---
title: "Mustard vs Yellow Velvet: Reading Color Numbers 12, 14, 18"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/mustard-vs-yellow-velvet-color-numbers/"
section: "The Cutting Table"
author: "Élodie Marchand, The Colorist of New Orleans"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/elodie/"
published: "2026-07-08"
updated: "2026-07-08"
keywords: "mustard vs yellow velvet, mustard velvet cushion, velvet color chart numbers, burnt orange velvet, dusty rose velvet"
---

# Is this velvet mustard or yellow, and how do I tell similar shades apart?

*Mustard is yellow that has sat by the stove a while: warmer, deeper, quieter. On a screen the difference can all but vanish, so let the numbers do the talking.*

Also asked as: Is number 18 mustard or yellow?; Is #14 burnt orange?

> **The quick answer:** On the floor-cushion velvet chart, 12 is mustard yellow, 18 is a brighter golden yellow and 14 is amber, close to burnt orange. Tobacco and orange are different shades, and the workshop sends photos of both on real cushions. Screens shift these colors, so ask for the numbers side by side, or simply write 'mustard' in the note and it will be matched.

![Chocolate brown textured window seat cushion with ochre pillow, open book and mug in a walnut-paneled library nook](https://cushionguide.com/media/window-seat-cushions/chocolate-brown-window-seat-cushion-walnut-library-1600.webp "A deep chocolate window seat cushion fills a paneled library nook, lit by the last light through an arched window.")

## Key facts

- Velvet 12 is mustard yellow.
- Velvet 18 is a brighter golden yellow.
- Velvet 14 is amber, close to burnt orange.
- Linen 4 is a dark yellow.
- Tobacco and orange are different shades.
- Velvet 26 is a dusty old rose and 27 a light pink; the purples are 46 and 47, with 28 and 45 as other options.
- These numbers belong to the floor-cushion charts, and screens can change how they look.
- Palm-sized swatches, about 4 x 4 to 6 x 6 in, are the safest way to see 12, 14 and 18 side by side.
- Velvet covers wash at up to 86°F (30°C), inside out on a gentle cycle.
- Tufted French floor cushions made from this chart are normally 4-5 in thick.

## The warm yellows, number by number

| Chart number | Shade | How it sits beside the others |
|---|---|---|
| Velvet 12 | Mustard yellow | The true mustard of the three |
| Velvet 18 | Brighter golden yellow | Lighter and sunnier than 12 |
| Velvet 14 | Amber, close to burnt orange | The warmest of the three |
| Linen 4 | Dark yellow | A matte, woven cousin of the velvets |

## Follow-up: is it orange, or is it tobacco?

They are two different shades, and a phone will happily blur them into one. The workshop sends photos of both on real cushions, which is worth more than any swatch on a screen. Daylight never lies; your screen sometimes does.

If you know you want mustard and nothing else, you can simply write 'mustard' in the note and it will be matched. One honest caution: replies have not always described 18 the same way, so if 18 is your pick, confirm it by photo before you order.

For the long version, read [screen color vs daylight](https://cushionguide.com/guides/cushion-color-screen-vs-daylight/) and [ordering fabric swatches](https://cushionguide.com/guides/fabric-swatches-before-ordering/), and see the full [velvet](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/velvet/) family.

## Follow-up: the pinks and purples

| Chart number | Shade |
|---|---|
| Velvet 26 | Dusty old rose |
| Velvet 27 | Light pink |
| Velvet 46 and 47 | The purples |
| Velvet 28 and 45 | Other purple choices |

## The light pink that arrived looking lilac

A buyer in the US ordered velvet 27, light pink on the chart, and wrote that it looked lilac once it arrived. Light pink and lilac sit close together, and a monitor can move them nearer or further apart than the cloth ever will. The lesson was simple: ask for the neighboring numbers side by side before choosing. Which way does your window face, my friends?

> **Tailor's margin:** Velvet 12 is mustard and velvet 18 is golden yellow; on a phone screen they can look closer than they are, so ask for both photographed together.

