Easy DIY Window Bench

Hiya Friends! I hope everyone’s summer is going well! I’ve taken some time off of working and I’ve literally gotten so lazy. I don’t know what it is, but the more I slow down, the harder it is to get back into the groove of things, hence why I’m always on the go. I also realize that if I don’t force myself to write up a blog post within a reasonable time of completing a project–they never happen. So on my last post, I shared my DIY master walk-in closet and today I’m going to be sharing my process for creating that cute little wooden window seat/bench I built.

One of my favorite quotes!

Window seats/benches add charm, interest, and a feeling of coziness to a space. I’ve always dreamed of having a window seat in my home, but never had a place for one until now. With the addition of the built in closet cabinet, it provided a perfect little nook where I needed to decide on a built-in bench or desk area. I polled my friends on Instagram and the overwhelming response was Window Seat!

This window bench was super easy to build and required very few materials. If I’m being honest, my goal was to create it as inexpensively as possible. You can definitely add more interest or character, but I just wanted a pretty basic perch, where I can layout clothes, if needed, or to take a breather and admire the view of the marina.

What you’ll need:

stud finder

nail Gun and brad nails (or hammer and nails)

1×2’s or larger wood for supports (I used 1×2’s because I had them on hand)

1-3/4″ screws and a screw gun

level

Common wood boards for top of bench (My bench measured 20″D x 51″W x 22″ H)

1-1″x 8″x10

2-1″x 4″x10

I had hoped to use one full piece of plywood for the seat portion of this project, but was unable to get help cutting it when I was at the store, so I opted for individual Common Pine boards, which are fairly inexpensive. If you decided to go this route, be sure to check that each board is straight and not warped. Also, for the look I was going for, I really didn’t want a lot of knots in my bench, so I had to be super picky when choosing my boards and looked for boards with a smoother grain.

What to do:

Use your stud finder and mark the location of the studs.

2. Decide on the placement of your supports and pre-drill holes into the support boards (1×2’s) prior to screwing them to the wall. Using your level, ensure that the supports are level and attach them to the the studs using your screws and a screw gun.

3. Once your supports are in place and secure, you can begin laying your boards across them. I chose to place them in order like this: 1-1″x8″, 1-1″x4″ and then another 1″x8″. Securing them to the support boards along the edges with my nail gun.

4. Once all of my boards were secured to the supports, I realized that my bench was probably a bit too wide to “float,” so I went ahead and took a scrap piece of 1″x 8″ and placed it under and in the center of my bench for additional support. If my bench were under 3 feet, I think a floating style bench would have worked.

5. I secured the support board, with nails down the center (well sorta) of my bench to secure the support board to the seat of the bench (boards)

I’ve never been a perfectionist, ha!

6. Next, I added a trim (made of small square poplar dowels) around the base of the support board and nailed it to the floor. This served two functions: to make it appear more finished, and to secure the support board to the floor making it much more sturdy.

The anatomy of my support trim

7. Last, but not least, I added an apron (1″x4′) to the front of the bench using my nail gun. Otherwise it just looked unfinished.

To further finish the bench, I sanded it down lightly and filled some nail holes (again, anti-perfectionist here, hi!), and then mixed up a concoction of stain until I got my desired color. I used Minwax Polyshades in Pecan and Varathane in Dark Walnut.