BuiltIn Archives

For our latest lookbook, we’ve collected eight window seats in homes across the world including clever custom-made solutions in wood and concrete.

By installing a window seat, interior designers don’t just add extra seating to a room, they also create a peaceful space that can be used for contemplation and relaxation.

Whether it functions as a small nook for reading, a sofa for socialising or even as a daybed, these projects showcase how the built-in furniture piece has been used in homes from Denmark to China.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring interiors created on a budget, immersive saunas and light-filled kitchens.

Nicolai Paris, France, by NOA

This Network of Architecture-designed Marais apartment inside a converted hotel has been outfitted with a selection of custom-made oak furniture. In the living room, a stylish built-in window seat was designed to function as both seating and storage space.

Its curved shape was enhanced by the addition of black-leather cushions and pillows, which contrast the unadorned white walls and the bleached oak parquet with its decorative chevron pattern.

Find out more about Nicolai Paris ›

Villa Weinberg — Photo by Mikkel Mortensen

Villa Wienberg, Denmark, by Wienberg Architects and Friis & Moltke

Together with studio Friis & Moltke, Danish architects Mette and Martin Wienberg gave this 1940s cottage an overhaul to turn it into a home for their own family.

The house has wooden panelling throughout and in the living space, the material was also used to form a low-slung window seat that functions as a bench around the room. Cosy pillows and a sheepskin add comfort.

Find out more about Ell House ›

Maison Jericho, France, by Olivia Fauvelle Architecture

This outbuilding in Marseille was refurbished and extended by French studio Olivia Fauvelle Architecture. In the living room, a concrete window seat was added to help create a connection between the indoors and outdoors.

It overlooks a tiled terrace with a pool and is topped with a leather daybed to create a restful space. A wood-burning stove hangs above the window seat, adding warmth to the room.

Find out more about Maison Jericho ›

First floor window seat in Puppeteers House by REDO Architects — Photo by Do Mal o Menos

Puppeteers House, Portugal, by REDO Architects

REDO Architects was inspired by stage sets when designing Puppeteers House in Sintra, Portugal, which features wooden joinery constructions intended to evoke theatrical scenography.

This includes a curved wooden bench that functions as a window seat on the first-floor landing, where it is matched by wooden panelling.

“We used a precise quarter of a circle as a tool – like a compass – in different radii, orientations, combinations and materialities,” REDO Architects founder Diogo Figueiredo told Dezeen.

Find out more about Puppeteers House ›

Wooden window seat — Photo (above and main image) by Maxime Brouillet

Ell House, Canada, by Ravi Handa Architect and AAmp Studio

The built-in window seat in the Ell House holiday home in Wellington provides its owners with a picturesque view of Lake Ontario.

The exterior of the house was clad in cedar that was charred using the Japanese yakisugi method while the interior features contrasting light oak millwork.

The same wood was also used to form a window seat in the bedroom, which features clean lines and has a cushion for additional comfort.

Find out more about Ell House ›

Window seat inside Low Energy House designed by Architecture for London — Photo by Lorenzo Zandri and Christian Brailey

Muswell Hill home, UK, by Architecture for London

British studio Architecture for London designed this home in north London for its founder Ben Ridley. Located in an Edwardian house that hadn’t been renovated for almost 40 years, it was designed to be energy-saving and constructed using natural materials.

A cosy window seat made from grey limestone can be found in the kitchen, where it connects to a storage cabinet made from pale oak.

Find out more about Muswell Hill home ›

U-shape Room by Atelier Tao+C — Photo by Tian Fang Fang

U-Shape Room, China, by Atelier Tao + C

U-shaped window seats are more unusual than rectangular ones. But in this Chinese home, the architects had little choice as the building is dominated by a huge, rounded bay window.

Studio Atelier Tao+C added a curved plywood seat that also has storage spaces. It matches a two-storey plywood volume that houses all the functional rooms of the apartment.

