---
title: "Bolster Armrests for a Window Seat: Round, Matched, Filled"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/round-bolster-armrests-window-seat-bench/"
section: "The Cutting Table"
author: "Harlan Pruitt, The Elder of High Point"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/harlan/"
published: "2026-04-21"
updated: "2026-09-24"
keywords: "bolster armrests for window seat, round bolster pillows for bench, cylinder armrest cushions, matching bolster pillows, window seat bolsters"
---

# Can I get round bolsters as armrests at each end of my window seat?

*You can, and it is about the oldest trick in the trade for turning a seat into a sofa. Here is how the pair gets sized and matched.*

Also asked as: Arm rests, the cylinder-like cushions; Do you also do bolster cushions for the sides?

> **The quick answer:** Yes, bolster armrests for a window seat are made to match the seat's fabric and piping, one for each end, usually as long as the seat is deep. A 20 x 73 in (51 x 185 cm) window seat, for example, took two 7 in (18 cm) diameter bolsters 20 in (51 cm) long. They come filled, in indoor or outdoor fabric.

![Wine red bolster with self piping on an ivory seat cushion in a herringbone woven rattan daybed, pothos trailing behind](https://cushionguide.com/media/bolster-pillows/wine-red-bolster-herringbone-rattan-daybed-pothos-1600.webp "Deep wine against honey rattan, with a trailing pothos in the window adding a touch of green.")

## Key facts

- Armrest bolsters can match the seat's fabric and piping.
- One bolster goes at each end, usually as long as the seat is deep.
- A 20 x 73 in (51 x 185 cm) window seat took two bolsters 7 in (18 cm) across and 20 in (51 cm) long.
- Bolsters are sent with the inner filling included.
- Corduroy and outdoor fabrics both work for bolsters.
- The workshop can mock up the set before you order.
- Floor sofa sets already come with round armrest bolsters.

## Why each bolster runs the depth of the seat

A seat without arms is a bench. Put a round bolster at each end and folks start calling it a sofa. That is the whole trick, my friend, and it is an old one.

Each armrest bolster is usually as long as the seat is deep, so it runs from the wall to the front edge and stops where the cushion stops. On a 20 x 73 in (51 x 185 cm) window seat that meant two bolsters 20 in (51 cm) long and 7 in (18 cm) across, cut from the seat's fabric with its piping. They come filled, ready for an elbow.

[Corduroy](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/corduroy/) suits a bolster fine, and outdoor fabric works for a porch bench. The workshop can mock up the set before you order, and the [bolster pillow sizing Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/bolster-pillow-size-diameter/) covers diameter. More shapes live under [bolster pillows](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/bolster-pillows/). How deep is your seat, wall to front edge?

## Bolster armrests from past orders

| Where it goes | Diameter | Length | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Each end of a 20 x 73 in (51 x 185 cm) window seat | 7 in (18 cm) | 20 in (51 cm) | Body and piping fabric picked by code |
| A single long bolster | 6 in (15 cm) | 47 in (120 cm) | Sent with filling |
| Side cylinder armrests | Quoted to order | 24 in (60 cm) | Quoted with the seat and back cushions |
| Floor sofa set | Round | Sized to the set | Included as standard |

## What to send for a matched pair

- ✓ The seat size: length x depth x thickness.
- ✓ Each bolster's diameter x length, starting the length at the seat depth.
- ✓ How many: usually two, one for each end.
- ✓ Fabric and piping, the same as the seat or a contrast.
- ✓ A request for a mock-up if you want to see the set first.

> **Tailor's margin:** Armrest bolsters for a window seat are usually cut as long as the seat is deep: a 20 in deep seat takes two 20 in bolsters, one per end.

> Two 7 in round bolsters, one at each end of a window seat and matched in fabric and piping, turn a plain ledge into a sofa.
>
> — Harlan

## Buyer questions

**A common question:** Can you make cylinder armrests to go with my window seat cushion?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes, in the same fabric and piping. A 20 x 73 in seat was made with two bolsters 7 in across and 20 in long, body and piping each chosen by fabric code. A 47 in (120 cm) long, 6 in (15 cm) diameter bolster comes with filling, and small sausage bolsters are quoted per piece.

**A common question:** Do you make matching bolsters for the ends of a bench or window seat?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. They're made to match the seat, for example two bolsters as long as the seat depth, one for each end. Corduroy or outdoor fabric both work, and the workshop can mock up the set first.

**A common question:** Can the round armrests be cut to the depth of my seat?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. Floor sofa sets come with round armrest bolsters, and custom cylinder armrests, for example 24 in (60 cm) long, are quoted together with the seat and back cushions.

**A common question:** Can my bolsters have piping in a different color?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. Bolsters can have same-fabric piping, contrast piping in a second fabric, or be made fully in a contrast or stripe fabric, in any length and diameter, ordered through a private custom link.

## Questions buyers ask next

### Will the bolsters stay put at the ends of the seat?

They come loose, without straps, as standard. On request the workshop adds hook-and-loop fasteners to fix armrests to the base, or a strap to hold a bolster on a mattress. Perfectly flat bolster ends aren't possible.

### Could one long bolster work as a backrest instead?

Yes. Long cylinder backrests with rounded ends are made to the bench length in matching fabric. Standard diameter is 8 in (20 cm); for a 31.5 in (80 cm) seat depth, plan about 39 in (100 cm) of total depth.

### Do the armrest bolsters arrive as empty covers?

No. Bolsters are sent with the inner filling included, so the pair is ready to set at the ends of the seat as soon as it is unpacked.

## Related at the atelier

- [Can you make bolster pillows to match my bench cushion?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/matching-bolster-pillows-for-bench-cushion/): Yes, bolster pillows are made to match a bench or window seat cushion in the same fabric and piping, at any diameter and length.
- [How do I order bolsters if there's no listing for them?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/how-to-order-custom-bolster-pillows/): Custom bolster pillows have no listing of their own: order your seat or window seat cushion first, then message the bolster sizes and the shop sends a custom payment link.
- [Bolster Pillow on a Navy Velvet Sofa Arm: Measuring It Right](https://cushionguide.com/readings/oatmeal-bolster-navy-velvet-sofa-arm/): A bolster pillow is measured by two numbers only: its length and its diameter.
- [Bolster Pillow Pyramid in Plum, Navy and Burgundy on a Daybed](https://cushionguide.com/readings/plum-navy-burgundy-bolster-pyramid-linen-daybed/): A bolster stack on a daybed stays put when every bolster shares one diameter, so size them all to the same roll, here matched to the green stripe.
- [Bolster Pillows in Sage, Red Stripe and Cobalt: A Daybed Remade](https://cushionguide.com/readings/sage-red-stripe-cobalt-bolsters-crossed-daybed/): Bolster pillows are the quickest real makeover a daybed can get: three rolls in different fabrics, one shared length, and the room changes.
- [Can I order matching bolsters later for a cushion I already bought?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/add-matching-bolsters-to-existing-cushion/): Yes, a matching bolster for an existing cushion can be made later, because the workshop keeps fabric stock and can cut the same fabric and color as your original order, even a year on.
- [Bolster pillow sizes: choosing diameter and length for a seat or daybed](https://cushionguide.com/guides/bolster-pillow-size-diameter/)
- [Reading nook bolsters, back pillows and a seat depth that invites a nap](https://cushionguide.com/guides/reading-nook-cushion-bolsters/)

*Sit well. — Harlan*

---

Written by Harlan Pruitt (https://cushionguide.com/masters/harlan/) 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/round-bolster-armrests-window-seat-bench/