When a window has a beautiful view or floods a room with sunlight, it’s tempting to pull up a chair and sit next to it. A better idea? Build a window seat.

“I’m into comfy things, and a window seat really hits that,” said Zoë Feldman, an interior designer based in Washington, D.C. “Who doesn’t want to sit near a window on a super-comfy piece of furniture and read a book, snuggle with family, do homework or talk to friends? It ticks every box.”

Even better, Feldman continued, window seats often occupy space that would otherwise go unused. That makes it possible to add seating where a sofa wouldn’t fit — underneath a small roof dormer, say, or between built-in bookcases.

A window seat can go just about anywhere there’s a window, but some places make more sense than others.

One of the best places, Feldman said, is in a bedroom, where a window seat can offer a place to read, catch up on email or curl up with a pet. “You can spend time in your bedroom, but not in bed,” she said.

Another place she and other designers often put a window seat is at the end of a kitchen or in an adjacent dining area, where it can be paired with a table and a couple of chairs to create a sunny eating space that isn’t in the way.

A window seat is worth having only if it’s comfortable enough to use. That means the seat depth should be “at a minimum, about 16 inches,” said Alexandra Kaehler, an interior designer based in Winnetka, Illinois.

But you can go larger if you have the space.

The thickness of the seat cushion can range from just a few inches, like a chair pad, to something much higher, like a mattress, depending on how much cushiness you want.

Once the seat cushion is in place, you can load it up with throw pillows that serve as back cushions against walls, windows and built-ins.