The Cutting Table
The Cutting Table, page 4
Each answer starts from one question buyers ask again and again, then gives the short version, the workshop's reasoning, other ways the question is put and the follow-ups buyers ask next.
765 answers · 28 topics
Choosing a fabric (continued) 49
Is your velvet cotton velvet or polyester?
The cushion velvet is synthetic, polyester or a poly-cotton blend, not cotton, linen or silk velvet.
Can my cushion be made in 100% cotton or linen instead of polyester?
A cushion or cover can be made in 100% cotton, pure linen or a cotton-linen fabric for anyone avoiding polyester.
What's the Martindale or double-rub rating of the cushion fabric?
There is no Martindale rub count or Wyzenbeek double-rub figure for these cushion fabrics, because the workshop holds no lab test certificates.
What are the striped cushion fabrics made of, and is there a linen stripe?
The striped cushion fabrics are 100% cotton, a fully natural fabric; the black-and-white stripe is 98% cotton and 2% polyester.
Can I get the floor sofa in a fabric other than corduroy?
Yes: corduroy is only the standard, and the modular and teddy floor sofas, the pouf sofa and IKEA Hemnes daybed covers can all be made in velvet, smooth soft fabric, linen, canvas-weave linen or a…
What is 'soft fabric' made of? Is it natural or synthetic?
Soft fabric is a poly-cotton blend: the workshop's name for its best-selling upholstery weave, codes 901 to 946, thick and durable with a soft hand.
Can you make a stripe in my own colors, or put a plain color into a stripe?
No: stripes are woven into the fabric by the manufacturer, so their colors are fixed, and a plain color can't be turned into a stripe.
Is the corduroy on the sofa cotton or polyester?
The sofa corduroy is mostly polyester, not cotton: the workshop describes it as 100% polyester plush corduroy or a poly-cotton blend, because furniture corduroy isn't made in pure cotton.
Color matching 52
Which cushion fabric is closest to a deep red, burgundy or maroon?
For burgundy cushion fabric, look at 936 (burgundy) and 938, a very similar maroon that is also the dark red in the main listing photo.
Should I choose contrast piping or matching piping on my cushion?
Contrast piping and matching piping both work; choose by how much you want the cushion's edge to show.
What cushion or piping color goes with sage or olive green?
Warm neutrals go best with sage green: cream, oatmeal or light beige, such as 910, 915 and 916 in the soft range.
Can you match an exact paint color, CMYK code or another brand's fabric?
No exact match to a paint color, CMYK value or another brand's fabric can be guaranteed, because screens and lighting shift every color.
Which color number is white or cream on the floor cushion chart?
For white on the floor cushion linen chart, choose 19, a cream very close to white that matches the lightest cushion in the photos, or 1, which reads white-cream and looks brighter in person.
Which of your linens are beige or greige rather than gray?
For beige or greige rather than gray, look at L-02, L-03 and L-04: L-02 is a cream, light beige, L-03 a light warm greige and L-04 a touch warmer.
What fabric and piping are on the cushion in your listing photo?
Send a screenshot of the exact listing photo, and the workshop names both the fabric code and the piping code.
Can you show me my fabric and piping combination together before I order?
The workshop will photograph your chosen body fabric and piping swatches side by side before you order, in as many combinations as you need, with extra shots in different lighting on request.
If I send a photo, can you tell me which of your colors matches best?
Yes, a cushion color can be matched from a photo: send a picture of the color you want, your sofa or your room, and the workshop compares it with its fabric charts, names the closest codes, checks…
How do I find the right navy or slate blue fabric for my cushion?
Order samples: phone photos rarely show navy accurately, and each fabric chart holds only one or two navy blues, so a sample of those codes is the safest match.
What's the difference between two fabric color codes that look almost the same?
Neighboring color codes usually differ only in tone, so the workshop sends its color chart or a photo taken under light to help you choose.
Is this velvet mustard or yellow, and how do I tell similar shades apart?
On the floor-cushion velvet chart, 12 is mustard yellow, 18 is a brighter golden yellow and 14 is amber, close to burnt orange.
Why does the same fabric code look different in two of your photos?
The same fabric looks different in two photos because lighting, camera settings, angle and screen brightness all change how its color reads.
Can I see real-life photos of the sofa colors? They look different in every photo.
Yes: the workshop sends non-studio and real customer photos of any teddy sofa color on request.
Can you make the corduroy sofa in a color you don't list, like olive or cherry red?
The corduroy sofa can't be made in an unlisted corduroy color, because corduroy comes only in its listed shades, but many missing colors can be made in plain velvet or linen from a larger chart.
Can I get the same color in a different fabric, like linen instead of velvet?
Close, but not identical: the same color never reads exactly alike in velvet, linen and corduroy, because each fabric reflects light its own way.
Is the dark stripe in your striped fabric black, charcoal or navy?
The dark stripe in most of the striped fabrics is navy, not black: N28, HM-23 and N-08 read as deep blue up close, even though they pass for black across a room.
Do you have a dark mustard or marigold yellow?
