cm/15/09/54eb7986649c3_-_01-relatively-simple-entryway-0911-s2.jpg"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":8,"item":{"@type":"Thing","name":"Family-Sized Window Seat","url":"https://www.countryliving.com/home-design/decorating-ideas/g26092314/window-seats/#slide-8","description":"A window seat runs the length of this Michigan farmhouse’s dining room, providing plenty of places to sit and eat—or craft!SHOP FARMHOUSE TABLES","image":"https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/making-merry-dining-area-1218-1544544801.jpg"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":9,"item":{"@type":"Thing","name":"Furnished Window Banquette","url":"https://www.countryliving.com/home-design/decorating-ideas/g26092314/window-seats/#slide-9","description":"Perhaps it's the peppy pillow prints: The window bench that flanks Jenn Chiarelli's California farmhouse table is so happy, you simply have to take a seat.SHOP MODERN PILLOWS","image":"https://hips.hearstapps.com/countryliving/assets/17/10/in-with-the-bold-jenn-chiarelli-table-0417.jpg"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":10,"item":{"@type":"Thing","name":"Large Window Seat","url":"https://www.countryliving.com/home-design/decorating-ideas/g26092314/window-seats/#slide-10","description":"A growing family calls for an extra-long window seat, and an alcove against the windows of this Harbor Springs, Michigan, house provides the perfect place for the bench.","image":"https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/window-seat-bench-1548952497.jpg"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":11,"item":{"@type":"Thing","name":"Bay Window Seat","url":"https://www.countryliving.com/home-design/decorating-ideas/g26092314/window-seats/#slide-11","description":"Between the gorgeous gothic casement and the inviting array of cushions, we can't imagine a sweeter spot than the bay window seat of this restored Victorian cottage.SHOP GOTHIC WINDOWS","image":"https://hips.hearstapps.com/countryliving/assets/cm/15/09/54eb61fc1c2eb_-_03-a-cottage-revival-dining-room-0314-dgqfmg-s2.jpg"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":12,"item":{"@type":"Thing","name":"Upholstered Window Seat","url":"https://www.countryliving.com/home-design/decorating-ideas/g26092314/window-seats/#slide-12","description":"American Pickers star Mike Wolfe's rounded banquette encircles the dining table, carving out an eating area along the windows.SHOP PENDANT LIGHTS","image":"https://hips.hearstapps.com/countryliving/assets/15/14/mike-wolfe-dining-area-0515.jpg"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":13,"item":{"@type":"Thing","name":"Phone Booth Window Seat","url":"https://www.countryliving.com/home-design/decorating-ideas/g26092314/window-seats/#slide-13","description":"Add a window and turn a closet into the cutest cranny for enjoying a book, or in this case, showcasing a vintage phone. 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The daybed decorated with gingham sheets and mismatched pillows proves useful for both purposes.SHOP GINGHAM SHEETS","image":"https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/daybed-window-seat-0413-1548889471.jpg"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":21,"item":{"@type":"Thing","name":"Window Seat With Storage","url":"https://www.countryliving.com/home-design/decorating-ideas/g26092314/window-seats/#slide-21","description":"While reclaiming space for seating, why not also install smart storage underneath, as in the dining area of Natasha Lawler's house?SHOP STORAGE BENCHES ","image":"https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/dining-room-window-seat-storage-1548889470.jpg"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":22,"item":{"@type":"Thing","name":"Daybed Window Seat","url":"https://www.countryliving.com/home-design/decorating-ideas/g26092314/window-seats/#slide-22","description":"The owner of this home is an avid gardener, so it makes sense he'd create a corner with views of the gorgeous grounds.SHOP DAYBED CUSHIONS","image":"https://hips.hearstapps.com/countryliving/assets/cm/15/09/54eb79f9409a0_-_05-contemplative-gardener-daybed-0414-s2.jpg"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":23,"item":{"@type":"Thing","name":"Reading Nook Window Seat","url":"https://www.countryliving.com/home-design/decorating-ideas/g26092314/window-seats/#slide-23","description":"Okay, okay, so this space in HGTV star Sarah Richardson's cottage isn't a window seat in the traditional sense. But a chaise lounge chair pushed up against the panes is a solution for renters or homeowners looking for something less permanent.SHOP CHAISE LOUNGES","image":"https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/reading-nook-window-seat-0710-1548889471.jpg"}}]}}
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Whether used as a reading nook or a breakfast banquette, there's something so charming about a window seat. Not only do the backless sofas reclaim recesses that would otherwise go to waste, but they also encourage respite and observation of the outdoors. Get inspired by these cozy window seat ideas in bedrooms, living rooms, and kitchens.
1
Corner Window Seat
Brian Woodcock
One of the most popular ways to use window seats? As a breakfast nook! A simple bench supported by vintage corbels makes excellent use of this corner space.
2
Well-Lit Window Seat
Getty Images
People of all ages can appreciate a window seat. Just take this one, complete with sconces on either side for late-night reading, inside a Lake Michigan cottage designed by Chenault James.
This family lived in a 200-square-foot camper before moving into their custom cabin. A salvaged table and built-in bench are evidence of their thriftiness with money and space.
You'd never know it, but the built-ins that make up this window seat are actually kitchen cabinets leftover from renovations on the California ranch home.
Not sure what to do with that extra bit of space in the entry? Welcome guests to take a load off (and take their shoes off) with a wonderfully plush window seat. Blue and white pillows and a throw blanket helped turn this Massachusetts abode's previously unused niche into a destination.
Perhaps it's the peppy pillow prints: The window bench that flanks Jenn Chiarelli's California farmhouse table is so happy, you simply have to take a seat.
A growing family calls for an extra-long window seat, and an alcove against the windows of this Harbor Springs, Michigan, house provides the perfect place for the bench.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
11
Bay Window Seat
Mark Lohman
Between the gorgeous gothic casement and the inviting array of cushions, we can't imagine a sweeter spot than the bay window seat of this restored Victorian cottage.
Add a window and turn a closet into the cutest cranny for enjoying a book, or in this case, showcasing a vintage phone. This makeshift photo booth looks intentional thanks to wainscoting on the walls.
This Maya Williams-designed breakfast nook overlooks an impressive vegetable garden—and the mellow color palette echoes the soft light that streams inside.
Expert moulding makes this couch crevice in Natasha Lawler's home seem as if it was always there. Beside it, a basket offers reading materials to those who take a seat.
A pine pedestal table and slipcovered armchairs skirt this living room's built-in benches, compelling friends and family members to direct their eyes outside rather than on the TV.
If you're lucky enough to have bay windows, incorporate a curved banquette like the one in this Texas ranch, which the homeowner coated in a creamy shade of Beluga by Behr.
A glass house on the grounds of this Kentucky property doubles as an entertaining area and guest quarters. The daybed decorated with gingham sheets and mismatched pillows proves useful for both purposes.