Find out more about U-Shape Room ›

Dining table with green wall and yellow pendant — Photo by Magnus Berger Nordstrand

The Yellow House in the Apple Garden, Norway, by Familien Kvistad

This renovated 1950s house in Oslo was given a colourful interior by locally based duo Familien Kvistad and also features “an abundance of wood”.

While window seats are usually placed under large windows, here the designers chose to add one underneath the smaller, rectangular kitchen window. The long bench is made from ash and has practical storage space hidden underneath a dark green cushion seat.

Find out more about The Yellow House ›

Reference

Interior Design

Ten dining rooms with built-in seating including benches and banquettes

By Zarkon Group,21/10/2023

Our latest lookbook explores homes where built-in benches or banquettes offer an inviting place to sit around the dining table, while also helping to save space.

Built-in seating is a popular solution in kitchens and dining rooms where the optimal position for a table is along a wall rather than in the centre of the space.

For homes where space is limited, a fixed bench can provide more seats than would otherwise be possible. It can also be a clever way of integrating extra storage, with concealed compartments under the seat.

The most straightforward approach is to build a fixed seat along one side of the table and then add dining chairs on the opposite side, although L-shaped or curved seating installations can also be possible, depending on the layout.

Whatever the design, the key to getting it right is ensuring that the table legs don’t clash with the base of the bench, so that it’s easy for people to get in and out.

Read on for 10 examples, ranging from a minimalist terrace in London to a warm and tactile family home in Melbourne.

This is the latest in our lookbook series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, other recent lookbooks feature colourful shower rooms and kitchens with tiled worktops.

10 Fold House, Australia, by Timmins + Whyte

This extension to a family home in Melbourne, designed by architecture and design studio Timmins + Whyte, includes a casual dining space that slots into a corner between the kitchen counter and the end wall.

The L-shaped bench is topped with peach-toned cushions, which match the warm tone of the mid-century-style oak table. As well as providing comfort, they conceal storage areas underneath.

Find out more about 10 Fold House ›

Spruce House by Ao-ft — Photo is by Rory Gardiner

Spruce House, UK, by Ao-ft

A bench seat forms an extension of the polished concrete floor in this cross-laminated timber-framed house in east London, designed by Ao-ft founders Liz Tatarintseva and Zach Fluker as their own home.

This is possible because the living space is slightly sunken. This means the concrete plinth, which actually sits at ground level, is the perfect height for sitting at the table.

Find out more about Spruce House ›

Project Karper by He! — Photo is by Tim Van de Velde

Karper, Belgium, by Hé!

This converted warehouse in Brussels was designed to serve as either a family home or a co-living building, so it features a range of different live and work spaces. One of these is a casual dining space located next to the kitchen on the second floor.

A custom-made bench anchors this space to the side wall. A matching table has a squashed circle shape, creating the feel of a round table while also aligning with the seating fixture.

Find out more about Karper ›

Dining space in Frame House by Bureau de Change — Photo is by Gilbert McCarragher

Frame House, UK, by Bureau de Change

When remodelling this south London terrace, architecture studio Bureau de Change added a three-tiered extension at the property’s rear.

The stepped terrazzo floor was designed to incorporate casual seating areas, with one of them serving as a seating area for the adjacent dining table.

Find out more about Frame House ›

Interior of Steele's Road House by Neiheiser Argyros — Photo is by Lorenzo Zandri

Steele’s Road House, UK, by Neiheiser Argyros

If a kitchen has a window bay, this can be a good place to create a seating area. This is what London studio Neiheiser Argyros did in its renovation of a Victorian terrace in the west of the city.

A curved banquette wraps the base of the window, framing a fixed cafe-style round table.

Find out more about Steele’s Road House ›

Dining room interior of Girona Street apartment in Barcelona, designed by Raúl Sanchez Architects — Photo is by José Hevia

Girona Street Apartment, Spain, by Raúl Sanchez Architects

Barcelona studio Raúl Sanchez Architects employed colour-blocking to create the dining space for this renovated apartment in the city’s Dreta de l’Eixample neighbourhood.

A seating bench and the wall behind it are both painted deep blue, in contrast with the white tones elsewhere, which gives the dining space an increased emphasis.

