IKEA Expedit bookshelf as a window seat

My current nursery layout calls for a window seat. I love this because it provides another seating surface (that will perhaps be used as a passing out surface on those late nights?) with some added storage too.

The challenge of course is finding something suitable in height to fit under the window (which is 22" off the floor) while not taking up too much of a footprint in the room. Nicole suggested the 1x5 Expedit bookshelf from IKEA. At first I was hesitant. As clever as it was, turning an IKEA shelf on its side and then sitting on it seemed like a surefire way to have the whole thing collapse under you. But after checking it out in person, I was pleasantly surprised to find the Expedit is much more sturdy than I previously thought. Will it be an heirloom piece that I will pass down to my grandchildren? Unlikely. But for $60 it's a great solution to what would otherwise go as unused space.

A little digging around turned up several folks who have already tried this. Seeing their results has me more convinced than ever to give it a shot.






Love the combination of open storage for books + basket storage to corral smaller objects like blocks, etc.


My sewing skills are no where near those of my mom but making a cushion like the one above is definitely within my abilities. A 3-4" thick piece of foam cut to size should do just the trick. I'll cover it using the fabric below, self welt and tufted, thank you very much.



In my search for Expedit bookcases-turned-window seats, I ran into quit a few configurations of this versatile system. If you haven't yet checked out Ikea Hacker, people are doing some CRAZY stuff with IKEA products. Very inspirational to see what a little creativity can produce. The two below aren't exactly "hacks" but I still love the space saving and organizational duties.