We have a small family room that we are redecorating. I am thinking of having my husband build a window seat near our bay window instead of purchasing two chairs or a love seat, etc. However, I don't really know how comfortable or useful people find them to be in a family room. We would also have a couch and possibly a small chair. Does anyone have a window seat in their home that they use frequently for seating or are they mostly only decorative?
My parents have one in their dining room, and it was the seating for 1 side of the table (when we all sat at the table there were 7 of us, so 3 kids could sit on it.) It was comfy and very functional. The seat lifted up to reveal a huge storage space underneath.
I think they also make nice reading nooks.
As long as it is well-built and made for comfort, it will get used.
We had one built in my daughter's room with book cases on each side of the window seat. It is very functional with lots of storage but I do not let my daughter sit there because the seat comes up to the window and I am too nervous she could fall out. I love it though! Will your couch and small chair provide enough seating for the room? The window seat would be great for extra seating at a party but may not be that comfortable for everyday use.
Our windows are over 100 years old.
To make the seat functional... I built a backrest (otherwise someone would fall through VERY old, very sharp, very fragile, glass), and added a LOT of padding and some pillows.
They're great to sit while on the phone or looking out on the view. The big thing is that the seat can be used for storage underneath!
K. B
mom to 5 including triplets
.
I have O. in my family room. Until recently it was just decorative. We had it made into a storage-type window seat and the extra storage is GREAT. (Where was that during the Hotwheel years?!) But no O. really sits on it. But it would look super cute between two chairs!
We have a window seat and no one uses it.
It gets used for storage. (underneath). For me, an actual sofa/love seat is much more comfortable.... because it has a backrest. Which a window seat does NOT necessarily have. NO one, uses our window seat. It is useless.
And, once a window seat is built-in, because it is built-in, you can't reconfigure it or the room, if you want. Later. Unless you tear out the window seat.
Window seats, are to me, mostly a quaint thing, in our imaginations. But it is not used a lot. If at all.
For 'chairs'... I would get, chairs that are real comfy that you can lounge in and curl up in. Not hard chairs. But nice and comfy upholstered chairs. Then people will be more prone to using it. And with an ottoman.
For seating, you have to get enough, so that if the entire family is in the room at the same time, that you all have someplace to sit.
Or, you can get nice floor pillows too and an area rug.
I don't know what kind of flooring you have in that room.
We have a window seat but it is in out breakfast nook. Kind of an odd place for one and we don't use it for seating but it does provide a ton of storage for seasonal kitchen and dinning stuff. I do have a nice cushion on it so that it at least looks nice. I think that if it were in our living room I would probably use it.
My parents have one in their dining room. My children love to sit on it and look out the window (to watch the deer go by).
I have put benches in each of their bedrooms as "window seats", and they sometimes sit there, but not that often. Probably because their beds are more comfortable!
My thought is: if I ever do put a window seat in, it will be large - deep enough to sit comfortably - and cozy. (And it will provide storage!) And I will probably put a little back on it, so that we aren't leaning right up against the windows.
