Example photo by Franco Debartolo on Unsplash, not our project
Richmond upon Thames · London
Barnes Window Seats
Few London rooms are perfectly square, and we scribe the furniture to follow the walls. We make window seats for homes in Barnes, each designed at a visit to your home.
- Off-the-shelf pieces that never quite fit the window
- Needing more storage in the room
- Toys spread across a bedroom floor
Window seats for your home in Barnes
Window seats for homes in Barnes
Window seats work in bedrooms and children’s rooms as well as living rooms. With deep drawers or a lift-up lid, it becomes useful storage as well as a place to sit. For children’s rooms, drawers are often easier for small hands than a heavy lid. Whatever the room, the process for a home in Barnes is the same. If you’re living with a bay window that’s hard to furnish and looking for a reading spot by the window, that is what window seats are for, made from MDF made to resist moisture and birch plywood, then spray-painted or hand-painted.
In streets where many homes were built before 1919, as they were around Barnes, under-stairs cupboards in older terraces often house the meters or the fuse board. Meter readers and engineers need to get to them, so the design keeps them accessible. Sash and bay windows are common in houses of that age too, and good places for seating with storage below.
Our quotes are written in plain words, without jargon. You’ll see what will be made, the boards used and the finish, all taken from the design visit.
- Where
- Barnes (SW13, SW15, SW14)
- Area
- Richmond upon Thames
- Price
- Quoted for your room
- First step
- Design visit, then a written quote
- Made
- Workshop-made, then fitted
- Made from
- MDF and birch plywood, painted
- When we fit
- Weekdays, and Saturdays by arrangement
- Get in touch
- The contact form
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What happens on fitting day
Furniture made in a workshop still has to meet the room it is going into, and that happens on fitting day. Few walls in older London homes are truly flat or square, so each edge that meets a wall is scribed to follow it. How long the fitting itself takes depends on the shape of the bay or recess and what goes under the seat, and the fitting days are agreed in your quote. Terraced streets in London are often lined with parked cars, so it helps to tell us at the design visit what’s outside. The van is unloaded quickly, with the sections carried straight in. Saturday fitting can be arranged.
- You get in touch and let us know about the window and the room.
- We come to measure and plan the seat, the storage and any radiator grille with you. We also talk about lift-up lids or drawers.
- We send a written quote setting out the design, materials and finish, for you to look over.
- Your window seat is made at our workshop, shaped to the window. We use moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood.
- We fit it in your home, scribed to the walls and the floor.
Getting ready for fitting day
- Clear the hallway and stairs so the sections can come through
- Keep pets out of the room and the hallway
- Clear the area where the furniture is going
Ask for a quote
Rough measurements are fine at the start. Everything is measured properly when we visit. To get started, use our contact form and let us know about the room. You receive a written quote after the visit.
Read more
Questions from Barnes
Can you fit window seats to the uneven walls of an older house in Barnes?
Yes, that is normal in older houses: each piece is scribed to the wall and levelled at the base. Skirting, picture rails and cornices are met neatly or cut around. Older walls can be solid brick or lath and plaster, and the fixings are chosen to suit.
Will parking be an issue for fitting furniture in Barnes?
It depends on the street, as many London boroughs run controlled parking zones. Depending on the street, a visitor permit, a paid bay or a bay suspension through the council may be needed, and suspensions often need notice. Let us know what parking is near you during the design visit.
Do you move sockets or add lighting?
No. We’re carpenters, so electrical work is for your electrician. We can plan cable routes into the design, and any new sockets are best done before fitting day.
Can you fit a window seat under a sash window?
Yes. Seats suit sash windows in many older homes. We measure the cill, the window and any shutters, so the seat sits neatly and the window still works. Repairs to the window itself are not our work.
Which is better under a window seat, a lid or drawers?
Often a mix works best. Drawers suit things you use often, and a lid suits bulky items. For children’s rooms, drawers are normally easier to manage. We’ll suggest a layout at the measuring visit.
Do you work on Saturdays?
Yes, by prior arrangement. If a Saturday works better for you, say so when you contact us.
