I think my children and I are part feline. We love to stretch out on the floor in the sunshine. Or better yet, we love to find a nice little perch and just curl up. And, the cat woman in me has always dreamed the fanciful dream of a window seat. What kitty doesn’t love a seat to look out at the world while being perfectly safe and warm? When I started to redecorate my bedroom in my mind, my window seat fantasy kept meowing out to me. I really wanted to make this vision a reality. The only way to make this little dream come true was to make sure it was as practical as it was exciting.
Window Seat Options
Practical meant a couple of things for this project. First, it needed to be affordable. Second, it needed to be a little more useful than an indulgent little nook. Storage was a must. I began my exploration into the options out there. It was a game of cat and mouse. I chased one idea after another, and there were some really great ideas out there. I finally decided to go with some cabinetry from IKEA. I could buy them in a dimension that was ideal for my location. And, this option was really inexpensive. While it might not have the scale and complexity of another Ikea hack detailed on HomeFixated, I was feeling like a kitty on catnip!
The IKEA Window Seat Hack
I purchased three sections of IKEA’s Akurum style cabinetry for above a refrigerator. My handy hubby was my right hand man on this project. He had the three cabinets assembled in less time than it took for the kids to watch the Aristocats. While Handyman Hubby was assembling the cabinets, I was putting together the seat cushions. I went down to Home Depot and had a nice little helper cut out two sections of 5/8″ thick board. I would normally do my own cutting, but this step was a time saver. And that kitty in me is curious and fascinated with that awesome panel saw. I could stand there with earplugs and watch that thing cut all day…
Anyway, I brought my boards home and glued a nice, comfy piece of foam that I’d cut to dimension onto each of them. I then wrapped my boards up like a present and stapled the fabric onto the back.
In the garage, the cabinets were being joined together with hardware that IKEA had provided. After that step, my Toolman cut out eight legs for our creation.
I painted the legs the color we would ultimately paint the entire piece. He drilled holes down into the legs and installed hanger bolts into the legs. He marked the spot where the bolts would enter the cabinets. He then drilled holes into the cabinetry. He pushed the bolts through the holes, and attached nuts onto the bolts.
We turned the piece upright, and hauled it inside. We set it in its place, and laid the cushions on. It already looks so nice!
The Final Touches
But I wasn’t quite finished with it yet. The IKEA cabinets came in a very sterile looking white laminate. So, according to me, they needed a little paint to warm them up and make them look a bit more cozy. I had already painted the legs with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old Ochre. And because Annie’s Chalk Paint adheres to laminate (ME-OW!), I spent some time painting and waxing my brand new, dream come true, window seat.
Finally, we added some hardware. With our new window shades (article coming soon), I’d say our bedroom is officially the cat’s meow. It’s the purrfect place for blanket and a book. Or for a little cat nap in the sun.
