Maybe put a sunbrella type seat on it? What else is going on in the room?

I think it needs a custom cover, or nothing at all (meaning I would not put something just under the middle windows)

Could you have the current cushion recovered? The cats asked me to ask you. It seems a bit bare with nothing.

We have two window seats in our house. One is in the kitchen, gets a ton of use, has a custom cushion. The other is in an upstairs den, and no one ever sits there, so I have books and plants on it, but I am guessing plants and cats wouldn’t be a great combo.

I prefer the cushion for the softness and it adds an opportunity to add color or pattern to the area. I think maybe you don't like it because of the color and the unevenness. A new cushion in a fabric you love might make all the difference. And you can add some throw pillows as well...

I”d go with a custom cover. What other fabrics are in the room?

did someone say ... throw pillows!? : )

PS pretty window!

Seriously, I would keep it simple. Three fleeces/synthetic sheepskin. Easy to wash, easy to move, easy for the cats to take over. The cats will be the decor.

I have a corner window seat in my living room (street side) that is exclusively the cats' domain. Last year I had a new cushion made from an online source, actually two because the seat is an L with equal length sides. It worked out great. I chose a tweedy charcoal Sunbrella, since the window gets blasted by the sun in the afternoon. I do cover most of the cushion top with sherpa mats (easy to wash) and then a couple of cat saucers. I've had my cats since infancy and now they're 12, and they are as much in love with that window seat + cushion(s) as ever.

If it were my window seat, it would be filled with plants, orchids etc.

There is nothing else going on in the room - other than my new old Drexel furniture sitting around waiting for a bed. There is absolutely no fabric in the room, no rug. It's a blank slate other than the furniture. I don't think throw pillows would work because the blinds go up and down every day so I can't have something leaning against the windows. I'm thinking just a cushion(s) of some sort or nothing. I have a place I can store the current cushion in the garage in case it can be used for something. It's mishapen so it couldn't be reused as is but I don't want one big cushion any way.

If your cats are like the ones I've had they'll scratch the seat when they jump off. A cushion will protect it and give them a comfy place to sit/sleep.

We have cats also and I think since you do not want anything big or hard to move, just get something that cats would love to lay on and is easy to move on and off! I imagine that might be a favorite place for your lucky kitties!

I like the idea of recovering the current cushion but when I zoomed in it looks kind of schlumpy. Not sure if it is the fault of the fabric or inexpensive foam.

Love your view! No snow!

I’m loving these cushions I keep seeing on Etsy. Maybe not to fit the whole seat, but a size big enough for the kitties (and easy to move around).

I don’t know this seller, it was just the first that came up: Custom cushions

I have had two window seats where I removed the PO’s cushion. No one ever sat there, so the solid surface let me put a plant or anything else there, even a cup of tea, or a cat bed or two, which are easier to clean and to change out than a cushion.

I like Pal’s idea.

I would do another cushion, a patterned stripe maybe-would add interest to the room.

Looking at the lift doors, pal’s idea is better. And gives you the option to remove the triangles if you do want to put plants there. Maybe make the cushions reversible with a summer pattern on one side, winter on the other?

As a practical matter, could you really have 4 cushions that fit together perfectly with no gap, but then you could remove one without the others falling off or moving around? I think you might end up repositioning four cushions each time.

Which leads me to the next question --- the house was larger than you wanted, will you even need/use the storage space?

I thought of Pal’s idea too but thought the little corner doodads would be weird. But I liked the idea of one or two in the middle over the storage area.

I love the cushions Jilly linked to - cute!

Mtn - the house is spacious but lacks all the kind of storage space we’ve had elsewhere - extra garage stalls, huge attic, large unfinished basement storage space. I’ve already filled up the window seat space with pillows and other bedding.

Well, it's your BR, not a living space. So I might jsut start with a few sherpas for the cats and take it from there. Like Bunny says, I am sure they will love such a space!

If you think they might move around, use those rug pad things underneath,

I was going to suggest two cushions, split down the middle, so you'd only have to lift/remove one to access the storage on that side. I wouldn't put frequently used things there. But, really, how hard is it to infrequently have to remove the pad and open the cabinet? Other than pissing off your cats for a few moments.

If you've never had a window seat given over entirely to your cats, you are in for a treat.

We have window seats under the dormer windows in the 2 front bedrooms upstairs. What I have always wanted to do was turn the space into drawers so you didn't have to go in from the top to use it. If you wanted to have plants, that would allow you to put a water resistant solid surface all the way across and use it anyway you want. It also means the cats don't have to me bumped to get to anything.