> Mustard vs yellow velvet comes down to two numbers: 12 is the mustard, 18 the brighter golden yellow. Ask to see them side by side in daylight.
>
> — Élodie Marchand

## Buyer questions

**A common question:** Is this one mustard or yellow? And is that orange, tobacco or burnt orange?

**The workshop's answer:** In velvet, 12 is mustard, 18 is yellow and 14 is amber or burnt orange. Tobacco and orange are different shades, and the shop sends photos of both on real cushions. If in doubt, write 'mustard' in the note and it will be matched.

**A common question:** How can I tell mustard from golden yellow, or light pink from lilac?

**The workshop's answer:** Ask for the numbers side by side. In velvet, 12 is mustard yellow and 18 a brighter golden yellow; 26 is a dusty old rose and 27 light pink. Monitors change these shades, which is why one buyer's 27 looked lilac on arrival.

**A common question:** Is the brick color rust, orange or terracotta?

**The workshop's answer:** Brick is a warm rust-orange, closer to burnt orange than to red terracotta, and it's the same across the pouf, couch and sofa listings. Warm tones are hard to judge on screen, so order a sample if the shade matters.

**A common question:** The color options only show numbers. Where's the chart?

**The workshop's answer:** The numbered chart sits in the listing photos, often the second, third or last image, and the workshop will message it to you. Each fabric type has its own chart; ask for close-ups of any number.

## Questions buyers ask next

### Does a color number mean the same shade in every fabric?

No. Each fabric type has its own numbered chart, so a number only means something next to its fabric name. The shades named here come from the floor-cushion velvet chart; linen 4, for instance, is a dark yellow on the linen chart.

### Which floor-cushion fabric is closest to a true white?

Velvet 11 is the pick for a true white. On the linen chart, 19 is a cream close to white and 1 reads white-cream; both look darker on the chart than they do in person.

### Can I describe the shade I want instead of picking a number?

For mustard, yes: writing 'mustard' in the note is enough, and it will be matched. For finer calls, such as golden yellow against mustard, ask for both numbers photographed side by side before you order.

## Related at the atelier

- [Do you have a dark mustard or marigold yellow?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/mustard-yellow-cushion-fabric-codes/): Velvet 111 is the deeper, darker mustard; soft fabric 920 is a warm golden yellow in the mustard family that reads brighter beside it.
- [Is this velvet burnt orange, rust or terracotta?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/burnt-orange-rust-terracotta-velvet-code/): For a burnt orange velvet cushion, check which chart the code comes from: bench velvet 113 covers two shades, burnt orange and red terra cotta, while on the floor-cushion chart 17 is the rust in the…
- [The color options only show numbers. Where's the color chart?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/fabric-color-chart-numbers-explained/): The numbered color chart is in the listing photos, usually the second, third or last image, and the workshop will also message it to you.
- [Window Seat Cushion in Mustard Corduroy by Lamplight](https://cushionguide.com/readings/mustard-corduroy-seat-top-macro-paper-lamp/): A mustard corduroy window seat cushion changes color with the light: warm lamplight pushes it toward amber, and daylight shows its true gold.
- [Blue and Mustard Striped Window Seat Cushion on Terracotta](https://cushionguide.com/readings/cornflower-mustard-stripe-window-seat-terracotta/): In a nook painted one color from wall to bench, choose a window seat cushion with one stripe close to the paint and one directly opposite it.
- [Window Seat Cushion in Dusty Blue Bouclé with a Caramel Welt](https://cushionguide.com/readings/dusty-blue-window-seat-cushion-caramel-welt/): To measure a built-in window seat for a cushion, take the width wall to wall at the back and again at the front, and the depth from the wall to the outer edge of the top, then decide whether the…
- [Every cushion shape, drawn once, with the numbers it needs](https://cushionguide.com/guides/cushion-shapes-chart/)
- [Velvet bench cushions: how the pile behaves and how to care for it](https://cushionguide.com/guides/velvet-bench-cushion-care/)

*With color and care — Élodie*

---

Written by Élodie Marchand (https://cushionguide.com/masters/elodie/) for CushionGuide (https://cushionguide.com/about/). The site explains made-to-measure cushions and the partner workshop makes them; measurements are in inches first. This Markdown mirrors the page at https://cushionguide.com/answers/mustard-vs-yellow-velvet-color-numbers/