With apologies for how bad these photos are (I took them with my camera phone tonight with the electricians in the foreground), I desperately need your design advice for installing a window seat. The view outside the far window is a beautiful, idyllic river. I was thinking of extending the seat out by 6 inches so that it is 18 inches wide. The three dilemmas are:

1. There is nowhere to lean safely--the windows will be replaced with double paned picture windows. I could put bookshelves on either ends of the window seat (both tips of the L) as a solution. Maybe a bookshelf that is a little smaller so as not to disrupt the view, but has some kind of decorative moulding that sticks out on the bottom half so you can lean back on it?

2. Are these windows too large to put window seats under them? I've searched online for examples and am coming up with lots of cozy looking ones--this would be roughly 18 feet by 12 feet. Is that too much space to cover with cushion and pillows? Maybe I should just do one section? Or make a round seat in the corner?

3. Do I make it one of those window seats with invisible storage underneath (like the type that opens up from the top?) or one with bookshelves underneath? We aren't short on storage space, but if I'm making a window seat I may as well make use of the extra space I'm taking up. I was thinking of doing bookshelves on one and storage bins on the other.

Many thanks in advance for any ideas you have here! And sorry to throw out such a complex question, I hope it doesn't scare too many of you off!