10 Practical Ways To Use Your ‘Useless’ Bay Window

[This article was last updated on 2 Jun 2022.]

A waste of space? We think not.

It’s understandable why some homeowners love to hate bay windows. For anyone with small-room woes, these (unasked-for) features seem like a waste of precious square footage, but with a little creativity, they can be made useful.

If you ever find yourself stuck with a bay window, these real-life examples will show you the best ways of putting it to good use across different rooms – whether as a cosy reading corner or a diaper changing table… wait, what?!

1. Build a ‘platform sofa’ over it

You’ve heard about platform beds, but what about ‘platform sofas’? Instead of letting the bay window ledge go to waste, the owners of this apartment at Newton built an elevated U-shaped sofa over it – an oversized relaxation throne, if you will.

While it remains to be determined if doing so improves the TV-watching experience in any way, the extended sections definitely serve a practical purpose of providing storage to keep the living room clutter-free.

2. Make your walk-in wardrobe a sanctuary for me-time

Comfortable seating is always a good thing to have in any room – even in a walk-in wardrobe! This well-furbished dressing room stands out with its full range of built-ins that include a see-through wardrobe, a vanity, and a bay window that makes for a cosy relaxation corner when the need for me-time arises.

3. A great spot for … changing diapers?

Any hands-on parent can tell you how hard it is to get a new set of diapers on a squirmy baby; and unless you relish the challenge, doing it on an uneven surface is going to be miserable (not to mention straight up icky).

If you have a bay window in your nursery room, consider converting it into a diaper changing platform like the one above. Extend the platform, have drawers built in to store baby supplies, and you will be ready to tackle any mess.

4. Use it as a dining bench to accommodate more people

Accommodating more people than a conventional dining area setup would, it’s easy to see why the dining bench-plus-chairs combination has been trending in recent years. So, if you’ve got a bay window in the living area, use it to your advantage by converting it into a dining bench.

In addition to providing the necessary elevation for its users to dine comfortably, the blush red cushion here also serves as a much-welcome pop of colour to an otherwise neutral palette.

5. From ‘eyesore’ to practical visual centrepiece

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Similarly, if you find your bay window an eyesore, pull a 180 and turn it into a visual centrepiece for your space.

The owners of this apartment in Katong did just that by building an encapsulating structure over their bay window. Reminiscent of office nap pods (the kind your friend who works in a cool tech company brags about), it presents itself as a cosy corner for light reading and journaling, coupled by intermittent pauses to enjoy the view.

6. No TV console? Use your bay window

This compact two-room apartment shows what it means to put (limited) square footage to good use with a simple, but novel layout that transforms the area around a bay window into a TV room.

It helps that this furniture arrangement is effortless to achieve too. Just place your gogglebox where you would usually sit at a bay window, get a comfy sofa, and watch away.

7. Make your bay window work for you

If you haven’t got a spare room for a study, consider building a workstation over your bedroom’s bay window – and include some shelving and drawers while you’re at it.

In fact, because this condo in Simei comes with a bay window in every bedroom, the good people at Escapade Studios decided to make full use of each one, so each member of the family has his/her own personal workspace.

8. Usher in beach vibes with an indoor daybed

If you thought daybeds were reserved for beach clubs, think again. Extending the bay window outwards, the owners of this condo in Kembangan were able to fit a daybed in their study. Perfect for chilling out and getting your dose of Vitamin D on lazy afternoons, it can also serve as a guest bed should the need arise.

9. Get boujee with a sit-down shower area

Bathrooms aren’t usually spaces you’d expect to have a bay window. However, this DBSS flat at Boon Keng comes with one that its owners decided to overlay with light marble tiles that juxtapose those on the wall. The result? A hotel-like shower with a view.

And if you’re wondering what’s the point, it’s an energy efficient (no, not at all lazy!) way to shower as you sit down.

10. A multi-purpose nook

Lastly, if you’ve got an extra-long bay window, know that you don’t have to limit yourself to just one practical use for it. Despite having lots of room to work with, the owners of this (massive) penthouse in Novena didn’t let their master bedroom’s bay window go to waste. Instead, they 1) installed a drawer over it and 2) set up a tiny but elegant corner for sipping afternoon tea while enjoying the view.

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