Ideas for arranging a window sill in the interior

Recommendation points

• 1. Windowsill – working area in the office or in the kitchen
• 2. Window sill – recreation area
• 3. Window sill – storage location
• 4. Window sill – sleeping place
• 5. Basic rules for altering a window sill

In this article, we will offer you four options for transforming a window sill from a regular, integral part of the window into an important, functional element of interior decor. We will also consider all the functions that a window sill can take on, which has ceased to be an ordinary shelf for indoor flowers..

How do we usually use the windowsill? It is clear that this is an ideal place for indoor plants that adore sunlight, as well as a traditional option for storing things that have never found space on the shelves or computer desk..

But the possibilities of this seemingly very small part of the room are much wider. If you dream of getting another full-fledged recreation area, work or spacious storage space in a small room, the ideas presented in this article will come in handy..

The neat sill, adorned with a flower vase, framed with tastefully selected curtains, is beautiful in itself. Unfortunately, this is where the functions of such a usual window add-on end.

1. Windowsill – working area in the office or in the kitchen

Most often, the window sill acts as a working area in the kitchen, in the children’s room or office. You can also use it to equip a work area in the living room or bedroom, if it is there that it is decided to install a computer or equip a permanent place for a laptop.

In the kitchen, there are two options for arranging the working area on the windowsill: with and without transferring the sink and hob. The first option is more costly, as it will require changes in the location of communications – in this case, you will have to carry out water supply and sewerage to the sink located under the window. It is completely problematic to move the gas stove, since you will have to coordinate such a redevelopment with the appropriate service.

The second option assumes that the window sill will simply become an extension of the countertop. In this case, the costs of money and time are not so great, and there are a lot of benefits from the additional working zone..

Washing dishes and admiring the scenery outside the window – this is exactly the opportunity that the window sill, into which it was decided to build a sink, will give. Can be carried under window and electric hob

The main task in the case of turning a window sill into a working area in the kitchen is to set the countertop at the same level throughout the entire area. If the window is large and the window sill is located below the table top, you will have to sacrifice part of the window. Or, on the contrary, expand the window opening

If you don’t want to resize the window at all, and the height of the window sill and the countertop does not match, you can equip a separate dining table or bar counter under the window that are not in any way connected with the main working area of ​​the kitchen counter.

The choice of materials for the window sill, which has turned into a part of the countertop, is very large: marble, artificial stone, metal, ceramic tiles, concrete, quartz stone, acrylic, glass, wood, laminated chipboard and MDF. It all depends on the financial capabilities of the owner and the general interior design of the kitchen.

If the window sill-table and the table top are not interconnected and, moreover, are made of different materials, they do not have to be of the same height

At the wide table-windowsill in the kitchen, you can calmly drink tea while observing the surroundings

As for the transformation of the window sill into a work area in an office, nursery or living room, then in this case there is no need to level the height, focusing on adjacent surfaces, as in the kitchen. However, sitting at such a table should be comfortable, and if there is no desire or opportunity to reduce or expand the height of the window opening, you will have to take care of the presence of chairs of the optimal height.

In a small living room or in a nursery for two children, the window sill-table will become a real find that will significantly save space

The window sill in this small bedroom has become a real study. The only negative is if this is a table in the nursery, then the child, while doing homework, can be constantly distracted by what is happening outside the window

2. Window sill – recreation area

Have you noticed how cats adore windowsills? It is literally impossible to drive them out of this “observation post”. Sometimes you want to follow the example of your pet and climb onto the windowsill, so that, while sitting with a cup of tea, admire the beautiful landscape or just watch what is happening on the street.

A window sill as a seating area differs from a table sill or table top primarily in height. It is not very convenient to climb onto the usual structural element of the window, which is traditionally located at a height of about 90 centimeters from the floor. And the usual width of the window sill – 35-40 cm – will not allow you to stay comfortably.

Therefore, turning a window sill into a recreation area, first of all, you should take care of expanding the window opening in order to lower the future ottoman or armchair to a height of about 45 cm (the traditional height of an ordinary soft sofa). In addition, the surface of the former window sill will definitely have to be expanded in order to sit (or even lie) on it comfortably.

The next moment is the arrangement of a soft surface. Agree that sitting on plastic or stone will not be very comfortable. The easiest option is a mattress tailored to the size of the extended window sill or several pillows simply thrown on a seat made of wood or laminated chipboard.

A more serious approach is to order a special soft seat, which will replace the former window sill.

In this case, the window sills of the corner windows turned into a real observation post, where there was a place for a telescope. A small thin mattress, soft pillows – even several observers will feel comfortable here

In this attached loggia, benches along the semicircular windows were simply asking for. And for the comfort of those sitting, there are pillows and, again, a thin, removable soft mattress. In this case, due to its unusual shape, it had to be sewn to order.

3. Window sill – storage location

The window sill often serves as a place where books, documents, children’s toys and other little things supposedly temporarily find their place. But the space under the window can become a full-fledged chest of drawers or even a wardrobe, part of the overall storage system in the room. Indeed, it is often just a pity to lose so much space, uselessly, while in a small room there is simply nowhere to place everything you need.

It is even easier to arrange a storage space under a windowsill than to arrange a recreation area – you only have to order cabinet furniture exactly according to the size of the space and increase its width in order to make the resulting drawers and shelves more spacious.