What about creating 4 cushions that conform to the shapes of the 4 sections of the top - or did someone already suggest that and I missed it?

That old cushion might be used for a template, since it already fits the space.

ETA I now see palimpsest's cushion suggestion is the same as mine 😁

What about having drawers made for the bottom so you don’t have to lift the top.

Drawers are a good idea but this isn't a high enough priority for me to invest in that. I am liking it bare for now and will pile a few cat blankets on it for the time being. We aren't spending any time in there yet since we have no bed. Just passing through from the bathroom/closets to the rest of the place. I will store the current cushion in the garage for now in case i need it for a template in the future.

I would find a good fabricator and have them cut the existing cushion into three pieces for easier access to the storage. It would not be onerous to remove a single middle cushion to access either of the bins, would it? Much easier than moving the entire thing and less problematic than having four separate cushions. You already know that one fits so you can just find a fabric you like, and have them remade with slipcovers if you like. I think a windowseat is the perfect hangout for your cats and brings warmth and personality to the room. A bare wood surface would look very spartan and unfinished IMO.

adding.. seconding the idea to add a rubber waffle rug pad under the cushions to keep them from moving about if you go with multiple cushions instead of a single. We use that trick on our porch sofa; the cushions slipped all over the all-weather wicker until I thought of doing that.

Seeing my ( dogs in my case) beloved critters on a place they can be comfy, as life outside entertains them would be enough . I’d have a new cushion covered in claw proof fabric.…and be delighted with that lovely view for all! .Use the storage space for seldom needed things.

Oh! Oh! Oh!! You absolutely Must put in a bubbling fountain just outside the window. You and the kitties will LOVE all the birds visiting.

Very pretty window and view. If it was my house and I had cats who liked hanging out there I would probably do the easiest thing and just get the cushion recovered. Unless the foam is very heavy I would just lift it up to access the storage. I assume that whatever you store that would not need to be accessed regularly? If the foam is very heavy I would have it redone with lighter foam.

From etsy: a version of Jilly's chunky pillow as a cat bed

Self warming cat mat: custom sizes and fabric available

You can also Velcro the cushions to stay in place

What about fur throw blanket(s)? I ended up putting a faux fur throw on a vintage bench in my entry. There was an ugly cushion that I may one day recover but for now I liked the look of some faux fur.

Pottery Barn Faux Fur Pet Throw

Faux fur throws are great, but they'll slide around without a cushion to grip onto.

When my grandcat was living with us.

Bunny, I'd nap there too! so pretty

Window seats are heaven for cats.

I woulld put a cushion back for the cats. I would not recover the old one. You need new insides, since that one is lumpy. Make sure it is lightweight. Whatever they stuffed the old one with, is probably why it is so heavy and hard to lift. It should not be that hard to raise a cushion to get at the storage unless they cushion is crappy. I would wait until you get the bedding and whatever else fabric in the room, unless you already know what you are using.

Saw this on Instagram today and thought of you. Looks like they have their own beds, but chose the dog bed instead.

What did you end up doing?

Isn't that how it goes with cats. Right now I have four very old bed pillows on there and they're covered with Wells Fargo Minnesota Wild throws. The cats like that arrangement. I make it all nice and neat and then someone digs under the throw. Here’s a picture before I found two more old pillows.

We had a white window seat in the DR with drawers beneath. If you don't plan on using it then nix a cushion. Just an example of what I'm talking about regarding height of the low table below, bottom right which is hard to see, something similar, maybe twice the width, would look great in the middle of the seat, on a small runner or something to protect the wood, set a few plants on it, and on each side of the low table add a pillow for the kitties.

A riser stand would be great.

The window seat begs for at least one tallish plant. Catnip! :)

I would make a cushion to fit using Sunbrella fabric and polyfill, not foam. Foam in heavy and the polyfill is not. One cushion is much easier to deal with than several. If it is light weight it will not be hard to move.

I think it needs more cats.🤣

Funny thing about the old cushion. I put in in the garage on top of the formerly built in dining room cabinet that I thought I might want to reinstall. Then one day we bought a table from FBM for DH's TV in his upstairs bonus room. The two of us had to haul the heavy beast into the house and I about had a coronary arrest coming up the seven stairs to the front door. So DH brilliantly decided to bring the old cushion inside, put the table on top of it and we dragged the cushion with table upstairs to the bonus room. The cushion is now back in the garage awaiting its next special purpose.