My window seat edit

Everything window seat related and how to nail the look

It has always been a dream of mine to have a window seat. I don’t know where this obsession came from but I feel that a window seat is always a feature of a very British, very eclectic home. Loads of cushions, different patterns and colours, books, and the mandatory cup of tea on a side table. All to make the ordinary extraordinary. 

Evidently, when we moved into our home 12 months ago my first task - besides renovating the whole house 😅 - was to turn an unused dead area of the dining room into a cosy window seat; to pass time, work, read and drink a glass of wine. It has become our favourite spot in the house. And so today I thought I’d share the window seat edit - I’m talking every single cushion, fabric, poof, throw and lamp I’ve used (and if things are sold out - alternatives to this!). Plus, further down; a couple of notes on how we made the window seat and my drawings so that you can draw inspiration or even reuse the drawings should you like! 

Let’s start with the fun part the window seat edit 

Cushions are every interior designer’s secret weapon! I love a cushion because it really is the perfect item to quickly give your home an update. The perfect way to inject a flash of colour, a burst of pattern or layer up on texture. To be very honest, I know cushions can be hella expensive so what I tend to do is have a set for each season that I can alternate between, but that can be combined. In that way, if I want to zhuzh it up, I can ….. (yes, I had to google how to spell, zhuzh …).

Remember that just like us humans, cushions come in all shapes and sizes – and thank god for that. Each style has its own benefits. Personally, I think they work best en-masse and in different sizes, shapes and forms: I like it when there are so many on a sofa that there’s barely enough room to sit down. To me, that’s the ultimate chef's kiss styling.

Here are all the cushions you can see chez moi (with links)

Picture 1: Oka Linen Ochre cushion Picture 2: Oka Linen Terra cushion Picture 3: Sezane velvet caramel cushion Picture 3: Sezane Blush stripes cushion

A throw blanket is an easy way to add texture and style to a space, and for cosy hibernation! Here are the ones you can find in my home:

Picture 1: Lucas du Tertre throw Picture 2: Sezane quilt in teracotta Picture 3: H&M Wool blanket in green and stripe Picture 4: Pigletinbed Ochre Gingham Wool Blanket

Every other detail

Picture 1: Tinker & Tallulah lamp shade Picture 2: Oka Isphahan Urn Table Lamp (the blue one is out of stock but this one with a slightly different pattern is so so beautiful as well) Picture 3: Oka Costellini Linen Ottoman - Olive Stripe Picture 4: Antique Gouda Lamp from Vinterior

The Martini Table

I love a little side table! They are charming yet elegant accent tables that are just big enough to hold your cup of tea or martini glass (or in my case put as much as you can on there haha). They are modest in stature and the perfect little pairing with an accent chair or sofa. I think I have an obsession because I have 20 little tables dotted around the house - don’t judge me!

One of my favourites is this little martini table in the dining room that fits perfectly with a mismatch of more Victorian antiques, art deco details and midcentury furniture. I found it on eBay for a cheap penny from this artist who was just starting out. Since then they’ve become a bit more sophisticated with a metal top! Have a look here if you fancy one!

The making of the window seat

At first, I tried to wing it 😅. I thought to myself “really, how hard can it be!?”. And, the reality is that no, it’s not super hard, but it does take precision and a fair amount of design elements to make it into something that looked “ok” rather than a botch job done by yours truly! The truth is that we watched a couple of YouTube and did wing it slightly haha - don’t judge us! As I’m writing, I just googled “how to make a window seat” and I found this very useful step-by-step guide that I now wish we had used … ANYWAYS!

First things first; here are the drawings I made for the window seat. A lot of you ask what program I use for designing and mainly it is CAD in SketchUp.

Here are a couple of tips worth baring in mind: having the proper tools can make it go 100 times faster haha 😅! My top tools “worth spending a little bit extra on” are; a mitre saw, drill, spirit level and angle measure. I recommend 45cm as a comfortable sitting height if you don’t know where to start.

For the fun part: adding wooden moulding and even cutting arches out and placing natural cane material makes the style feel lived in. For colour, I’d recommend painting it the same as the wall and then you can layer it with patterns and lots of soft furniture. This brings us to … the stripe cushion!

The window seat cushion

Even little old me can just about make a cushion at home. As the window seat is pretty big I divided it into two cushion sections. To begin, all you need to do is cut your fabric to your chosen size, then choose and cut the same fabric for the back panel. Place them together facing inwards, and then sew straight-stitch around three sides. Next, turn your cushion cover the right way around and fill it with stuffing (I used upholstery foam from Dunelm). Finally, sew up your little corner – et voilà! You’ve made yourself a cushion.

I bought the red stripe fabric at my local haberdashery and so I couldn’t find the exact one online, but here are some of my favourites I’ve found that are very similar to the one seen in my window seat.

Picture 1: Jura Stripe Fabric by Ian Mankin Picture 2: Callow Stripe Fabric by Ian Sanderson Picture 3: Long Island Stripe Fabric

If you have any questions please let me know (window seat, building or styling related!). Here to answer all your questions.

As always, thank you for reading and see you next week!

With love, Patricia