The Cushion Atlas · Chairs, swings & rockers

Ottoman and footstool cushions, made for the base you already love

An ottoman carries more than any chair in the house: feet, trays, cats and grandchildren. Its cushion ought to be built like it knows that.

Atlas entry by Harlan

The Elder of High Point · January 22, 2026

3readings
5answers
12photographs

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A real paw on the real fabric: chocolate pebble weave with self piping on a footstool the cat has claimed.

The quick answer

An ottoman cushion is a loose top made to the exact size of a footstool or ottoman base, or a full floor sofa ottoman, commonly 39 x 39 in (100 x 100 cm). Standard foam is 4 in (10 cm) thick in a zippered cover; tufted tops are fiber-filled and sewn closed. Order a set at once so it shares one dye lot.

Shapes to choose from

Every one is cut to your measurements. The number is how many readings the atelier has published for that shape.

Sizes & measuring

Sizes on the cutting table, and how to measure an ottoman

Measure the base, my friend, not the tired cushion that sat on it. A cushion that has held feet for ten years no longer knows its own size.

How to measure Seen from above, the cushion fills the frame: measure length and depth inside it, wood to wood. Seen from the front: the thickness you want.

Loose top, square	Length and depth of the top, edge to edge, to the nearest 1/4 in; mark rounded corners
Loose top, round	Diameter and thickness, with a photo of the base
Floor sofa ottoman	39 x 39 in (100 x 100 cm), alone or with a straight or L-shaped backrest
Patio ottoman (real order)	22 x 21.5 x 4 in with rounded corners, listed with the set
Standard thickness	4 in (10 cm); 2 in (5 cm) is the thinnest standard foam
Extra thick	Up to 12 in (30.5 cm) in large sizes; over 6 in (15 cm) is custom
Largest tufted square	About 48 x 48 in (122 x 122 cm)
Cover	Zippered on foam tops, hidden on the back edge or underside; tufted tops are sewn closed

What an ottoman cushion does for a room

An ottoman is a low seat with no back. Some hold blankets inside, some carry a tray and stand in for a coffee table, and some are the leg rest of a floor sofa. The cushion on top is the part that wears, and a loose top can be replaced or re-covered without touching the base.

Three kinds come across our cutting table: a loose top for a wooden or rattan footstool, round or square; an outdoor ottoman cushion that belongs to a patio set; and the big 39 in square ottoman that rides alongside a modular floor sofa. If yours sits in the family room, living room cushions is the next door down the hall.

Box edge, knife edge and the buttoned top

The box edge, a band around the sides with piping top and bottom, is the ottoman classic. It stands square on a wooden rim and shows off a contrast welt, like the chocolate piping in our photo with a tabby's paw resting on it. A knife edge, sewn flat with no band, reads softer and suits a small round footstool.

Tufted tops are the traditional dress. The buttons are set by hand and pull the filling down so it can't wander. Rounded corners, a pull loop at the side, a round top on turned legs: put each on the drawing with its size, and the workshop cuts to it. See box edge or knife edge.

Fabrics that take feet, trays and cats

An ottoman gets shoes, coffee and claws. Choose for the life it leads.

Velvet: the workshop's is synthetic, so it resists crushing better than cotton velvet. Velvet remembers the hand that brushed it; brush it one way.
Corduroy: cozy, but ribs can split under hard daily use, and the shade shifts with pile direction and light.
Bouclé and teddy: soft and pebbled, like the forest green cover in our gallery; loops can snag on claws.
Performance and pet-friendly weaves: the honest pick for a footstool the cat claims every afternoon.
Outdoor acrylic: for the patio ottoman, wherever rain can reach.

Open a swatch family

The count is how many published readings use each family. Open a family for its swatch book, care notes and neighbors.

Foam, fiber, and how high to build

A foam top is high-density foam, cut slightly larger than its cover so the cover looks full, and the cover comes off to wash at 86°F (30°C). High-density foam gives the flat, structured top you want under a tray, at about 6 to 7 on a 1-to-10 firmness scale. A tufted top has no foam core at all: siliconized polyester fiber balls, packed tight and deliberately overfilled so it stays plump.

Height is where folks surprise themselves. Within 2 to 5 in, thickness moves the price far less than length and width. Past that it climbs: a 24 x 24 in velvet cushion lists at twice the price at 12 in as at 6 in. Put your feet up and let the seat height calculator do the arithmetic.