Practical tips
People planning window seats often ask about these. They help whatever the room:
- Check the shutters so the seat can leave room for them
- Think about whether you’d like shelves either side
- Think about the cushion you’d like and who will make it
- Think about matching the woodwork or the walls
A hand-painted finish is easy to touch up if it gets marked. Keep a note of the colour for later. A spray-painted finish is smooth and even, and small marks often wipe off with a damp cloth.
Avoid standing on the seat to reach the window or curtains. Standing on it can mark the paint and strain the lid. It will look better for longer with a little care.
Flats, conversions and leaseholders
We also make and fit furniture for landlords furnishing a let, as it makes good use of an awkward room. It’s made from the same moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood as any of our work, with a spray or hand-painted finish.
Some blocks ask for notice before trades arrive, often through a building manager or concierge. Lifts sometimes need to be booked, and the lift size helps decide how big each section can be. Mention it when you get in touch.
Why bespoke in Barnes?
For a straight window with no radiator, a ready-made bench can do the job. A bespoke seat earns its place where there is a bay, a radiator or a need for storage. We are happy to give an honest view at the measuring visit. Standard units assume square rooms, and period homes seldom have them, so it leaves gaps at the wall, tilts on sloping floors or sits awkwardly against skirting and picture rails. Fitted pieces follow the wall and sit level.
We do not publish set prices, because each job is designed for a single room. We measure up, discuss the design and send a quote in writing, naming the materials and finish. To start, use our contact form.
What you get with us
- Every London borough and the City of London covered
- 300+ projects completed
- A spray or hand-painted finish
- Edges scribed to follow your walls
Read bespoke vs off-the-shelf or what a quote should include.
What else we make in Barnes
Window seats for homes in Barnes
Homes built before 1919 make up about 52% of the housing in the area around Barnes, with about 17% built between 1919 and 1939, according to Valuation Office Agency council tax figures (2025). Knowing roughly when a home was built helps, because walls and fixings change from one era to the next. Entries on the National Heritage List near the centre of Barnes include Church of St Mary (Grade II*), less than half a mile north-east, and Strawberry House (Grade II), less than half a mile north-east. Works inside a listed home that affect its character, for instance removing original joinery or fixing into it, can require listed building consent from the council. Check with the council’s conservation officer first. The ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone) now covers the whole of London, Richmond upon Thames included. So any van that delivers or fits furniture in Barnes is covered by it. Parking and access are planned during the design visit.
The wider area includes historic houses such as Chiswick House, about 0.9 miles north-west. If your own home is a period one, the deep reveals of an older window can frame a seat neatly. For a family home near St Osmund's Catholic Primary School, deep drawers suit the bulky things families collect, from scooters to swimming kit. Living in a block of flats near Barnes Bridge station? Then check any building rules on lifts and working hours early, and the sections will be sized for the way in.
Barnes is part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, about 4 miles south-west of Twickenham. Our work covers every London borough and the City of London, Barnes included. We list Barnes among 19 places we cover in Richmond upon Thames.
We cover every part of the SW13, SW15 and SW14 postcode area. You’ll find streets here like Church Road, Station Road and Barnes High Street, and homes on each of them are within our area for window seats. Barnes sits close to the A306 and B349, and we plan where the van can stop before fitting day. Other places close to Barnes include Old Chiswick (1 mile north), Turnham Green (1 mile north-west), Mortlake (1 mile south-west), East Sheen (1 mile south-west) and Putney (1 mile south-east). Elsewhere in Richmond upon Thames, we also cover Twickenham (4 miles south-west), Richmond (3 miles south-west), Richmond upon Thames (2 miles west), Teddington (5 miles south-west), Hampton (7 miles south-west) and Kew (2 miles north-west).
What’s near Barnes
Around Barnes, we cover homes near Polish Library POSK in London, The Harrodian School and Chiswick School. There is a railway station in Barnes itself: Barnes Bridge station. Nearby you will also find Putney Exchange (1.4 miles south-east) and Antique Breadboard Museum (1.2 miles south-east). For a walk, there’s Duke's Hollow.
DIY, flat-pack or bespoke
Off-the-shelf cupboards come in fixed sizes, so there’s often a strip of wasted space at the side or above. Furniture we make is built to the room’s own sizes, so it can use the full height and width.
Cost matters, and it’s fair to say so: off-the-shelf furniture typically costs less up front. Bespoke earns its place where the room is awkward, space is tight or you want the furniture to look part of the house.