Kitchen -windowsill lower than worktop?

[tihsho]

Does anyone have a windowsill that goes below the level of work top? I.e. leaving a small (in our case 8 inches) gap between bottom of window and top of work surface? I've seen pictures of it online but want to hear from someone who has a kitchen like this before I commit to it!

Can I ask why you want to? We have clients quite often who flood the worktop into the window in place of a windowsill but I imagine the cleaning and dust gathering of it below worktop height would be a nightmare!

Yes. The window sill was built up to the worktop

I do. I love it. I keep my geraniums on there!

Just to say it's where our sink is - frankly I don't really bother keeping it that clean, just give it a good wipe every few months. On the opposite side we had some wood the same colour as the kitchen built up to the worktop. So looks v pretty from outside

Thanks for reply. It's not so much a question of wanting to, the kitchen design needs to include the work top going along a window and we don't have the budget really to raise the height of the window base as it adds about 2k cost. I agree the dusting will be annoying (although I'll be able to reach across work top and down to window sill as it's not that much lower). I'm mainly worried it will just look weird.

Nightmare. We had it in our house when we moved in, changed it as soon as we could (built up to the worktop level). It didn't look good and it wasn't practical at all for all sorts of reasons (flooding, cleanliness etc.).

That looks good actiongirl! Gives me hope! Ours would also be going across sink so a place for plants is great

For about £40 you could have a wooden planter made to size and grow herbs in it. Would look good from both sides and m’inonde awkward cleaning.

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Those who say 'built up to work top level' do you mean the window itself came out and a smaller one put in? Or did you just somehow block up bottom bit of window? If so, what does that look like from outside?

Thanks we love it. When the windows are open in the summer it's like the garden is coming inside. It is a thatched cottage but I am sure it would work on other styles of house. Good luck.

We've had our worktop like this for 17 years. Grade 2 Listed so can't change exterior. It's awkward to keep clean but otherwise no problem.

We blocked the bottom of the window up (to the height of the frame only, so it isn't visible from the outside). I guess whether you can do the same or whether you'd have to change the window depends on how big the gap is vs how wide your window frame is. You could do something creative eg build storage + put some plants on the sill, but I didn't find that looked good and it wasn't practical for me long term at all. Whatever you do, make sure the window sill isn't wooden, otherwise you'll have a nightmare with water from the sink (assuming you have the sink near the window).

Many thanks for all the replies. If anyone else has done it and would be happy to share pictures then I'd be very grateful.

Mine wasn't as deep. For thirty years we had a window sill lower and it was hard to clean. Im short so had to get a chair to lean over to give it a really good clean. I also put plants there.Spiders were regular inmates. When we had a new kitchen last year they built it up to the window. It is so much easier. 8inches is quite a lot though. Our new window opens out from the bottom too. the worktop meets the frame at the bottom. I've never looked at from the outside. No it doesn't look odd but that maybe because it is below the bit of window it is over the sill though. I don't know how to do photos sorry.

It's relatively uncommon, but I've seen it a few times (kitchen designer).

General practice if you don't want to raise the window is to just build it up to worktop height using off-cuts of plinth/panel/worktop. Depends on how noticeable/acceptable it would look from the outside window looking in.

If you want to do it without a joint at the back you may be able to use a deeper worktop (breakfast bar) on that run and scribe around the wall at the back.

Alternative is to make a feature out of it; herb planters can look nice, but there may be a moisture issue. I'll assume the window is behind the sink, (most are) so any splashing while washing up could collect in any recesses and cause problems.

we had this in our flat (edwardian windows) we had the internal window box idea and had my herbs growing in it.

My kitchen sink area is like this. I might pinch the idea of an internal window box, thanks @itsUnderMyPillow

The idea of an internal window box is lovely.

We used to have the worktop running across the window but as they were sash windows there wasn't a windowsill. The gap was only an inch or so and was impossible to keep clean but if you've got more depth then I think it could be a nice feature.