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The Cutting Table · a checklist answer

Can a long bolster work as the backrest on my bench or banquette?

Also asked as:long cylindrical bolster style backrestbench cushion with a back bolster

Most benches along a kitchen wall were built without a back. A long bolster gives folks something honest to lean on, my friend, if you order it right.

Answered by

The Elder of High Point ·

Mulberry velvet cushions on an oak corner banquette with a round marble table, cane chair and botanical printSave
Mulberry velvet warms a pale oak banquette, and the marble top and cane chair keep the corner light.

The quick answer

Yes, a long bolster makes a good bench or banquette backrest: it is sewn as a cylinder with rounded ends, cut to the length of the seat and covered in the same fabric. The standard diameter is 8 in (20 cm). For a seat 31 1/2 in (80 cm) deep, plan about 39 3/8 in (100 cm) of total depth so the bolster has room.

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Key facts

  • Bolster backrests are long cylinders with rounded ends, sewn in the same fabric as the seat.
  • Length follows the seat: bolsters about 50 1/2 in (128 cm) and 41 3/8 in (105 cm) long were made for 18 in (46 cm) deep bench seats of those lengths.
  • The standard bolster diameter is 8 in (20 cm); larger, such as about 12 in (30 cm), can be made.
  • For a 31 1/2 in (80 cm) seat depth, about 39 3/8 in (100 cm) of total depth is recommended with a back bolster.
  • The seat can be made 8 in (20 cm) thick instead of the standard 4 in (10 cm), at extra cost.
  • A 39 3/8 in (100 cm) straight cylinder backrest has joined two sofas into one sectional.
  • A reference photo or a sketch is needed for an accurate quote.

Have it made

Have Harlan’s workshop cut this for you

Old upholsterers will tell you the real cutting happens in the conversation, long before the shears come out. Tell the workshop what you sit on, and they will talk it through with you. — Harlan

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
Bolster backrests are long cylinders with rounded ends, sewn in the same fabric as the…
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.

* Required. A member of the workshop team will call you to talk it through; nothing is charged and nothing is made until you have agreed on every detail with them.

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.

Want to pick the shape and add photos? Use the full quote form

Your bolster backrest order, line by line

  • Seat length. The bolster is cut to it: a 50 1/2 in (128 cm) seat gets a 50 1/2 in bolster.
  • Diameter. 8 in (20 cm) is standard; up to about 12 in (30 cm) if you want it fuller.
  • Fabric code. The seat's code, so the two read as one piece.
  • Seat thickness. 4 in (10 cm) standard; 8 in (20 cm) costs more.
  • A strap or hook-and-loop, if it must stay put. It comes loose by default.
  • A photo or sketch of the bench and the wall behind it.

Why an 8 in bolster needs 8 more inches of bench

A bolster doesn't hang on the wall. It lies on the seat, and whatever it covers is no longer seat. So the workshop's rule for one buyer was plain: for 31 1/2 in (80 cm) of sitting depth, build about 39 3/8 in (100 cm) in total. The difference is one standard 8 in (20 cm) bolster.

That buyer wanted more: a seat 8 in (20 cm) thick with a 12 in (30 cm) bolster. It can be done; a seam is a promise at any size. It just costs more than the standard 4 in build. Diameters are laid out in how to size a bolster pillow, seats in banquette and kitchen nook cushions.

Standard bolster or made to order

StandardMade to order
Diameter8 in (20 cm)Larger, e.g. about 12 in (30 cm)
LengthMatched to the bench seatA custom run, e.g. 39 3/8 in (100 cm) to bridge two sofas
Seat under it4 in (10 cm) thick8 in (20 cm) thick, at extra cost
EndsRoundedRounded; perfectly flat ends aren't possible
FixingLoose, no strapsA strap or hook-and-loop on request

A bolster backrest is cut to the bench seat's length, so a 50 1/2 in seat gets a 50 1/2 in cylinder with rounded ends in the same fabric.

Harlan
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Buyer questions

  1. A common question

    Can you make long cylinder backrests to match my dining bench seat cushions?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes, with rounded ends and in the same fabric: about 50 1/2 in (128 cm) and 41 3/8 in (105 cm) long for 18 in (46 cm) deep seats of those lengths. A photo or sketch gets an accurate quote.

  2. A common question

    Could a straight cylinder backrest join my two sofas into one sectional?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. A 39 3/8 in (100 cm) straight backrest was made in a matching off-white.

  3. A common question

    Will the bolster roll off the bench?

    The workshop's answer

    Bolsters come loose, with no straps, as standard. On request a strap can be added to hold one on a mattress, or hook-and-loop fasteners to fix armrests to a base.

Questions buyers ask next

Can I order a matching bolster later?

Yes. Fabric stock is kept, so a matching bolster can be made later in your original fabric. Send the sizes, the quantity and the fabric code from your first order.

Can I buy only a bolster cover?

Yes. Zippered bolster covers alone can be made to your diameter and length, and bolsters are sold singly in any color.

Can throw pillows match the bench and the bolster?

Yes, in any color and size, as covers only or filled with shredded or solid foam. Adding them to the first order costs less than ordering later.