A real project

The ottoman that came out a warmer brown

A buyer in the US loved her brown velvet teddy sofa and, some time later, ordered the matching 39 x 39 in ottoman on its own. It arrived a warm brown. The sofa was a cooler brown with a green undertone. Two replacement covers went out, and neither matched. In the end the workshop refunded the cost of the cover.

Nobody was careless. Each fabric roll is dyed in its own batch, and batches vary a little in tone. Velvet sheen makes a small gap look large. Order the whole set at once and it comes off one roll; add a piece later, and send a photo or an offcut of the original with a request for a batch match.

Measured: Ottoman 39 x 39 in, ordered after the sofa
What it taught: Add-on pieces ordered later can differ in shade; send a swatch or photo of the original to be matched.

Mistakes I'd rather you didn't make

Ordering the ottoman months after the sofa and expecting the same dye lot.
Measuring the old cushion instead of the base.
Leaving rounded corners off the drawing of a patio set.
Giving a color only in a message when the listing has no color selector. Put it in the order note too.
Choosing a tufted top and planning to machine-wash the cover.
Going to 12 in thick without checking the price and your knees.

Photographs from the workbench

Open any photograph large; each one has its own link and a Save button.

Wine red chenille round cushion with a pull loop on a carved wooden ottoman with turned legs, Persian rug, potted olive tree — A deep wine-red round cushion turns a carved wooden base into a comfortable ottoman. A sewn-in loop makes it easy to lift.

Square navy and white palm-print box cushion with navy piping on a natural rattan ottoman on a sunny tiled terrace — A deep box cushion turns a rattan cube into an extra seat on a small sunny terrace.

Sage green tie-on back cushion, seat cushion and footstool cushion on a honey wood glider, white Maltese asleep on the rug — A sage cushion set refreshes a wooden glider and its footstool. Ties at the top rail keep the tall back cushion in place.

Round coral outdoor seat cushions on wooden bar stools at a concrete rooftop bar with cocktails and string lights at dusk — Round coral pads cut to the stool tops add color and comfort to a concrete rooftop bar under festoon lights.

Round box cushions in red, green and navy stripes on a row of bar stools at a rooftop terrace counter above the city — Five round striped pads with gingham bows give a rooftop bar counter a cheerful, café-style rhythm.

Three square pet-friendly box cushions in burgundy, sage green and denim blue with self piping, stacked on a solid oak bench — Stacking the three colorways shows how each self-piped edge stays sharp and square.

Sage green T-shaped seat cushion with self piping on a cream armchair, tabby cat asleep on top, fiddle-leaf fig nearby — A sage T-cushion replaces a worn armchair seat and adds a new color. The notched front fits snugly around the arms.

Black pet-friendly T-shaped seat cushion on a cream linen armchair with a sleeping tabby cat in a green library — A black pebble-weave T-cushion replaces the worn seat of a cream armchair, and the cat approves.

Close-up of a hidden zipper on the side of a forest green bouclé cushion cover, slightly open to show the insert — A zipper tucked into the side seam lets the forest green bouclé cover come off for washing.

Terracotta woven seat cushion with ivory piping tied to a dark spindle-back chair beside a stoneware lamp and vintage rug — Terracotta flecked with cream gives an old chair a warm, earthy update without hiding its dark wood.

Round dove gray tie-on seat pad on a black bentwood chair beside a Parisian bistro table with coffee, peonies and a book — A round seat pad with ties softens a cane bentwood chair in a Parisian salon with herringbone parquet.

An ottoman cushion ordered months after the sofa can come off a different dye lot. Order the set together, or send an offcut of the original.
Harlan

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Styling a footstool, and where to read next

A round top on turned legs wants one rich color and a rug beneath; the wine chenille round in our gallery sits on a Persian rug for good reason. A rattan cube on a terrace wants a crisp box cushion, navy piping on navy, so it reads from across the yard. A floor sofa ottoman can do more than hold feet: add a straight or L-shaped backrest and a metal bar and it becomes a lounge chair, and the corner sofa ottoman unfolds to about twin size for a guest.

Read dye lots and matching cushions later before adding to an old set, and tufted or plain cushions before choosing buttons. For rounds and stars in the room, see floor cushions and star poufs.

