Decor Tips
10 Window Sill Decor Ideas to Boost Your Ledge Game
The right window accessories can bring out the best of natural light. Here are our favorite trade secrets to help you up your window sill decorating game – with stylish figurines, statement benches and more.
1. Sunny Settee
Sunshine has always been the best style accessory – so to make a space feel refreshed, a tall window is a great place to start. Under a bucolic view, this chic settee in all-neutral upholstery is the perfect resting spot. Recommended for: catnaps, reading, window-gazing and overall daydreaming!
2. A Bright Bench
Walt Whitman once referred to the sun as “the glorious lamp of heaven;” from the viewpoint of chic window seating, we agree with Walt wholeheartedly. Here, a traditional sitting bench gets a touch of modernization with sophisticated top tufting. Note the use of contrast with tone-on-tone pillows and statement pattern. (Wondering whether or not you should bring in seating for your window? First, measure the space between the floor and where the ledge starts. If it’s less than 17”, you’ll probably be better off leaving the space blank. If it’s 17” or more, a standard entryway or bedroom bench will fill it in perfectly. If it’s 19” or more, you may want to look into dining benches – or even settees with backrests.)
3. Ledge Dreams
There’s nothing cozy about an empty wood window sill – until it meets its daybed match. Look for one that measures up to the height where your window sill starts, and push it against the wall for a window-sill-daybed union like no other. Also noteworthy here is the use of teeny-tiny figures in the ledge’s corner; in a little kid’s bedroom, it’s creative fodder for the imagination.4. Tiny Figurines
A tiny gathering of tiny figurines along a tiny window sill . . . how cute! Go miniature with a little herd of elephants or tower of giraffes. (Hot tip: When decorating with figurines, go with light colors, as black and darker colors absorb heat at a higher rate – and may even, depending on the material, melt or fade away faster.)
Nothing says ‘new day’ like a stream of sunlight flowing through a window pane, spilling onto a gorgeous bench or settee, making its rounds across hallways and corners, bouncing on a shiny lamp here or a silver mirror there, and reflecting off every nook and cranny in the entire room. Sun, after all, is energy in its purest form; sunshine in a room infuses the air with life and joy. Bring out the best of it – place a few figurines on a window sill. (We promise, the little silhouettes formed by a backdrop of natural light will be sure to put a smile on anyone’s face!)
5. Comfy Cushions
Give yourself a designated place to relax near a window, and make sure it’s got all the pillows, cushions and throws required for an afternoon of luxuriating. (Also makes a great resting spot for pre-morning “quite time” rituals.) Even a few minutes of sun, after all, spells numerous benefits. So, draw back those drapes, push up those shades, roll away those curtains. Do whatever you have to do to let in the rays of natural light and soak up that Vitamin D.6. Twin Lamps
A pair of matching lamps on or against a window ledge creates aesthetic symmetry and an easy way to focalize a room. If your sill is too small, use a low console table in its stead. (A word to the wise: table lamps may look pretty, but they’re also “resting spots” for dust! When placed on a window ledge or near a sill with an open window, take more precaution than normal! Even with a screen, an open window lets in tons of “floating particles” that will settle on the first thing they can find; in this case, the lamps!)
7. Sitting Pretty
A small sofa in front of a window: this harps on the tradition of afternoon high tea, when sitting parlours were the norm – and TV rooms hadn’t been invented yet. The gist: A socialite would invite her guests over for tea, biscuits, cookies and jam. Guests would gather in a parlour with Victorian-style windows – complete with sofa-style seating – and gossip about Mr. Darcy. (That last part may or may not be just in our heads.)8. Bedside Window
Placing a bed next to a window may not be the norm, but when done right, can have a stunning effect. Here, a nightstand draws attention to a window – and vice versa. Just remember: placing things in front of or near a window can block the view outside – which, of course, when “the view outside” is the ugly side of a building, this isn’t always necessarily a bad thing!
9. Bright, White . . . and Plants All Over
This kitchen ledge is overflowing with natural light, which is maximized by a bright white color palette. Walls, shutters, kitchen tiling and even the window sill accessories reflect back the day’s energy. (ICYWW - white’s association with natural light is actually scientific. When light hits a surface, like a pane or sill, the more saturated that surface is the less it will reflect the sun’s wavelengths. White, void of “color” as we know it, can’t absorb any wavelengths – and instead reflects it back into space, looking brighter as it does so.)
10. The Desk Job
The acacia wood desk pictured here features a unique sandblast finish. (Even if you tried, you couldn’t find a color palette better suited for a natural light-filled window sill.) Paired with a large window, its breezy overhead hutch creates lines and borders similar to an actual window sill – making it a great alternative for rooms without one.
Watch: Styling a Window Ledge
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Editorial Disclaimer: Articles featuring tips and advice are intended for educational purposes and only as general recommendations. Always practice personal discretion when using and caring for furniture, decor and related items.
