Do It Yourself Window Seats

Window seats are a great opportunity to utilize the often-useless space under a window, while creating some extra storage space as well. One of the simplest ways to make a professional-looking window seat is to utilize premade kitchen cabinets as the base of the window seat. Using cabinets gives under-seat storage inside them, and the cabinets will have the look of an expensive store-bought window seat because of their professional facing.

3 kitchen cabinets
8 pieces of 1-by-2 lumber, 10 inches long
Wood glue
Drill
2-inch wood screws
Measuring tape
3/4-inch plywood
Saw
Sandpaper
Paint
Paintbrush
Finishing nails
Hammer

Instructions

- 1
  Purchase 3 kitchen cabinets around 18 to 25 inches high and 20 to 25 inches wide. Place the cabinets side by side, with the doors all facing in the same direction.
- 2
  Glue 10-inch pieces of 1-by-2 lumber to the inside of the middle cabinet at the top and bottom of both sides, and to the top and bottom of the sides inside the two side cabinets touching the middle cabinet. These are screw anchors.
- 3
  Drive two 2-inch wood screws through the side cabinet screw anchors into the screw anchors in the middle cabinet to secure the cabinets together.
- 4
  Measure the top of all the cabinets, then cut a piece of 3/4-inch plywood to this measurement for the top of the seat. If you want a lip over the front of the seat, add an additional inch to the width.
- 5
  Sand the window seat top, then paint it to match the cabinet color. Let the top dry, then center it over the cabinets and secure it in place with finishing nails driven through the seat into the cabinet every 5 inches around the perimeter.
- 6
  Touch up the nail holes with paint, then move the window seat into position under the window. It may be necessary to remove some trim from around the wall to get the seat flush against the wall.

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