Window sill extender shelf for plants

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Windowsills are usually nothing more than a space for plants or forgotten tchotchkes, but they provide plenty of opportunity, especially if you can find a way to make them larger. Windowsill extenders may sound like a funky contraption, but they enable you to make more out of the smallest ledges.

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This can be as simple as scooting a bench or shelf in front of a window or extending your space outside through the use of a window flower box. There are even clever little tables that can provide sunbathing pace for your plants or a place to snooze for your cat. The following examples will help spark some ideas for increasing the space and options for your windowsills.

Credit: Marie-Lyne Quirion

1. Turn It Into a Bench

While you might think there’s only so much space you can eke out of a windowsill, you’re in for a surprise. For maximum space, placing a bench, like seen in this colorful Montreal home, or even a small table can instantly turn a windowsill into a sitting spot or work area.

2. Give Your Cat a Hangout Spot

Branching out your window sill to give your cat a space to snooze is one of the best options in our opinion. While your cat may still prefer your bathroom sink or the top of the fridge, at least it has options.

3. Stretch out your sill for plants

Vernichel made this DIY, removable shelf for her plant collection out of pine board. A handmade version like this allows you to get the measurements just right and remove it when needed.

4. Implement a Hanging Shelf

A custom rope shelf is a unique way to expand the space of your window area without having to construct a shelf or build it out horizontally in a small space. It’s also the perfect solution for plant parents who are running out of room.

Buy: Hanging Shelf Unit, $124 from Etsy

5. Create a Makeshift Table

Placing a flat shelf in front of a window, like in this Chicago studio, turns a tiny sill into an actual table. Whether you hang it from the ceiling or simply place a premade version in front, it gives you a workable area with a view.

6. Add a Shelf Beneath

For small spaces, a wall-mounted shelf serves as the perfect sill extender and much more. It can perch next to a chair to replace the purpose a coffee table serves, provides extra room for planters, or even a space to store your current read or the remote.

Buy: EKBY ALEX Wall Shelf, $64.99 from IKEA