Wife wants window seat- dimension help
My wife would like a window seat along this wall. I’ve got enough of this salvaged oak wainscotting to panel the front.
How tall and deep do you who’ve made one make it?
My wife would like a window seat along this wall. I’ve got enough of this salvaged oak wainscotting to panel the front.
How tall and deep do you who’ve made one make it?
There are a number of ways to achieve a level foundation and mudsill.
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Replies
How tall and deep do you who've made one make it?
That's actually pretty easy. Sit down someplace.
You make it as tall as the distance from the floor to the back of a folded knee (minus any thickness of cushion anticipated).
You make the depth the length of the back of the leg to back of the hips while seated.
Note, that the best sitter to measure will be the one most likely to be there.
If you start from a carcass height around 14-15" you can have a couple inches of upholstered cushion. Use 18-20" for the depth. You can go 16" but the effect is more "pew" like than anything else. You can go 24" deep, but that's starting to be real deep unless you have long-legged folks around, or an excess of pillows and cushions (for seeing rather than sitting) to emplace.
Personal bias: Drawers are generally better than tip-up tops. Mostly because the need for something in the seat will be directly proportional to the amount of stuff on the lid (and how difficult it will be to put back).
Also, it's the least bit harder to mash fingers in a drawer than with that lid you are holding up with an elbow or shoulder while corralling 23-30m³ of pillow while rooting in the stuff for that one vital thing in the seat . . .
Lastly, I think drawers make for a much neater top than a lid--there are no cutouts or kerfs, no hinges showing, and so on.
If you do hinge the top, put the hinge point about 3-4" out from the back, that lets you swing open against all the pillows & cushions & such. Also, if none of the frufur is in place, that lets you tip the lid beyond 90, so it will stay put, rathe than hazarding fingers. If you have any wee ones about, do not install tip-up tops without using lid stays and/or decelerators--if only for the quiet.
Drawers are generally better than tip-up tops. Mostly because the need for something in the seat will be directly proportional to the amount of stuff on the lid (and how difficult it will be to put back).
Man cap'tn, that made me grin. Put these in when we built the house, 16" deep, upholsterd pads on top. piano hinged.
Dont think 2 of them have been opened for 5 years! Another horizontal space for storage of weekend 'easy tograb' grandkid stuff.
BTW, 20" high. Took a pix cause right next to the 'puter desk.
edit was to fix the screwed up perspective when I pasted the pix.
View Image
Edited 1/7/2008 4:40 pm ET by junkhound
I'd think one would appraoch it like a dog house..first measure the dog..LOL
Visions of Walter chasin the DW around trying to measure her butt..Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"Success is not spontaneous combustion, you have to set yourself on Fire"
chasin the DW around trying to measure her
Well, in many things, it is advantageous one to be discrete.
Like having said Worthy sit in a dining room chair, or upon a handy extant low wall.
Artifice also can work wonders, too. Plank or plywoord scrap set across a couple of 8" tall CMU, then have another scrap handy. Place same behind Design Committee (carefully, naturally). "Honey, is this a good back angle for a seat?" Test several "settings" then measure (note if feet clear of floor, too).
It's harder to use the depth of a window seat if your feet don't reach the floor "naturally" when bent round the edge. You can't push back without climbing on; you sort of have to crawl off afterwards.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
I put in some window seats in our recently completed addition. The depth depends on what you think you might use it for. Mine are 24 inches deep. They are OK as seats, but a little too narrow if you want to lie down to read, look out the window or cozy up to your wife. The one below is in the family room. There is an identical one on the other side of the fireplace.
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A former house had a 30" wide window seat in the bedroom and it was much more comfortable for the aformentioned activities, but would be too wide to serve as extra seating. Lots of pillows can reduce the effective depth.
Drawers underneath are very handy if you need storage. I put a window seat in the bedroom and the drawers are great to store blankets, pillows, etc.
A light above where your head would be if you were stretched out to read is a nice feature. You can't see them in the photo, but there are lights above each end.
The window seat I built for my wife was 34" deep and 20 1/2" high. A cut an opening in the top and attached it with a piano hinge to create storage below. Then my mother made the seat cushion. Hope this helps.
Also I know it's been answered a thousand times, but how do I make the picture to display in the post. Thanks for any help.
Brian