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The Cutting Table · compared on the table

The listing photo and the color chart look different. Which one is accurate?

Also asked as:looks creme in this photo but almost blue on chartwhich photo is more accurate

One fabric, two lights, two stories. I have watched a warm oatmeal turn dove gray between a lamp and a north window, my friends.

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The Colorist of New Orleans ·

White and navy pinstripe outdoor bench cushion on a teak bench on a wooden lake jetty at misty dawn with a knit throwSave
A crisp pinstripe pad on a weathered bench at the end of a jetty, with a knit throw and a thermos for the morning.

The quick answer

Usually both are accurate: they show the same fabric under different light, and on the bench-cushion ranges the color chart is the better guide. Warm light pushes fabric toward cream and beige; daylight or white indoor light makes it read grayer and cooler. Before production the workshop sends close-up photos of your chosen fabric, so you can still switch codes.

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Three lights, one fabric

Where you see itWhat the light doesHow far to trust it
Styled listing photoWarm lamps push it toward cream and beigeGood for mood, weak for exact tone
Photo in daylight or white indoor lightGrayer and cooler; terracotta can drift pinkCloser, but your screen still has a say
The color chartFabric beside fabric, shot flatYes The better guide on bench ranges
Close-up sent before productionYour exact code, photographed for youYes The last check; you can still switch

On some floor-cushion linens it runs the other way: two chart swatches photograph darker, and you receive the product-photo color.

Key facts

  • Listing photos shot under warm light bring out cream and beige tones.
  • Daylight or white indoor light makes the same fabric read grayer and cooler.
  • On the bench-cushion ranges, chart colors are more accurate than styled listing photos.
  • A terracotta that looks pink in one shot is still terracotta; an outdoor fabric that reads red can be an orange tone.
  • Close-ups of your chosen fabrics come before production, and codes can still be changed.
  • Where a sample and a photo disagree, the workshop asks which color you want and makes that one.
  • Physical swatches are about 4 x 4 to 6 x 6 in, large enough to judge a color in your own room's light.
  • The outdoor range spans about 150-200 colors, and a red-looking outdoor fabric can read orange in daylight.

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Describe the room at four in the afternoon: the floor, the wall, the one color you love. That is where a good fabric choice begins. — Élodie

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.

Fabric · Foam · Pipingwhat the workshop will confirm with you

Fabric
Daylight or white indoor light makes the same fabric read grayer and cooler.
Foam
The core: its density and thickness set the feel.
Piping
The corded seam edge: matching, contrast or none.
Only for this request: no marketing calls or texts. Outside the US, add the country code.
In inches: length × depth × thickness, plus any angles or cut corners.

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We use these details only to answer this request and make your cushion: your name and contact details, the cushion details and photos you send, the page you came from and the ad or link that brought you, if any. The workshop that makes the cushions receives them. We don't sell them or share them for advertising, and we delete requests after 24 months. Privacy notice for requests.

Nothing is made or charged until you approve the details.

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Why a cream can look almost blue on a chart

A listing photo is staged: lamps, low sun, oak and linen, all of it pouring honey into a pale fabric. Shoot that same cream in cool light and it shows its gray bones. Neither picture lies; they were taken in different weather.

Daylight never lies; your screen sometimes does. So the chart wins on the bench cushion ranges, and a swatch in your own room settles more than any photo (screen vs daylight goes further). Which light will your cushion live in: a north window or a lamp-lit corner?

A listing photo shot under warm lamps makes cushion fabric look creamier; the same fabric in daylight reads grayer. On bench ranges, trust the color chart.

Élodie
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Buyer questions

  1. A common question

    The fabric looked cream in the listing photo, but on the chart it looks gray, almost blue. Which is right?

    The workshop's answer

    It comes down to light. Listing photos were taken under warm light, which brings out cream and beige; in daylight the same fabric reads grayer. The chart is the more accurate guide, and photos of your chosen fabric come before production.

  2. A common question

    The swatch looks pink but the listing says terracotta, and an outdoor orange looks red to me. Which is true?

    The workshop's answer

    Both photos are honest: one was shot in daylight, the other under white indoor light. The terracotta is not pink, and that outdoor fabric is an orange, not a red. When in doubt, the workshop sends a close-up.

  3. A common question

    My sample looks lighter than the photo. Which color will I get?

    The workshop's answer

    The one you confirm. After purchase the workshop asks whether you want the photo color or the chart color. Mint, for one, runs a little lighter than in some photos.

  4. A common question

    I want the exact floor cushion in the listing photo. Which color number is that?

    The workshop's answer

    Ask first. Similar shades carry different numbers, so the workshop names the one in that photo.

Questions buyers ask next

Why does a cushion fabric look different on my phone than on my laptop?

Every screen is tuned differently for brightness and warmth, so one photo shifts from device to device. Close-ups of your actual code, and a sample in your own room, are the surer checks.

Can I change my fabric code after I place the order?

Yes, before production. Photos of the fabrics you chose are sent to you first; if the tone surprises you, switch codes then, before anything is cut.

Which cushion colors are hardest to judge from a photo?

Pale neutrals and soft pastels: creams, beiges, grays and mints. Warm light turns them creamy and cool light turns them gray, so a chart, a close-up or a sample matters most there.