Example photo by Franco Debartolo on Unsplash, not our project
City of London · London
Smithfield Window Seats
Window seats for bays and under sash windows, with storage inside, for homes in Smithfield. After a design visit and a written quote, it’s made at our workshop and fitted in your home.
- A sash window with space beneath it going to waste
- A period room that needs furniture to suit it
- Off-the-shelf pieces that never quite fit the window
Ask about window seats in Smithfield
About our window seats in Smithfield
Bay windows are common in period homes, and they make a natural place for a seat. A bay is rarely a simple shape, with angled sides and walls that aren’t quite straight. Each side is measured and the seat is scribed to fit, so it sits neatly in the bay without gaps. It is the kind of space where a ready-made bench never quite fits. We make window seats from birch ply and moisture-resistant MDF, painted by hand or sprayed, and people most often get in touch about a child’s room that needs storage and seating and a bay with no furniture that fits.
Around Smithfield, most households live in purpose-built flats, and blocks often have rules on lifts, deliveries and when work can happen. It’s useful to check them with the managing agent before fitting day. A lease can require consent for fixing to walls, so check yours first.
A quote in writing is the clearest record of what we’ve agreed. It describes the window seat we’ve designed for the room, its materials and its finish.
- Place
- Smithfield (EC1V, EC1P, EC1R)
- Area
- City of London
- Price
- Quoted for your room
- First step
- We visit, measure, then quote
- Where it’s made
- Made in our workshop and fitted on site
- Materials and finish
- MDF and birch plywood, painted
- Working days
- Monday to Friday; Saturdays by prior arrangement
- Enquiries
- Our contact form
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Materials and finishes
Birch plywood
Birch plywood is strong and holds screws well. It suits the frame and the seat top, which take weight every day. Its layered edge can be shown or painted.
Hand-painted finish
A hand-painted finish can be done in your home after fitting. It is easy to touch up if it gets marked. It suits a seat that sees daily use.
From workshop to your room
Period rooms often have skirting boards, picture rails, cornices or coving for the furniture to meet. We cut and scribe the furniture around them on site, so it sits neatly against the room. How long the fitting takes depends on whether the seat has drawers, a lift-up lid or a radiator grille, and the fitting days are agreed in your quote. With little room to spare in a flat, pieces come in as they’re needed. We protect the floors and keep dust to a minimum. The fixings suit each wall, whether solid or stud.
- You contact us with some details about the bay or recess.
- We visit to measure the angles of the bay and the floor, and go through the design.
- A quote in writing follows, setting out the design, materials and finish.
- In our workshop we make each section of the seat from moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood.
- We fit the seat in your home, trimming the edges to meet the walls and cill.
Preparing the room
- Clear the walls of pictures and shelves
- Get any new sockets or wiring done by your electrician before fitting day
- Book any lift and let the concierge or building manager know
How to get a quote
To get a quote, get in touch through our contact form and tell us which room you have in mind. We then arrange a design visit to measure and talk through the design, and a quote in writing follows.
Related advice
Questions from Smithfield
Do you cover homes near Farringdon station?
Yes, homes across the City of London and the rest of London are within the area we cover. To get started, you can use our contact form with a few details about the room.
How do you fit window seats in a flat in Smithfield?
At the design visit, we measure the way in as well as the room. Window seats are made at our workshop in sections sized to fit that route, then assembled in your flat. It helps to check any building rules and your lease before fitting day.
What materials do you use for window seats?
We use moisture-resistant MDF and birch plywood. Birch plywood gives strength to the frame and seat, and MDF takes paint well for the fronts and grilles. The finish is spray-painted or hand-painted.
Can you build a window seat over a radiator?
Yes. Many windows have a radiator beneath, and we design the seat around it. The front includes a grille so the radiator keeps working. Storage above a radiator stays warm, so it suits things that don’t mind that.
Can the fitting be on a Saturday?
Yes, by prior arrangement. If a Saturday works better for you, say so when you get in touch.
How much does a window seat cost?