Find out more about Girona Street Apartment ›

Kitchen with perforated breeze black walls and a timber ceiling — Photo is by Tom Ross

Sunday, Australia, by Architecture Architecture

A kitchen island provides the backdrop to the dining table in this house in Melbourne designed by local studio Architecture Architecture.

Upholstered in a muted colour textile, the banquette has a cantilevered seat that slots neatly under a long, slender table, while traditional dining chairs are positioned on the opposite side.

Find out more about Sunday ›

Kitchen island with built-in bench seat at Scalloped Concrete House

Scalloped Concrete House, USA, by Laney LA

California-based studio Laney LA found another way to position a dining space beside a kitchen island for this home in Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles.

Instead of extending out, the bench seat is built into a recess within the wooden volume.

Find out more about Scalloped Concrete House ›

Dining table and bench seat in London terrace by O’Sullivan Skoufoglou Architects — Photo is by Ståle Eriksen

Kensington Place, UK, by O’Sullivan Skoufoglou Architects

In this extension of a mid-terrace property in London’s Kensington, a built-in bench allowed O’Sullivan Skoufoglou Architects to fit a dining table into a narrow space.

Built from plywood, the bench incorporates storage. It is slightly recessed at the base, while a backboard makes it feel more integrated with the wall behind.

Find out more about Kensington Place ›

Dining table with built-in banquette in Nido House by Angelucci Architects

Nido House, Australia, by Angelucci Architects

The ground floor spaces of this family home in Melbourne wrap around a glazed courtyard, so an L-shaped seat was the best solution for fitting in a dining table.

Designed by Angelucci Architects, the space incorporates a green leather banquette and a dining table featuring a marble surface and a base wrapped in ceramic tiles.

Find out more about Nido House ›

Reference

Interior Design

Ten built-in beds that are embedded into the fabric of the building

By Zarkon Group,12/08/2023

From mattresses on concrete bases to beds encased within timber surrounds, this lookbook rounds up ten single, double and day beds that have been built into interiors.

Some designers choose to integrate beds into the building’s wider structure to create cohesion throughout interiors, eliminating the need to add matching furniture.

Built-in beds are often seen in buildings situated in warmer climates, such as Central America and the Mediterranean, where stone or concrete is used to keep spaces cool and to create bespoke, unmovable furniture.

Incorporated beds are also a popular choice when designing wooden cabins, due to their space-saving nature and the way they lend themselves to creating a cosy atmosphere.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring lime plaster walls, red interior schemes and interiors informed by retro design.

Wooden Cave, Greece, by Tenon Architecture

A double and a single bed were sunk into this striking cave-like hotel suite in Greece designed by Tenon Architecture, which is made from over 1,000 pieces of spruce wood.

The tiered wooden stricture has a smooth, biomorphic appearance that recalls the grotto dwellings used by early humans.

Find out more about Wooden Cave ›

Casa Alferez by Ludwig Godefroy — Photo by Rory Gardiner

Casa Alférez, Mexico, by Ludwig Godefroy

Two stark bedrooms are found in architect Ludwig Godefroy’s brutalism-informed home, situated in a pine forest in Mexico.

Concrete was used for the walls, ceilings, floors, storage and furniture of the house – the harshness of which is offset in the plush day bed in its office area.

Find out more about Casa Alférez ›

Interior of Cabin Anna in the Netherlands by Caspar Schols — Photo is courtesy of Caspar Schols

Cabin Anna, The Netherlands, by Caspar Schols

A double bed – including headboard and bedding – was integrated into the floor of this modular cabin created by architectural designer Caspar Schols.

The structure and some of the furniture within it are flat-packed, allowing the space to be reconfigured depending on the needs of the user.

Find out more about Cabin Anna ›

Bedroom with curved ceiling and curved window at end — Photo by César Béja

Villa Petrico, Mexico, by CO-LAB Design Office

A glazed arch-shaped door dictates the shape of the rest of this tunnel-like bedroom in a concrete holiday home in Tulum.

