Ode to a Window Seat

Wanted since a wee girl,

Our houses never had

A window seat for reading

Or staring at the land.

Until one day at ReStore,

A cabinet she did spy,

The ‘perfect’ length and depth

To make one by and by.

…

I really had wanted a window seat since I was little.  The idea of sitting near a window and being able to read while also being able to look outside was very appealing.

Flash forward to 2014.    We were living in our previous home, a two-story monstrosity in the suburbs, and I was looking for a project.  While walking through the local Habitat for Humanity ReStore I saw a long cabinet that had been removed from a winery tasting room.  It looked like the perfect size to fit under our windows in our upstairs master bedroom.

After a short discussion with Larry (read arm-twisting), we went back with the utility trailer (still in-progess) and picked up the cabinet. 

We measured and planned, and since the cabinet was slightly shorter than what we needed to center under the windows, Larry added a section to the left end. 

After construction, the cabinet, drawers and doors were painted and then installed. 

We made a padded seat with plywood, foam and upholstery fabric. The final product included deep bookcases on each end of the seat to frame it and to hold all of my treasured books and scrapbook albums.

The view wasn’t great – the top of our patio cover and the back of our neighbors’ houses – but dang-it, I had a window seat! 

Before too long, we listed the house for sale, and I had to say goodbye.

Lo and behold, our new home already had window seats in the master and one other bedroom.  And, the windows look out over our front yard and pond, a park-like view. 

That little girl who so desperately wanted a window seat now has two.  And even though our youngest daughter’s dog and my houseplants are what sit on them these days, it brings a smile to my face every time I see them!