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The Cutting Table · a checklist answer

How should I send measurements for an oddly shaped bench?

Also asked as:It's a unique space. How do I measure it?How can I get you my measurements for an estimate?

An odd shape is a list of honest measurements. Send the list, the picture and the sketch, and the workroom draws the rest.

Answered by

The Pattern Engineer of Detroit ·

Dove gray and white basketweave box cushion on an antique pine blanket chest under a sash window against a pale blue wallSave
A dove gray cushion cut to the lid turns an old pine blanket chest into a window seat. Blue wall, pine and jute do the rest.

The quick answer

Send a photo of the space and a hand-drawn sketch on paper with every side measured and labeled A, B, C and so on. Add the wall height above the seat for a back cushion, and note any trim. The workshop asks about any missing side, then sends its own drawing and holds production until you confirm.

Get a quote

Key facts

  • Send a photo of the space plus a hand-drawn sketch with every dimension on it.
  • Labeling the sides A, B, C and so on works for quoting.
  • Back cushions need the wall height above the seat.
  • For angled banquettes the workshop can send a measuring diagram to fill in.
  • Mention trim or wood protrusions; for uneven spaces give the narrowest and widest points.
  • No quote is possible without measurements.
  • Complex shapes get a confirmation drawing, and production waits for your OK.

Have it made

Have Nate’s workshop cut this for you

Every edge and both diagonals, to the nearest 1/4 in. If the numbers do not close, the workshop will say so on the call. — 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.

Fabric · Foam · Pipingwhat the workshop will confirm with you

Fabric
The cover cloth: weave, color and care code.
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

The sketch checklist, in order

  1. Take a photo of the space, bench and all.
  2. Draw the shape by hand on paper. The custom shape drawing Pattern shows a clean example.
  3. Label every side A, B, C and so on, and write its length beside the letter.
  4. Write the depth of each section, the middle one included.
  5. For a back cushion, add the wall height above the seat.
  6. Mark any trim, molding or wood that sticks out.
  7. If the space is uneven, write both the narrowest and the widest point.

Uneven walls and trim that sneaks up on you

Old houses rarely hand you a clean rectangle. One buyer measured a nook at 31 3/4 in (80.6 cm) at the narrowest point and 34 1/4 in (87 cm) at the widest. Send both numbers, partner, not an average.

Trim is the other trap. A strip of molding or a wood lip can throw off a measurement you were sure of, so put it on the sketch. Sometimes the simplest fix is a small gap between cushion and wall.

Angles are just lengths in disguise. For an angled banquette, the workshop can send a diagram showing exactly which measurements it needs. Fill it in, send it back, and the quote is built from those numbers. Which side of yours is hardest to reach with a tape?

What happens after you hit send

  1. The workshop reads your sketch

    No quote goes out without measurements. A photo or file that is hard to read gets a request for a hand drawing.

  2. Questions about missing sides

    A side without a number gets a follow-up question, such as the width of a middle section. Length and width are checked before cutting.

  3. A drawing comes back

    For complex pieces the workshop sends its own measurement drawing. Check each letter against your tape.

  4. You confirm, then it's cut

    Production waits until you approve the shape. A paper template can settle any side you still doubt.

What stalls a quote

  • Overall dimensions with no side-by-side lengths.
  • A sketch with one side left blank.
  • A file or photo too faint to read.

For an uneven nook, send the narrowest and the widest point, like 31 3/4 in and 34 1/4 in, rather than one averaged width.

Nate
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Buyer questions

  1. A common question

    My bench area is an unusual shape. What's the best way to send you the measurements?

    The workshop's answer

    Send a photo of the space, draw the shape on paper and write each dimension on it. The shop can send an example drawing to copy, and it checks which side is length and which is width before cutting.

  2. A common question

    What do you need from me to quote a cushion for an unusual space?

    The workshop's answer

    Draw the space on paper and write every dimension on it: width, depth and, for a back cushion, the wall height above the seat. Then send a photo. Labeling the sides A, B, C works well. There's no quote without measurements, and the shop will ask for any missing side, such as the width of a middle section.

  3. A common question

    My dining banquette comes out at an angle. What should I measure?

    The workshop's answer

    The shop sends a diagram showing the measurements it needs. Fill it in for your bench and send it back; the quote and order link are made from those numbers.

  4. A common question

    The space is uneven and there's trim in the way. Which width do I give you?

    The workshop's answer

    Draw a rough sketch with all the measurements, and mention any trim or wood protrusions, since they throw measurements off. Production pauses until the shape is confirmed. Leaving a small gap is sometimes the simplest fix.

Questions buyers ask next

Are overall chair dimensions enough to order seat and back cushions?

No. Measure the width between the armrests, the seat depth and the back height you want, then send a photo of the chair. Overall chair dimensions alone don't give a good fit.

Which is the better guide for a replacement: the worn cushion or the bench it sits on?

Use your old cushions' sizes if they fit well; otherwise measure the bench. For new covers on existing foam, measure the bare insert, not the old cover, and include its thickness.

Can an odd-shaped bench cushion be notched around a window casing?

Yes. Measure each notch's depth, width and position, then send a sketch with a photo. The workshop draws the notched shape, keeps full depth where nothing is in the way, and sends the diagram for approval before quoting.