Buyer questions

A common question
I already have the floor sofa. Can I buy just the ottoman to match it?
The workshop's answer
Yes. Choose the ottoman-only option, or ask for a custom link in your sofa's color. The ottoman is 39 x 39 in (100 x 100 cm) and comes with its filling, on its own or with a straight or L-shaped backrest and a metal bar. Buyers add one months or even a year later, and later orders are made to match.
A common question
How big is the floor sofa ottoman, and does it fold open?
The workshop's answer
It's 39 x 39 in (about 100 x 100 cm): one connected piece of two stacked layers that opens flat into a longer rectangle, in the same foam as the sofa. The layers can be made as separate pieces on request, and the matching straight backrest is about 39 in (100 cm) long.
A common question
Could I add a back to the ottoman and use it as a chair?
The workshop's answer
Yes. An L-shaped or straight backrest turns the ottoman into a lounge chair or a small L-shaped sectional. The backrest is a separate piece held from behind by metal bars, it can be bought later through a custom link, and the connected layers let the chair lie flat or fold back up.
A common question
Can I get the corduroy bean bag chair without its pouf, or just the pouf by itself?
The workshop's answer
Yes. The chair normally comes as a set with its round pouf ottoman, but either piece can be ordered alone through its own listing or a custom offer. The pouf comes in the corduroy colors, except black.
A common question
Will a new ottoman cover match the cushions I bought from you before?
The workshop's answer
Close, but not always identical. Older fabrics may be discontinued, and even the same corduroy looks deeper from one angle and yellower from another. Used covers also look lighter than new ones. Ask for close-ups of the nearest tone to compare with what you have before you reorder.
A common question
Does a thicker ottoman cushion cost more?
The workshop's answer
A little within 2 to 5 in, where length and width matter more. Very tall pieces cost far more: a 24 x 24 in velvet cushion lists at twice the price at 12 in as at 6 in, and covers more than 6 in (15 cm) high are quoted as custom.

Have it made

Have your ottoman cushion made — ask Harlan’s workshop

Fabric has a temper and foam has a memory. Better to settle both in a conversation than to guess at them alone. — Harlan

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.

Fabric · Foam · Pipingwhat the workshop will confirm with you

Fabric: The cover cloth: weave, color and care code.
Foam: 2 in (5 cm) is the thinnest standard foam
Piping: The corded seam edge: matching, contrast or none.

Name

Phone Only for this request: no marketing calls or texts. Outside the US, add the country code.

Best time to call optional

What to make optional

Measurements optionalIn inches: length × depth × thickness, plus any angles or cut corners.

Notes optional

* Required. A member of the workshop team will call you to talk it through; nothing is charged and nothing is made until you have agreed on every detail with them.

We use these details only to answer this request and make your cushion: your name and contact details, the cushion details and photos you send, the page you came from and the ad or link that brought you, if any. The workshop that makes the cushions receives them. We don't sell them or share them for advertising, and we delete requests after 24 months. Privacy notice for requests.

Nothing is made or charged until you approve the details.

Want to pick the shape and add photos? Use the full quote form

Questions from the footstool

Can I replace only the top cushion on an ottoman base I already own?

Yes. A loose top is made to the size of your base, and the base itself is never touched. If the old foam is still sound, a cover-only order made to fit that foam costs less than a new filled cushion.

Should an ottoman top be tufted or plain?

Tufted is the traditional look: hand-set buttons, fiber fill packed tight, sewn closed. Plain foam gives a flatter top that holds a tray, with a zippered cover that comes off for washing. Choose by whether the cover must come off.

How thick should a footstool cushion be?

4 in (10 cm) is the standard and suits most footstools; 2 in is the thinnest standard foam for a slim pad. Covers taller than 6 in (15 cm) are custom, and 12 in is possible in large sizes.

What should I send to order a round ottoman top?

The diameter and the thickness you want, plus a photo of the base. Rounds are ordered by those two numbers, and the largest round the workshop makes is about 49 in (125 cm) across.

Which fabric holds up best to a cat on the footstool?

A tight, washable weave in a mid-tone with a zip-off cover, from the performance and pet-friendly range. Loopy bouclé snags on claws, and corduroy ribs can split under hard use. No fabric shrugs off claws forever, so a removable cover matters.

Is the corner floor sofa ottoman fixed to the sofa?

No. It is a separate, unattached piece you can set on either side, and it may arrive in its own package. The sofa sections themselves can also be separated and arranged however you like.

Sit well. — Harlan

Readings

Photographs read by the masters: ottoman & footstool cushions

Real cushions made for real rooms, each read for proportion, fabric and fit.

The readings index for this entry

The Cutting Table

Buyers asked about ottoman & footstool cushions

Every answer at the Cutting Table

The Pattern Room

Patterns and sketches

The Pattern RoomReplacement cushions for a nursery glider, piece by piece