The Cutting Table · a question, worked through
Will a new cushion match the ones I bought from you before?
Two covers cut from the same cloth can still disagree across a room, my friends. Here is why a reorder lands close rather than identical, and how to narrow the gap before anything is cut.
Pinned by Élodie
The quick answer
A new cushion or cover will usually be close to your earlier order, but it is not guaranteed to be identical. Older fabrics may be discontinued, and pile direction, light and wear make a new cover read differently from a used one. Ask for close-up photos of the nearest tone and compare them against your cushion before you reorder.
Get a quote for a modular floor sofa
Key facts
- Fabrics from older orders may no longer be carried; the current range is much wider.
- The workshop suggests the nearest tone from the velvet and soft charts, and linen options are still available.
- The corduroy has come from the same factory for about 3 years.
- Corduroy and velvet change shade with pile direction and light.
- A used cover can look lighter than a new one; a wash at 86°F (30°C) was suggested.
- Pieces ordered separately can differ in shade.
Have it made
Have Élodie’s workshop cut this for you
A fabric reads one way at noon and another at dusk. Mention your light, and the workshop will weigh it with you. — 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.
“Can you match the fabric from my first order?”
Close, and you will see how close before you decide. Some fabrics from older orders are no longer carried; the range is much wider now, so the workshop looks for the nearest tone on the velvet and soft charts, and linen options are still there if linen was your first fabric.
Then comes the useful part: close-up photos of the candidate, which you hold beside the cushion already on your modular floor sofa or chair. Daylight never lies; your screen sometimes does.
“Did you change the color of my corduroy?”
A buyer in the US asked exactly that when a new corduroy cover looked like a different shade from the old one. The workshop has bought that corduroy from the same factory for about 3 years. What moves is the pile: the ribs lean one way, so the same cloth reads deeper from one angle and yellower from another.
An older cover also turns lighter with use; the workshop suggested a wash at 86°F (30°C). The dye lot Pattern covers the rest of the puzzle.
The ottoman that came out warmer
A buyer in the US ordered a velvet ottoman some time after the sofa. It arrived a warmer brown than the sofa, which the buyer described as a cooler brown with a green undertone. The workshop sent several replacement covers and asked for photos with each cover fitted on its foam, because velvet sheen changes the color the eye receives. In the end, the cost of the cover was refunded.
The lesson is not that reorders fail. Velvet must be judged dressed, on its foam, in your own light. Where does yours sit, in cool north light or warm afternoon sun?
Before you reorder, gather these
- A daylight photo of your existing cushion, taken near a window.
- The fabric name or code from your first order, if you still have it.
- Close-ups of the nearest current tone, requested from the workshop.
- For velvet, photos of the new cover fitted on its foam, not lying flat.
The same corduroy, bought from the same factory for about 3 years, can still read deeper from one angle and yellower from another.
Élodie
Buyer questions
- A common question
I ordered from you a while back. Can you match that fabric now?
The workshop's answerThe fabrics from older orders may no longer be carried, but the range is much wider now. Look at the velvet and soft charts for a close tone and ask for close-up photos to compare with your cushion; linen options are still available too.
- A common question
My new corduroy cover looks like a different shade from the old one. Did you change the color?
The workshop's answerThe corduroy has come from the same factory for about 3 years. Its pile makes the shade look deeper from one angle and yellower from another, and an older cover can look lighter after use. A wash at 86°F (30°C) was suggested.
- A common question
If I order an ottoman later, will it match my sofa?
The workshop's answerNot guaranteed. One velvet ottoman ordered separately came out a warmer brown than the sofa. The workshop sent several replacement covers, asked for photos with them fitted on the foam because velvet sheen changes the color, and then refunded the cover cost.
- A common question
Why does one velvet cushion look like two different shades?
The workshop's answerVelvet and corduroy have a directional pile, so the same fabric reads lighter or darker with brushing direction, viewing angle and light. Brush it the other way and check it in daylight; if pieces still clearly differ, send photos.
Questions buyers ask next
Does keeping my old fabric code guarantee an identical match?
No code guarantees an identical shade. The fabric may have been discontinued, and even the same cloth reads differently with pile direction, light and wear. Use the code as a starting point, then compare close-up photos against your cushion in daylight.
Is it safer to order every matching cover at the same time?
If an exact match matters, yes. Pieces ordered separately can differ in shade, as one velvet ottoman did against its sofa. When you add a piece later, request close-ups before anything is cut.
How should I photograph a velvet cover to compare its color?
Fit the cover on its foam first, since velvet sheen changes the color the camera sees, then shoot it in daylight beside the older cushion. That is the view the workshop asked for when checking a mismatched ottoman.