Because every job is different, the cost is set out in a written quote after the visit. It depends on the size and shape of the window, the storage you want and the finish. To get a quote, get in touch through our contact form and we will arrange a design visit.
What window seats cannot fix
Damp treatment and building work are for other specialists, so these points are worth knowing:
- Any wiring, which needs an electrician
- Fabric covers and cushions
- Making good the walls, which is for a plasterer or decorator
Not sure whether your space suits window seats? You can use our contact form and we’ll tell you. How a job runs, step by step.
Boards, parts and finishes
- Radiator grilles
- Spray-painted finish
- Lift-up lids or drawers
- Hand-painted finish
- Birch plywood
- Moisture-resistant MDF
Nearby places to Smithfield
More for homes in Smithfield
Window seats in Smithfield: local notes
About 32% of the homes in the area around Smithfield went up since 2000, and about 28% between 1945 and 1972, on the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax figures for 2025. For carpentry, the era of a house is a useful clue to how square its rooms are and what its walls are made of. There are 472 entries on the National Heritage List within half a mile of the centre of Smithfield. Original fireplaces, shutters and panelling are worth keeping where they survive, and window seats can be designed to work around them. A quarter or more of the homes in the area around Smithfield (about 28%) were built between 1945 and 1972, in the VOA’s 2025 council tax stock figures. Windows in homes of that era are often wide, with a radiator underneath, and a seat over a radiator needs a grille so the heat still reaches the room.
If your home is one of the older houses near St Bartholomew-the-Less, a seat under a sash window can keep shutters and cills clear. Close to Postman's Park? Window seats can be designed to hold outdoor kit, from walking boots to picnic things. If you live in a flat close to Farringdon station, each piece is planned so it can be carried up and joined together in the room.
Smithfield is in the City of London, about 1 mile south-east of City of London. Smithfield is part of the area we cover. In the City of London, Smithfield is one of the places we cover, and the borough has 8 places on our list.
Postcode districts we cover here for window seats: EC1V, EC1P and EC1R. Streets in the area include Oat Lane, Shoe Lane and Long Lane, and we cover homes on all of them for window seats. Main roads around Smithfield include the A1 and A4, and we plan where the van can stop before fitting day. Close by, we also work in Farringdon (1 mile north), Blackfriars (1 mile south), Holborn (1 mile west), Temple Bar (1 mile south-west) and Clerkenwell (1 mile north).
What’s near Smithfield
Around Smithfield, we cover homes near St Alban's Church of England Primary School, London Nautical School and Barts Health Archives, among other places. Nearby too are Oriole pub (less than half a mile south-west) and St Mary-at-Hill (1 mile south-east). There is a railway station in Smithfield itself: Farringdon station. Well-known places in the area include Montfichet's Tower (under half a mile south) and Gabriel's Wharf (0.8 miles south). Open spaces near Smithfield include Ludgate Hill.
Tips worth knowing
Most of what helps is simple. Here’s what we suggest:
- Think about what you will store under the seat
- Clear the bay or window area before the design visit
- Decide if the seat is part of a larger piece
- Mention any parking rules on your street
Wiping the seat with a soft, damp cloth is normally all it needs. Dry it afterwards, and avoid abrasive pads and strong solvents. The front edge of the seat is touched most, so give it a wipe now and then.
Condensation on the glass can drip onto the cill and the seat, so wipe it away. Keep the window ventilated in cold weather. Don’t leave water sitting on the painted surface.
What affects the cost of window seats
The price for your room depends on:
- The number of doors and drawers
- How easy it is to get the furniture into the room
- How square the room is
- The width and height of the space
The finish affects the cost: spray painting is done in the workshop, while hand painting can be done on site. Your choice, along with the size and the fittings, is reflected in the written quote.
Getting in touch
A little information at the start saves time later. If you can, send:
- Where you live, with the postcode
- How you want to use the space
- What kind of home it is, and which floor the room is on
- A few pictures of the space, taken from the doorway and from each corner
The design visit is where every quote starts. We measure the room properly, check how the walls and floors run and talk through the design with you. A quote in writing follows the visit for you to look over. To book one, tell us about the room on our contact form.