We came across this nice storage space solution – apparently called a window seat. It looks like both an effective storage solution and indeed a potentially wonderful place to sit with a warm drink – assuming of course its spacious and nicely padded 
There are two issues that would need to be addressed for this in our home:
- It takes out a big bite of space – so it needs a large enough space that can hold it without getting cramped.
- It looks like it needs anchoring to the wall – which means that supports need to be added in the house framing to support it.
Of course it may be a great thing even without climbing high up – if it were simply a bench with storage in it … nice ideas here
This image was taken from this post which has more information on how to build a window-seat from ready made cabinet units.