Platforms are present throughout the bedroom, one of which acts as a broad base for an understated mattress bed.

Find out more about Villa Petrico ›

Minimal interiors of forest retreat designed by Norm Architects — Photo by Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen

Swedish forest retreat, Sweden, by Norm Architects

A sunken day bed takes advantage of the dramatic views of a pine forest in this cabin by Norm Architects.

Linen upholstery and pillows compliment the natural wood texture of the bed’s base and the rest of the floor – a combination that extends throughout the rest of the interior.

Find out more about Swedish forest retreat ›

Bedroom with stone wall and bed on platform — Photo by Edmund Sumner

Cometa House, Mexico, by Mauricio Rocha and Gabriela Carrillo

A rustic wall made up of irregularly shaped stones provides the backdrop for the pared-back built-in bed in this coastal home in Oaxaca.

A jute mat separates the mattress from its wide stone base, which has built-in steps separating it from the rest of the space.

Find out more about Cometa House ›

A bedroom inside 4/Way House — Photo by Taiyo Watanabe

4/Way House, USA, by Deegan-Day Design & Architecture

A birch plywood platform bed blends into the interior of a house in California by Deegan-Day Design & Architecture.

The bed is surrounded by integrated panelling with a shelf for books and has an angular footprint to accommodate a built-in bedside table.

Find out more about 4/Way House ›

Interior of Chestnut House by João Mendes Ribeiro — Photo by José Campos

Chestnut House, Portugal, by João Mendes Ribeiro

A double bed saves space in this small-scale rural cabin by sitting flush with the surrounding structure that makes up the floor.

The mezzanine bed is flanked by a bedside table area on one side and a ladder platform on the other that allows access to the level above.

Find out more about Chestnut House ›

Bed on platform inside open-plan bedroom — Photo by Yiorgis Yerolympos

NCaved house, Greece, by Mold Architects

Pale bedsheets blend in with light-coloured cast concrete platform and steps in this split-level bedroom.

The built-in bed allows for other design features to take centre stage in the double-height space, including the stone wall, lancet windows and exposed structural beam.

Find out more about NCaved house ›

Cabin Above the Town by Byró Architekti — Photo by Ondřej Bouška

Cabin Above the Town, Czech Republic, by Byró Architekti

A curtain separates a sleeping nook from the rest of this hilltop cabin’s open-plan interior.

A single plywood volume snakes around the edge of the space and provides storage, seating and a bathroom as well as a built-in bed, with a further guest bed atop the structure accessible by a ladder.

Find out more about Cabin Above the Town ›

Reference

Ground floor divided by pale blue storage volumes

Interior Design

Studio Vaaro reconfigures House M using built-in storage volumes

By Zarkon Group,04/05/2023

For the renovation of a house in Toronto’s West End, local firm Studio Vaaro added minimally detailed millwork to form kitchen cabinetry, the staircase and a feature bookcase in the living room.

Studio Vaaro‘s overhaul of House M, a three-storey detached property that had been renovated and extended multiple times over the years, involved reconfiguring the layout to remove the awkward subdivided spaces.

“Our clients were a professional couple with two young children, who were looking for flexible and resilient spaces that could accommodate their home offices, overnight guests, and the changing needs of their growing children,” said the studio.

“We, therefore, developed a spatial concept based on ‘functional volumes’, in which well-proportioned spaces are partitioned by blocks of storage and service functions.”

Kitchen separated from dining room by pale blue partition — The pale blue-grey volumes provide additional storage space for the kitchen

These built-in storage blocks partially partition four rooms on the ground floor while keeping an open flow between them.

Laid out in a diamond formation, all are coloured pale blue-grey to highlight their function against the otherwise white walls.

Kitchen with oak cabinetry and marble countertops — In the kitchen, oak cabinetry contrasts with the marble countertops

“The large amount of built-in storage ensures the rooms themselves are free of clutter and ready for use,” said Studio Vaaro. “In line with the family’s personalities, colour and playful details abound.”

