Concept Sketches · 8 scenes
Loveseat cushions: one long seat or two, from real two-seaters
A loveseat seats two people and settles one argument: one long cushion or two. Here are eight two-seaters from past orders, porch to parlor, and what each one decided.
SaveThe quick answer
Loveseat cushions come two ways: one bench-style seat that runs arm to arm, or two seat cushions that meet in a seam at the middle. One piece looks tailored and leaves no gap; two are easier to lift, flip and wash. Order the backs as separate pieces, sized to the frame's back height minus the seat thickness, and add ties on wicker.
Every loveseat starts with the same question
The first thing folks tell me about a loveseat is the color they want. The first thing I ask back is one cushion or two.
A loveseat is a sofa built for two, and a settee is its more upright cousin, often wood-framed with one slim cushion. Two-seaters have reached the workshop from porches, parlors, patios and a converted school bus, and nearly every one turns on the same choices: one seat or two, how many backs, arm bolsters, ties.
The eight below are real. Where a photo shows a different loveseat than the story, I say so; the plan is what carries over. For full sofas, the sofa and couch cushions Atlas page takes over, and rounded corner measuring handles curved wicker seats.
So tell me, neighbor: is yours a one-cushion loveseat or a two?
Eight two-seaters, eight decisions
01A past project
An oval wicker loveseat that grew into a whole patio
A buyer in the US started with one oval cushion with rounded corners for her wicker loveseat, then added a chair, then the outdoor couch. The final order was the whole patio in one green-and-white stripe with piping: a 37 x 19 in (94 x 48 cm) loveseat seat, a 17 x 20 in (43 x 51 cm) chair seat, three 17 in (43 cm) square pillows and six couch pieces. Quoted as one set, it arrived before her party, and she told the workshop she cried because they looked so beautiful. The loveseat in the photo is a different one, in a lemon leaf print, with the same plan: one long seat, separate backs.
The takeaway: Quote the whole outdoor room as one set, and put your party date on the order.
Pattern sheet Front 37 in, back 32.7 in, depth 17.3 in. The slanted sides work out at about 17.4 in. 02A past project
A tapered loveseat with two chairs to match
A buyer wrote to the workshop about a loveseat and two chairs whose seats narrow toward the back and bow out at the front. The loveseat measured 37 in (940 mm) across the front, 32.7 in (830 mm) at the back, 18.9 in (480 mm) deep at the center of the curve and 17.3 in (440 mm) at the sides, all 2 in (50 mm) thick; the chairs were the same shape in miniature. The workshop asked for the numbers typed out, then drew each template with its curved front for approval.
The takeaway: On a seat with a curved front, measure the depth at the center and at both sides.
03A past project
A solid seat and a striped back on a teak loveseat
A buyer in the US asked whether the back cushions had to match the seat. They don't: each is its own cushion, so thickness, firmness and fabric can differ. Many buyers pick a firmer seat and a thinner back, such as 4 in (10 cm) backs on an 8 in (20 cm) seat, a little narrower than the seat so they stand upright. The teak loveseat in the photo takes it one step further: plain gray where people sit, a gray awning stripe on the backs.
The takeaway: Choose the stripe first, then a solid that matches its darker band for the seat.
04A past project
Four piped backs on a porch loveseat
A buyer in the US asked whether a back cushion should be firm foam or soft like a pillow. Both are made. Foam backs look like a shorter seat cushion and hold their shape outdoors; pillow backs are softer and the less costly choice. The porch loveseat at the top of the page splits its back into four piped cushions: pull one out and you can lean on the arm with your feet up.
The takeaway: Decide how you sit before you choose the fill: foam for sitting upright, pillow for a lean.
05A past project
A settee built by a grandfather, and a young artist
A buyer in the US wrote about a couch and a loveseat her grandfather built by hand. The homemade cushions had never been comfortable, they hadn't lasted, and her daughter had drawn on them. Kids and dogs are the real quality control. She wanted tufted cushions that would hold up, and the workshop asked for what every heirloom frame needs: photos, and the exact measurements of each seat deck. The walnut settee in the photo shows the quieter version of the idea, one narrow cushion laid on a wood frame, unpiped, so the weave wraps the edge.
The takeaway: An heirloom frame needs only exact deck sizes and photos.
06A past project
A futon frame given one seat and two backs
A buyer got in touch with a futon frame turned everyday sofa, tangled over which number was length and which was width. We settled it together: one seat 67 x 23 in (170 x 58 cm) and two backs 33 in (84 cm) wide. For the backs the workshop asked for the total height of the frame's back, then reminded them that the 4 in (10 cm) seat cushion takes up part of it; the backs came out 24 in (61 cm) tall. The set went out in green khaki with side pillows, exactly as they had hoped. The walnut bench in the photo wears the same plan and reads like a small sofa.
The takeaway: Measure the back from the frame, then subtract the seat thickness before you order.
Pattern sheet Plan: the cushion fills the inside of the frame, 53.5 by 29.5 in, measured wood to wood. Front view: 4 in thick. 07A past project
A toddler floor bed turned reading loveseat
A parent in the US wanted to turn a toddler floor bed into a small reading loveseat. The platform was 53.5 x 29.5 in (136 x 75 cm), and two plans fit: a five-piece set with a seat, two back cushions and two side bolsters, or a seat with one long back bolster, both in linen with contrast piping. The five-piece set cost about twice as much and looked fuller. Only the cushions' own sizes mattered, not the frame's height. They settled on 4 in (10 cm) of the firm 32-density foam.