Of course, if it is not planned to move the radiator from its usual place, then only those things that are not afraid of high temperatures and dry air can be stored in such a window sill-chest of drawers. If the radiator is moved, then under the windowsill you can organize a refrigerator, traditional for apartments of the beginning of the last century, where you can perfectly store vegetables and groceries.

A window sill can combine two functions at once – act as a recreation area and storage space. Under a bench with soft cushions, there is usually a lot of space that can be occupied by drawers, open shelves or, as in this case, wicker baskets for all sorts of little things.

The bookshelves under the window have transformed this attic room into a real library. At the same time, a storage system with open shelves and several small drawers takes up very little space.

4. Window sill – sleeping place

Sleeping on the windowsill and just having a good time on this part of the window are not at all the same thing. If even a relatively narrow window sill with a width of no more than 50 cm can act as a recreation area, then for a berth you will have to expand it to at least 80 cm, or better – one meter. Only in this case the window sill will turn into a full-fledged single or one-and-a-half bed.

The construction of a podium will help create such a sleeping place under the window. By the way, this convenient design will avoid widening the window opening in order to lower the window sill to a comfortable height. On the podium, you can simply equip the steps and then it will be easy and convenient to climb onto the windowsill-bed.

Of course, you will have to separately purchase a mattress, and not thin, as in the recreation area, but the most convenient for a good night’s rest. Remember that standard mattresses have the following sizes: 70×140, 80×200, 90×200, 100×200, 120×200, 140×200, 160×200, 180×200 and 200×200 cm.If your podium under the window has a different area, you will have to order a mattress according to individual sizes.

In this room, by the large window, it was possible to organize a full-fledged bed on which two people can comfortably sit. Is it comfortable to sleep by the relatively thin glass behind which the rain or the wind can rage? A controversial issue, but in any case, this option for arranging a window sill can be called unusual and functional

Both the bed and the roomy storage space are incredibly comfortable and compact. Today, in furniture salons, it is quite possible to pick up ready-made sets of furniture for the nursery, you just need to measure the dimensions of the window in advance so that the sleeping place and the shelves surrounding it fit perfectly into the opening. Although, it is safer to order such a kit just for your room.

5. Basic rules for altering a window sill

Whatever you decide to turn your window sill into – a dresser, table, countertop, bed or ottoman – you have to take care of a few crucial points..

Firstly,it is under the window that the radiator is usually located. Therefore, when arranging a functional window sill, you will have to solve the problem of heating the room. There are four options for solving this critical task:

• leave the space under the tabletop, seat or bed open so as not to interfere with the flow of warm air from the radiator;
• take care of the presence of ventilation holes in the area covering the radiator so that air from the battery rises unhindered;
• move the radiator to another place in the room, that is, redo the heating system;
• get rid of the radiator altogether, replacing it with a floor heating system.

Secondly,a double-glazed window over such a window sill-table, couch or bed, it is better to choose a three-chamber, reliable one, in order to guarantee to get rid of drafts and noise outside the window.

Thirdly,if the radiator is covered with a countertop or completely moved to another part of the room, the window may start to sweat. This is fraught with serious problems – at least every morning you will have to wipe a puddle on your table or countertop, as a maximum – dry the mattress from the ottoman or bed and fight mold on the wallpaper. The reasons for this phenomenon, in addition to transferring the radiator, can be:

• poor quality of installation work when installing double-glazed windows, as a result of which there is insufficient quality insulation and access of cold air from the street;
• high humidity in the room itself. You can measure this indicator using a hygrometer. If the humidity exceeds 40-50%, then the probability of fogging of windows increases many times;
• inoperative or insufficiently well-functioning natural ventilation system of the room;
• poorly insulated slopes, from which the cold comes;
• cheap, low-quality windows that do not cope with the function of protecting the room from the cold.

All these problems must be dealt with if you want your windowsill to be able to perform the functions of not just a shelf for flowers, but also a storage or resting place..

Fourth,if there is a high and comfortable podium under the window, this will be an additional temptation for the child to open the window and catch a beautiful butterfly flying by, or see what happens if you throw an iron typewriter down. Constipation, clamps and window restraints are an indispensable condition if children use your windowsill-ottoman.

Fifth,remember that it is better to install a window sill that turns into a table or turned into a sofa at the stage of installing double-glazed windows and carrying out major repairs in the house. Otherwise, you will have to dismantle the existing window sill, re-finish the slopes damaged during the installation of the countertop, and re-glue the wallpaper around the window. In addition, do not forget that, most likely, you will need to expand or reduce the window opening, that is, in any case, change the glass unit in accordance with the new dimensions..

At sixth,the expansion of the window, which is inevitable in the case of creating the optimal height of the window sill-recreation area, comparable to the height of a standard sofa, is associated with a change in the appearance of the facade of the house. Of course, if you live in a country house, then there are no problems – your house – your facade – change as you want. But if you live in an apartment building, then making changes to the appearance of the facade of the house is fraught with problems with the management company and regulatory state bodies. That is why a voluntarily expanded window in the living room on the second floor is rather an option for private houses.

Alteration of a window sill is no less important and large-scale task than joining one room to another. In some cases, it may be necessary to obtain permits

There is no doubt that a window sill can become not only beautiful, but also a functional part of the window. However, in order to turn it into a beautiful tabletop, a full-fledged table, a cozy soft ottoman or bed, you should think through each stage of work in advance, foresee all possible problems and make the windowsill-recreation area as safe as possible.