In the entryway is a coat closet that hides the view of the living room behind, where an oak bookcase sat atop a teal powder-coated fireplace covers almost an entire wall.

Oak staircase with built-in bleachers and white guardrails — Bleachers are built into the oak staircase, offering a display area or extra seating

A powder room is placed between this space and the kitchen, also forming additional cabinet and counter space within its volume.

Further kitchen storage sits in front of the dining room, and another closet is tucked under the doglegging staircase.

Bedrooms viewed through deep portal doorways coloured dusty pink — On the first floor, the bedrooms are accessed through deep portal doorways

“A ‘mixing bowl’ at the centre of the plan, at the base of the stairs, visually and physically connects all four spaces,” the studio said.

Both the entry and the dining room volumes are pulled away from the home’s exterior walls, allowing additional views between rooms.

Kid's room with patterned wallpaper and writing on a closet door — The portals are coloured dusty pink and the kids rooms are also colourful

The remaining built-in furniture is oak to match the flooring that runs throughout, including kitchen millwork and the staircase, which incorporates oversized bleachers for displaying kids’ artwork or creating extra seating during a party.

A white metal “picket” guardrail, softened with rounded details, allows light to pass down from the upper levels.

On the first floor, two parallel volumes separate the children’s rooms at the front of the house and the primary suite at the back from the central corridor.

These create both storage for the rooms, and deep doorway portals that are highlighted in dusty pink.

Bathroom vanity with an angled skylight above — Skylights in the stepped angled roofs bring extra light into rooms at the rear, including the primary bathroom

Carefully considered details include recesses for the door handles, allowing the doors to open the full 90 degrees without banging into the wall.

Work and study spaces in the attic are minimally furnished, though feature built-in desks that step up to form shelves behind.

Study area with built-in oak desk — Study spaces in the attic also feature built-in furniture

Skylights in the stepped, angled roof planes on all three floors bring extra light into the dining room, primary bathroom, and the stairwell.

Other Toronto homes that have undergone extensive renovations to make them better suited for their occupants include a 14-foot-wide house where pale woodwork forms storage to make more space, and another “disguised as a gallery” – both designed by StudioAC.

The photography is by Scott Norsworthy.

Project credits:

Team: Aleris Rodgers, Francesco Valente-Gorjup, Shengjie Qiu.

Reference

Mermaid Beach Residence by B.E. Architecture

Interior Design

Ten living rooms with practical and beautiful built-in storage

By Zarkon Group,22/06/2021

For our latest lookbook, we’ve rounded up ten living rooms that have solved the storage dilemma with bespoke shelving that define the room.

This is the latest roundup in our Dezeen Lookbook series providing visual inspiration for the home. Previous articles in the series showcased designer bathrooms, colourful kitchens and living rooms with calm interiors.

Whether they’re used as room dividers, to show off the owners’ book collection or as a hiding place for shy pets, built-in or custom-made shelves create a design statement.

Read on for our round up of the ten best from Dezeen’s archives (plus a bonus eleventh one, above, which features the spectacular floor-to-ceiling bookcases at Olson Kundig’s Wasatch House in Salt Lake City):

Mermaid Beach Residence, Australia, by B.E. Architecture

The living room of Mermaid Beach Residence in Queensland’s Gold Coast region is a study in clever material use, with its concrete surfaces and timber flooring.

The monolithic built-in wooden shelving that fills one wall creates a decorative grid-effect on top of the concrete. It rests on a stone slab above wooden storage units at floor level.

Find out more about Mermaid Beach Residence ›

Artist's studio with large plywood partition

Artist’s studio, Russia, by Ruetemple

Architecture studio Ruetemple looked to “drawing and architecture” when designing this artist’s studio in Moscow, which is dominated by a large plywood partition that incorporates both furniture and shelving.

As well as separating the lounge area from a workspace, the partition works as both storage space and furniture. It has a built-in sofa, shelving, and a set of steps that lead up to a suspended sleeping platform.

