I thought I'd write a quick post on the wee addition that we built on the far wall of our living room during our recent renovation. I need to do a follow-up post with photos of the entire Tailored House project, however a few details aren't quite wrapped up so that will have to wait.
While we were planning our window seat addition I searched high and low all over the interwebs for some tips, advice, pictures, anything really, about adding on a window seat. There are plenty of articles about building a bench underneath an existing window, or adding a new window and bench without increasing the floor plan size. However we wanted to add space to the room, not much, just enough for an additional seating area, one that would be both a "refuge" and an "outlook".
Let me just say that it was a bit of a commotion. At one point last fall I was berating myself for trying to pursue this idea, the building permits were difficult to procure and the whole process was expensive. We needed to dig a separate foundation just for this seat. As MrBP likes to say, it was the most expensive addition per square foot "ever".
However now that it is built we can't imagine our living room looking any other way. It somehow increases the illusion of space in the living room though it doesn't impact the size of our garden at all. It connects with the outdoors yet also looks charming, private and inviting.
We had no idea how we were going to finish the interior of the window seat. We really didn't want to drywall it, our entire house is plaster and mixing those materials just doesn't look right somehow, at least not in the same room. In the end our carpenter finished it off with wood trim and panels he built himself. Our painter extraordinaire then sanded the heck out of it before painting it all out in Benjamin Moore's "muslin", the trim colour we used through the entire house.
The seat itself will be upholstered with a custom cushion which is currently being made. I am thrilled about the fabric we chose for the seat (here's a hint: it's a leopard print in an unusual colourway). When the bench cushion is finished we'll add some throw cushions, which are also currently being made, and the seating area will be complete.
You can see my sofa is also woefully under-cushioned, it really isn't tolerable! (As a committed follower of the Fabulous Faux Fuchsia I am well aware that "under-cushioning is the devil's work.)
I like the look of the seat from the entrance to the room, the eye is drawn to the far wall giving the feeling of spaciousness. This room was so cramped before we added the window seat area, mostly due to some garden doors that opened inwards and blocked the back wall of the room.
The eye is drawn to the light.
Here are the garden doors midway through the renovation:
You can see the doors opened inward which impeded any kind of sensible seating plan, the clearance needed for opening the doors prevented any furniture placement within four feet of the back wall.
The doors themselves had a modern look that didn't suit the house and we also disliked the transom window above the doors.
The day the doors were removed was pretty exciting!
As far as the bench portion of the window seat is concerned, I was quite adamant that I did not want it to flip up to a storage area. The seat and cushions would make getting to the area difficult and I really didn't want a spot in my house where items would be stored only to be neglected and forgotten.
Our designer came to the rescue yet again, and suggested we build a storage space for a specific purpose... I then realized it would be the perfect spot to store all of our Christmas decorations.
The decorations, lights, books and wrapping paper all fit perfectly in the space.
We're really pleased with the end result of this little addition with the big foundation. It barely increases the house's footprint and because it is so small we didn't have to alter our heating and cooling systems. We did insulate the heck out of it and it is warmer in this room than previously, those doors were a bit drafty.
The Norwood wooden windows also open (with disappearing screens) which will create some fresh air flow in this room, something I'm really looking forward to, if spring ever arrives that is!
I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have if you are considering such an addition to your home. You can leave a question in the comments or send me an email.
And if you're in the neighbourhood stop by and we'll have a glass of wine on the window seat together!
xoxDani