Turn An Empty Window Nook Into A Stylish Seating Space With An IKEA Nightstand Hack

A stylish and cozy window nook sounds like a dream to any bookworm's ears. Imagine being able to curl up on a little window seat so you can escape into a good book, only taking small recesses to look out at your neighborhood on a beautiful day. Well, even if you don't have fancy built-in furniture in your home, you can still build a perfectly good window seat –– and with minimal carpentry skills. It turns out you can just take a trip to IKEA and half the work is already done for you. At least that's what DIY blogger Champagne Chaos proved by turning two MALM nightstands into the perfect window seat for her home.

Champagne Chaos author Annie Williams demos the process to complete this magical transformation in a YouTube video. She didn't even have to remove the baseboards from her walls to do it either. First, you'll need one or two MALM nightstands from IKEA (or however many you need to fit your window nook) as well as measured and cut plywood, pine boards, screws, and anything you will need to paint and decorate your window seat as you wish. If the MALM's dimensions don't work, other DIYers have also done similar hacks with the NORDLI nightstand, BESTA shelving unit, and the KALLAX cube storage unit.

First, Williams built a platform to put her nightstands on with pine boards so the drawers could be opened and shut without running into the baseboards. She then slid the MALM units into the space and added plywood on top. Once the window seat was built, she painted the wood, added hardware to the drawers, and then decorated the top with seat cushions, throw pillows, and a sconce on the wall to make a cozy space. If you have a bay window, TikToker @krreno__diy also used MALM units to build a window seat with some added framing.

Not only does this DIY provide some amazing storage space, it's also an adorable addition to your home. When choosing items to style your bench, feel free to play with various types of cushions to make it comfortable for you. You can make a DIY cushion with thick foam and the fabric of your choice, but you can also order a custom cushion like this option on Amazon for an easier approach. Furthermore, you can elevate the piece by giving your IKEA MALM drawers a vintage feel using overlays of wood trim or appliques.