The takeaway: Side bolsters make a two-seater look finished; one long back bolster keeps it simple.
08A past project
The curved loveseat covers the workshop said no to
A buyer asked the workshop to re-cover outdoor loveseat cushions with slightly angled sides and a curved back, keeping the old foam. The workshop asked for photos and a drawing of each shape with its sizes, then said no. Curved, angled covers for foam we can't hold in our hands can't be cut accurately from numbers alone, and a cover that almost fits is no gift. The sand cushions in the photo are the easy case: plain rectangles on a straight teak frame.
The takeaway: For curved, angled loveseat cushions, ask whether new cushions cut from a paper template are possible instead of covers.
One seat or two, one back or four
No choice here is wrong; each one lives differently. Backrest cushions and bolster pillows hold the full range, and outdoor cushions covers the patio fabrics.
| Choice | How it looks | How it lives | from past orders |
|---|---|---|---|
| One seat, arm to arm | Tailored, no gap | One long cover to wash | A 37 x 19 in (94 x 48 cm) wicker seat; a 67 x 23 in (170 x 58 cm) futon seat |
| Two seats, seam in the middle | The classic sofa look | Each side flips and rotates | A 67.5 in (171 cm) frame in the US split evenly into 22.5 in (57 cm) seats |
| Two backs | The standard loveseat set | Light enough to lift and wash | Two 33 in (84 cm) backs over one futon seat |
| Four backs | Plump, lounge-like | Pull one out, lean on the arm | The porch loveseat up top |
| Arm bolsters | Finished at both ends | Something to lean on sideways | Five pieces cost about twice a seat plus one back bolster |
| Ties or non-slip base | Invisible when right | Ties for wicker and slats; non-slip for solid seats | Ties go on only by request |
Before you send a loveseat order
- Measure the seat between the arms at the front and at the back; older seats often taper.
- On a curved front, take the depth at the center and at both sides.
- Measure the back's width on its own: in one converted school bus in the US, the back was 46.5 in (118 cm) against a 48 in (122 cm) seat.
- Size the back from the frame's back height minus the seat thickness.
- Ask for ties in writing, with their positions.
- Order seat, backs and bolsters together, from one fabric batch.
One seat or two is the whole loveseat question; answer it before the color, and the color gets easier.
Rosa Delgado
Buyer questions: loveseats, settees and wicker
- A common question
How do I measure a curved wicker loveseat or chair seat?
The workshop's answerMake a paper template: trace the seat, cut it out, write the widest width and the depth on it, and photograph it flat from above beside a tape measure; no need to mail it. Without a template, send the width, the depth, where each curve starts and ends, and a top-down photo.
- A common question
Can you copy the seat and back cushions I already have?
The workshop's answerYes. Send photos with the seat and back measurements and the cushions are replicated, quoted per chair; ask for the shipping cost on the same quote. One armchair got a 22 x 22 in (56 x 56 cm) seat and matching back in charcoal linen, and the buyer said they fit perfectly. Same-color piping is free.
- A common question
Can you plan all the seat and back cushions for a rattan sofa set?
The workshop's answerYes. Send photos and the inside frame sizes with your preferred thickness, and a full plan comes back: for one sofa, two 87 x 29 in (220 x 73 cm) seats 5 in (13 cm) thick and eight 29 x 16 in (73 x 40 cm) back pillows. Curved wicker chairs get a template drawn from your photos to confirm.
- A common question
How do I measure a seat with a rounded end or curved front?
The workshop's answerOn a measured sketch, give the total width and depth, the straight length of each edge before the curve, where each curve starts and ends, and how deep it runs. For tricky curves, trace the seat on wrapping paper and photograph the cut-out flat beside a tape measure, one drawing per cushion.
- A common question
What do sizes like 28 x 52 in mean?
The workshop's answerThe first number is the depth, front to back, and the second is the length, so 28 x 52 in (71 x 132 cm) means 28 in deep and 52 in long. A seat that size works as a small loveseat for two.
Have it made
Have an idea like this made — ask Rosa’s workshop
Every good cushion I know started with a long porch chat. This is the short version: leave your number and the workshop will call. — Rosa
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.
Loveseat questions, porch-side
Do loveseat cushions need ties?
On wicker, slats or rails, ties keep a seat from creeping forward; on a flat, solid seat, a non-slip base works better. Ties are sewn in only on request, so write down where each one goes.
How tall should loveseat back cushions be?
Measure the frame's back height from the seat deck and subtract the seat cushion's thickness, because the back stands on the seat. The standard back pillow is about 16 in (40 cm) tall and 4 in (10 cm) thick, the height recommended for proper support.
What size lumbar pillow suits a loveseat?
One published sizing guide pairs a loveseat with a 14 x 24 in (36 x 61 cm) lumbar and a three-cushion sofa with 14 x 36 in (36 x 91 cm). Pillows are made to custom sizes, so measure what leaves room for two.
How long do curved or tapered loveseat cushions take?
Longer than rectangles: curved or complex shapes and large multi-piece orders need more making time before shipping, so ask for current dates in writing. Every cushion is measured after sewing and photographed before it ships.
