A Brief History of the Windowsill

It is thought that the first windowsill was built by a medieval mason who simply forgot to finish the wall. A cat found it, sat on it, and refused to leave. That cat’s descendants, we suspect, are still lounging on our list of repeat tenants. This is the oldest continuous lease in the history of property.

Over the centuries the sill has evolved from stone to timber to a laminate that looks suspiciously like timber. Still, the purpose has never changed: to hold a cat above the street at an angle that suggests ownership. Beauty, my friends, is height plus warmth plus a view of someone else’s trouble. It cannot be improved. Only sold, at a premium.