DIY Bay Window Seat

We have a bay window in our bedroom. We have debated what to do with this space since we moved in. At first we thought that we would buy some nice chairs, but I have always loved built in window seats. They are a great use of space and a nice place to sprawl out and read a good book.

So, on one of my many google images searches, I found this image: Not only does it look awesome, but it fixes one of our problems… what to do about the heating vents. We can’t cover them, so why not put the window seat on legs?

This what the space looked like before we built the window seat. Boring….

Bay Window Seat On Legs Tutorial:

List of Supplies:

2x4’s
(1) 4x8’ sheet of MDF- cut in half.
(2) MDF trim boards
(4) legs
(4) leg mounting plates
screws
hole filler + sander
primer
paint
Matt decided to build the frame first, then install it. My suggestion would to assemble as you go in the intended space… it will save you time and headache…Attach the legs to the seat, then screw the bench to the wall. Make sure you are screwing the screws into studs. IF you don’t, the seat will not be secure and will not hold the weight and abuse over time. Nail the MDF board to the top of the frame. We had to do this in three sections. Let’s just say the person who built this bay window did not use a level and measuring tape...Next, nail the MDF trim to the front of the bench. Matt made the bench so the MDF top would hang over the trim by ½”. So in other words, the front is not flush...This is what the bench looked like once Matt was done with his handy work. Now came my part…. 1. Patch all the holes. 2. Sand all the patched holes. 3. Paint the bench with primer (FYI MDF SOAKS up paint. Primer is cheaper than paint. SO I would recommend this step.) After the primer is dry, paint the window seat your desired color. We went with cream since it matches our other trim work. Once the paint is dry, throw some pillows on the bench. Pillows make all the difference!
This whole project was about $100.00. Mind you, I still need to make a cushion for this thing, but that will be for another day…