Velvet 111 is the deeper, darker mustard; soft fabric 920 is a warm golden yellow in the mustard family that reads brighter beside it.
What color is number 26 on your chart? I can't tell from the swatches.
Ask the workshop and it names the color behind any chart number, sends the full chart link and larger close-ups, and confirms the number with you before production.
I don't like the color I received. What can you do?
Start by sending a clear photo of the cushion taken near a window in natural daylight, because warm bulbs, dark walls and screens make colors read deeper.
Is the brick color rust, orange or terracotta?
Brick (corduroy COR-205) is a warm rust-orange, closer to burnt orange than to a red terracotta.
Which linen color is closest to sage green?
L-24 is the closest linen to sage green: a soft, muted gray-green squarely in the sage family.
Does the corduroy floor sofa come in black?
No, the corduroy floor sofa isn't made in black; the darkest corduroy shades are dark anthracite and brown.
A color I saw in your photos isn't in the dropdown. Can I still order it?
You can usually order a color that isn't in the dropdown, because the dropdown doesn't list every fabric in stock.
Which fabric code is olive green, and will it look too bright?
Olive green is code 123 in the velvet chart, a muted, earthy olive; L24 is the linen alternative.
Why does my velvet or corduroy cushion look like two different shades?
Velvet and corduroy look like two shades because their pile is directional: the same fabric reads lighter, darker or warmer depending on how it is brushed, the angle you view it from and the light.
Will the fabric color look the same in real life as on my screen?
Not always exactly: a fabric color can look slightly different in person than on your screen, because device screens, lighting and daylight all shift how cloth reads.
Do I pay extra for a custom color on my cushion?
No, a custom color does not cost extra: any color on the workshop's fabric charts can be made on any cushion at no added cost, ordered by its code.
Which fabric did another buyer use in their review photo?
Send a screenshot of the review photo and the workshop looks up that buyer's order and gives you the fabric and piping codes.
Can I mix colors on my modular sofa, with each piece a different color?
Yes, each piece of a modular floor sofa can be a different color: choose the mix-color option and write in the order note or Personalization which color goes on which piece.
Will a new cushion match the ones I bought from you before?
A new cushion or cover will usually be close to your earlier order, but it is not guaranteed to be identical.
Can you suggest a cushion and piping color to go with my wallpaper?
Yes: send a photo of your wallpaper or room in good daylight, and the workshop suggests a body color and a piping color by fabric code.
Are the neutral stripes like N01 to N05 gray, beige or olive?
N03 is a cream and beige stripe, not gray, and the other neutral stripes are best judged from a photo of a finished cushion rather than a swatch thumbnail.
Is the sofa's green light or dark, and is the white a pure white?
The water green on the floor sofa is fairly dark, and its white is an off-white, not a pure white.
Which green is the cushion in your main photo: khaki, mint, emerald or olive?
Choose Khaki: the olive or moss green in the main listing photos, including the green bench cushion, is the color called Khaki, not mint or emerald.
My old fabric color code isn't in the chart anymore. Can I still get it?
Often, yes: ask the workshop before you pick a substitute, because a fabric color missing from the chart may only be renumbered, may be re-added for your reorder, or, if truly discontinued, can be…
Can you send close-up photos of the fabric codes I'm considering before I order?
Yes, the workshop sends free close-up photos of any fabric code you name, side by side if you're comparing and with your piping in the frame.
Which color number do I pick to get the floor cushion in your listing photo?
Name the floor cushion listing photo you like, and the workshop tells you its exact color number; order that number and your cushion comes in that same color.
Do you have a dark chocolate or espresso brown linen?
Yes: K22 on the second linen chart is a dark espresso brown linen, because the main linen chart has no true dark brown.
The cushion I received looks a different color from the listing. Was the wrong fabric used?
Usually the ordered fabric was used, and the workshop checks it: your order's fabric code is matched against what production used, and your photo is compared with the shop's close-up and…
Can I see a finished cushion in my fabric, not just the swatch?
Yes, the workshop usually has photos of a finished cushion in your fabric: pieces made for other customers in that code, plus review photos taken in real homes.
Is this cushion fabric true black, or a dark gray or charcoal?
A cushion fabric that looks black on screen is often dark gray, navy or brown, not true black.
Buyer questions
- A common question
Is your velvet cotton, and does it wrinkle?
The workshop's answerNo, it's a polyester-blend velvet, which keeps covers long-lasting, durable under daily use and easy to clean; cotton velvets crush and wear faster on seating. It mostly doesn't wrinkle.
- A common question
What are the corduroy sofa covers made of? I'd like to dye them.
The workshop's answerThey're 100% polyester plush corduroy, removable and machine washable. Dyeing the covers isn't recommended.
The full answer: Is the corduroy on the sofa cotton or polyester?
- A common question
The piping on your first listing photo looks orange. What fabric and piping is that cushion?
The workshop's answerThat cushion is P-60 with P-61 piping. P-61 isn't really orange; it reads more mustard in real life. The workshop can send close-ups and a photo of a finished cushion in the same combination so you see the true colors.
The full answer: What fabric and piping are on the cushion in your listing photo?