Find out more about Artist’s studio ›

Pastel yellow built-in shelves in living room with concrete-style fireplace

Spear Building Loft, US, by Ravi Raj and Evan Watts

This former factory in New York was renovated to create a bright, open living space. In the living room, simple built-in shelves were painted in a creamy pastel-yellow hue that harmonises with the white storage units and the fireplace.

Rather than building the shelves into a separate wall panel, they have been attached to the white wall on one side, which creates an airy feel and helps open up the room.

Find out more about Spear Building Loft ›

Sierra Negra, Mexico, by Hemaa

Two built-in shelves with wooden panelling serve a decorative function in this Mexico City living room, which has matching wooden floorboards and wood-clad walls.

Its minimalist interior and simple colour palette, which blends beige, brown and grey hues, means the books in the shelves stand out as a splash of colour. The shelves also hold speakers and picture frames, helping to keep the rest of the room free from clutter.

Find out more about Sierra Negra ›

Sausalito Outlook by Feldman Architecture

Sausalito Outlook, USA, by Feldman Architecture

In the living room of this hillside home in Sausalito, California, Feldman Architecture added plenty of storage space for the owners’ book collection, while the white panelling in the middle hides the TV from sight.

The walls and kitchen space next to the storage wall have been painted a matching glossy white, complemented by more natural hues such as a beige rug and brown Ligne Roset Togo seating.

Find out more about Sausalito Outlook ›

Built-in wooden panelling in white open-plan living room

Mayfair apartment, UK, by MWAI

In small apartments, built-in shelving can be the perfect space-saving solution. For MWAI’s design of a 37-square-metre home in London’s Mayfair area, it covered one wall of the open-plan kitchen and living area in a pale-wood storage unit that also includes a desk.

Colours were kept neutral to reinforce the studio’s idea to look at the design as that of a hotel room where “all functions are carefully and discreetly planned to provide a functional response.”

Find out more about Mayfair apartment ›

Study lined with wood in Kew Residence by John Wardle Architects in Melbourne, Australia

Kew Residence, Australia, by John Wardle

Architect John Wardle renovated his own Kew Residence home to make its wood-lined first-floor study the focal point of the house. Built-in shelves hold books and bric-a-brac on one side of the room and the architect’s art collection on another.

Neutral wood colours were used for the shelves and the built-in reading nook in the room, where the architect said he spends “just about all his daylight hours.”

Find out more about Kew Residence ›

White shelves with a staircase for cats and colourful furniture

House for Booklovers and Cats, USA, by BFDO Architects

The built-in storage in this colourful home lives up to the project name – it doesn’t just have space for books and art, but also for the owners’ two cats to hide away from visitors.

The custom-made shelf has dozens of cubby holes while projecting shelves form a staircase for the cats to ascend to the ledge at the top, where they can sit and observe the goings-on below.

Find out more about House for Booklovers and Cats ›

Walnut reading nook and white bookshelf in Frank Gehry house

The Hide Out, US, by Dan Brunn Architecture

Dan Brunn Architecture renovated The Hide Out, which was originally designed by Frank Gehry in the 1970s, to pay homage to its initial simple material palette.

In this living room and bedroom overlooking a meditation garden, the lush walnut seating nook is complemented by a built-in white bookshelf that also hides a fold-out bed.

Find out more about The Hide Out ›

Roksanda Ilincic renovation by RA Projects

Fin House, UK, by RA Projects

The blue steel staircase in the middle of the living space in this home designed for fashion designer Roksanda Ilincic was designed to look “like a sculpture in a gallery.”

As well as a staircase, the piece functions as a shelving system with multiple shelves in different sizes. Its back wall is broken up rather than solid, which lets light pass through and stops the colourful piece from feeling too solid.

Find out more about Fin House ›

This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing peaceful bedrooms, calm living rooms and colourful kitchens.

Reference

BuiltIn

Eight homes with stylish and practical built-in window seats

Ten dining rooms with built-in seating including benches and banquettes

Ten built-in beds that are embedded into the fabric of the building

Studio Vaaro reconfigures House M using built-in storage volumes

Ten living rooms with practical and beautiful built-in storage

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