The Cutting Table · a question, worked through
Which side of a cushion is the length and which is the width?
Length runs left to right. Width runs front to back. The rest of this Answer is the follow-up questions that definition tends to create.
Pinned by Nate
The quick answer
On a cushion, length is the long side, measured left to right across the front, and width is the short side, measured from the front edge to the back edge, the same as seat depth. Thickness is how tall the cushion is. If you're unsure, label your numbers, for example 20 in (51 cm) deep x 60 in (152 cm) across, and the cushion is made correctly.
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Key facts
- Length is the long side, measured left to right.
- Width is the short side, measured front to back.
- Width is the same as seat depth.
- Thickness is how tall the cushion is.
- Pick the width and length ranges that contain your size, then write the exact size in personalization.
- Length options run to at least 101-105 in (257-267 cm).
- Labeled numbers, like 20 in deep x 60 in across, avoid any confusion.
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Send the numbers in inches: length × depth × thickness, plus any angle. The workshop checks them with you, because foam has no undo button. — Nate
Leave your details and the workshop will call you to confirm measurements, fabric, foam and piping. No prices, dates or payment on this page: it is a request, not an order.
“Is width the front edge?”
No, partner. The front edge is the length. Stand facing the seat: length runs left to right across the front, usually the longer side. Width runs from the front edge to the back edge, which is the seat depth you actually sit on. Thickness is the third number, how tall the cushion stands.
Here is the engineer's catch: the order of the numbers isn't consistent. One reply read 34 x 6 x 4 in as 34 in long, 6 in wide and 4 in thick, while the size menus list width first. Labels beat order every time. The length, depth and thickness Pattern has the diagram.
“My Kallax listing says width. Does that mean depth?”
Yes. On a Kallax-style cube bench, width on the listing is the depth, front to back, and length is the long run, left to right. Thickness is how high you want the cushion. The workshop makes these all the time; the Kallax sizes Pattern lists the common ones, and Kallax cushions shows them finished.
The three numbers, labeled
| Word on the order | Direction | Also called | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length | Left to right, across the front | The long side | 60 in (152 cm) across |
| Width | Front edge to back edge | Seat depth | 20 in (51 cm) deep |
| Thickness | Bottom to top | Height of the cushion | 4 in (10 cm) thick |
Cushion length is the long side, left to right; cushion width is front edge to back edge, the same number as your seat depth.
Nate
Buyer questions
- A common question
Which measurement is the width and which is the length?
The workshop's answerWidth is front edge to back edge, the depth you sit on. Length is side to side across the front, usually the longer side. You can also label your numbers, like 20 in deep x 60 in across, and it will be made correctly.
- A common question
What do width, length and depth mean in your size options?
The workshop's answerWidth is the short side and length the long side. For a window sill of 105 x 29 in, choose the 27-29 in width range and the 101-105 in length range, then write the exact size, such as 28.5 x 104.5 in, in personalization.
- A common question
For my Kallax bench, does 'width' on your listing mean the depth?
The workshop's answerYes. Length is the longest side, left to right; width is the depth, front edge to back edge; thickness is how high the cushion is. Cushions for Kallax benches are made all the time.
- A common question
Which side of the cushion is which?
The workshop's answerThe short side is the width and the long side is the length. Read as length x width x thickness, 34 x 6 x 4 in means 34 in long, 6 in wide and 4 in thick.
Questions buyers ask next
Should cushion sizes be sent in inches or centimeters?
Either works, as long as every number carries its unit. The workshop checks unclear units before quoting, because a cushion made in the wrong unit has to be remade from scratch.
How are two cushions on an L-shaped bench kept from overlapping?
Measure each wall from the back corner, including the seat depth. One cushion runs into the corner and the other is shortened by the seat depth, so they don't overlap; back cushions are shortened by the backrest thickness.
What if the seat is wider at the front than at the back?
Measure the front width, the back width and the depth. For shaped seats, add the widest width and the depth at left, center and right. The workshop sends a sketch to confirm the shape before quoting.
