the kitchen bench seat

Wow, I've been away a long time. How has a month gone by since my last post? At least we've been busy in our absence and have some pretty great projects to show for it.

our new bench seat, with a top still needing some paint;
many thanks to Rambling Renovators for the design inspiration!

I mentioned in our giant spring to-do list that we've been wanting to build a radiator cover/bench seat for our kitchen. The built-in seating solves so many issues: it covers up ugly radiators, it unifies them, it solves the lack of space in a small kitchen for seating, and it gives up-close access to the windows.


I should mention we had to do one little trick before we could put a seat over these radiators. Each radiator sat directly under a window, so we rotated the radiator on the left 180 degrees so it was closer to the radiator on the right. I suppose we could have skipped this and built an 8-foot-long bench to cover the radiators, but we really didn't need or want that length in our small kitchen. Besides, that left radiator was interfering a bit with opening the refrigerator and made the door swing seem cramped, so we wanted the breathing room on that side. 


Emmy can't wait to get a closer look out those windows





It really feels as if this is what our kitchen has always needed. We loooove this space now. I'm so enjoying hanging out on that seat (if and when Michael cooks). And lingering over a cup of coffee in the morning (with the radiator heat warming me through and through!) or glass of wine in the evening. And especially hanging out with Emerson watching out for birds and squirrels and cats and dogs on the lawn and sidewalks outside. Ideally we want a round table in here to even better fit this small space. And some proper chairs. All in due time I suppose. We'll take this for now!

13 comments

It’s Mimi’s Spot said...

What a smart idea.. I hate looking at these ugly heating tools in our apparent as well. Thanks for sharing

Ashley said...

Wow, Casey, I'm really impressed. Did Michael do all of the work himself? The banquette is not only pretty on the eyes but it serves a dual purpose (seating and radiator-cover). Plus, it allows you to spend more time enjoying your pretty kitchen!

Sarah said...

Casey!! It looks sooo good! Awesome job, Michael! That kitchen has come such a long way, I'm so happy you are enjoying it so much!! And I feel so terrible that I have been out of touch. Somehow it is spring? And Emmy is like...a toddler!! And Ian is 10 months! Oh, and you are married:) Hope all is going well in your world!!! Chat more soon:)

Lori R. said...

Wow. Some one will get a heated seat for the dinner time meal. I for one would love that!

My Little Bungalow said...

Your bench looks wonderful! I really love the design. I was wondering if the radiators were working, and then I read where you said they warm the seat. So I'm curious, does the heat not hurt the wood? It doesn't get too hot to sit there?
Claudia

taylor greenwalt said...

Now that was a great idea and it looks fantastic!

casey at loft and cottage said...

Thanks, Ashely! Yes, he did all of it himself--and actually he was pleasantly surprised at how quick and easy it was! It was pretty much done in 6 hours, including a trip to Home Depot. Now I want him to build some for other rooms too ;-)

Jen @ RamblingRenovators said...

Just catching this now - your bench looks beautiful and so perfect for your space! My apologies to Michael... I know how wives can be with adding things to the Build This list ;)

Anonymous said...

I would have had it go all the way across.

Anonymous said...

Very Cool! Keep at it :)

Peace

Lonidymplez said...

I don't see instructions... I am renovating my office and want to add this to the waiting area. I think this would make the front look so much better than a row of chairs .

Maya Wolff said...

Hi, Your bench looks amazing! I’d really love some advice on how it affects the heating, is it still pretty efficient ? I’m trying to convince my man to get this done in our living room, we have the same problem, ugly radiator and in the way or a great space but he worries about the heating not being efficient! I’d appreciate your thoughts :)

casey at loft and cottage said...

Hi Maya, yes, it's still very efficient and the bonus is it also makes for a very cozy spot to sit on cold days! We loved it when we lived there and would totally do it again. If your radiator is large enough to heat your room well now, I'd not hesitate to build a cover. But if it's too small or inefficient as is and it struggles to warm the room now, then a cover may not be a great idea. I hope you succeed in getting the cover you want ;-)