A windowsill is the brightest shelf in the house, which makes it the best place for plants and for glass, both of which come alive in daylight. It also comes with a few quirks: strong sun in summer, cold glass and condensation in winter, and a window that still needs to open. Here are ten easy ways to style a windowsill, plus what to keep off a sunny or chilly one. Prices were correct when we published this guide, and each product page always shows the current price.
The short answer
Use the light: put plants that love it, such as succulents and air plants, alongside glass that catches it. Group a few pieces of different heights at one end or in the middle, leave room to open the window, and keep candles away from curtains and blinds. In winter, keep wooden bases dry when the sill gets condensation.
1. Plants that love the light
A sunny sill is ideal for succulents and small cacti, while air plants prefer bright light without hours of strong direct sun. A small open terrarium keeps the soil and pebbles tidy: the medium terrarium on natural tung wood (£12), an open glass globe about 15 x 15cm, holds a succulent on moss and pebbles. Plants are not included; see the best plants for a terrarium for ideas.
2. Glass that catches the light
Hand-blown glass on a windowsill glows as the light moves through it, and its colour shifts through the day. Even an empty glass vase earns its place here.
3. A single stem
One flower in a bud vase on a kitchen windowsill is a small daily pleasure. The small flower vase on wood (£12) has a slim neck that holds one stem upright.
4. Air plants in a geometric terrarium
An air plant in an open geometric terrarium looks like a small sculpture against the window. The large pentagon (£19.95), about 20.5cm tall in a brass-finish frame, takes two air plants on sand. Soak them every week or two and dry them upside down; in winter, our winter air plant guide covers cold glass and radiators.
5. Herbs on the kitchen sill
Basil, parsley and chives grow happily on a bright kitchen windowsill, and cuttings of mint or rosemary root in a glass of water. They look generous and you can snip as you cook.
6. Group, do not line up
A row of identical pots looks like a waiting room. Group three pieces of different heights at one end or in the middle, and leave the rest of the sill clear.
7. Keep the window usable
Leave room to open the window and reach the handle, and keep tall pieces where they will not catch a blind or a curtain.
8. Dried stems for a north-facing sill
Where the light is too weak for most plants, dried stems give texture without care. Keep them off a sunny sill, though: strong sun fades them. Our dried flower arrangement ideas have more.
9. Seasonal touches
A small pumpkin or a few seed heads in autumn, pine cones and a string of battery lights in winter, a bunch of daffodils in spring. Change one thing and keep the rest.
10. Keep it light
The point of a windowsill is the light, so do not block it. Three to five pieces is plenty for most sills, with the tallest at the ends.
What to keep off the windowsill
- Candles near curtains or blinds. A draught can blow fabric into a flame. Keep candles and tealights well away from window dressings, and use battery lights instead.
- Water-filled glass in strong sun. A round glass bowl or vase full of water can focus sunlight like a magnifying glass and scorch what is nearby. Keep water-filled glass out of strong direct sun.
- Wooden bases on a wet sill. Winter condensation can pool on the sill. Wipe it away, and keep glass-on-wood pieces dry.
- Delicate plants against cold glass. On frosty nights the glass gets very cold; move plants back a little or leave the curtain open.
Common questions
What do you put on a windowsill?
Things that love the light: succulents, air plants, a bud vase with one stem and a piece of glass to catch the sun, grouped at one end or in the middle with space left clear.
Can succulents go on a sunny windowsill?
Yes. Most succulents love bright sun, though a south-facing sill can be fierce in high summer, so watch for scorched leaves and move them back a little if needed.
How do you decorate a small windowsill?
Keep to one or two pieces: a small terrarium or a bud vase, perhaps with a little dish beside it. Leave the rest clear so the window still opens.
Is it safe to put glass on a sunny windowsill?
Empty glass is fine. Keep round glass filled with water out of strong direct sun, where it can focus the light, and keep candles away from curtains and blinds.
Browse our glass terrariums and vases, or see how to style shelves for the rest of the room.
