Outdoor acrylic and solution-dyed cushion fabric for the worst day of the season
Outdoor fabric earns its keep on the one afternoon a squall comes over the fence and nobody is home. Here is what the outdoor range is rated for, what no fabric can promise, and when it belongs indoors.
SaveA bold black-and-ivory geometric seat along a white bench, with sheer curtains and a cast-iron teapot.
Swatch stripmeasured from the photographs on this page
oatmeal#b6b4ad
linen#cecfca
taupe#716d66
oatmeal#a59e8e
slate#535c4e
charcoal#3c3638
stone#77728a
chalk#f9f9f9
The quick answer
Outdoor acrylic is the cushion fabric for porches, patios, docks and anywhere rain, sun or humid air can reach. The workshop's outdoor range runs 100+ colors, all outdoor-rated, water-repellent and UV-resistant, and it resists moisture, mildew and mold far better than indoor cloth. Linen, velvet and chenille stay inside. Covers unzip and wash at 86°F (30°C) on gentle; dry the foam fully.
Swatch book · 6 cards
The swatch book
Swatch cards photographed in daylight. Open any card to zoom into the weave. Swipe or scroll sideways for all of them. Screens shift color, so a sample in your own light is the final word.
SaveUp close the weave mixes forest green, lime and charcoal yarns, and matching piping follows the rounded corner.SaveOutdoor fabrics in solids, stripes and a hexagon print, arranged so plains sit next to the patterns they match.SaveThirty-one outdoor weaves where each plain has a leaf jacquard or pinstripe partner beside it. Made for garden benches and loungers that live outside all summer.SaveFour crackle-line striped jacquards head columns of solid outdoor weaves in orange, teal, mustard, lime and gray, ready to mix a patterned back cushion with a plain seat.SaveOutdoor weaves where each aztec diamond pattern is flanked by its matching plains in aqua, lime, mustard, orange and black. Made for bench pads that stay on the patio.SaveThirty-eight nubby outdoor weaves grouped into warm oranges and greens, cool blues and grays, and neutral taupes, each family with a feather-motif companion.
Counted from the readings the masters have published in this family. Open a cushion type for its sizes and measuring.
Color that runs through the fiber
Solution-dyed acrylic takes its color before the fiber is ever spun, so the color runs through like a carrot, not skin-deep like a radish. That is why it holds color in strong sun far better than cloth dyed on the surface.
The outdoor cards look like a harbor in August: plains, pinstripes and leaf jacquards on one (M-01 to M-31), crackle-line stripes and bright plains on another (S-01 to S-33), diamonds in aqua, mustard and orange, feather motifs running orange to teal. The workshop describes its whole outdoor listing as outdoor-rated, water-repellent and UV-resistant. Fiber content varies by code, so ask about the exact one you pick.
Porches, docks, garden chairs, and a few rooms indoors
The photographs cover the ground this fabric was made for. Mustard pads tied onto wrought-iron chairs in a rose garden. A deep teal box cushion on a weathered bench at the end of a lake dock. Navy, sage and cream stripes on a teak garden bench. A sand awning stripe on a bistro chair, high over a harbor. For all of those, start at outdoor cushions or patio and porch cushions.
Outdoor cloth comes inside when a room works hard. A buyer in the US planned an entry bench of about 38 x 14.5 in (97 x 37 cm), thought about two boxers, and chose rugged outdoor fabric for it. Sun-struck bay windows and sunrooms are the other good use. For hard-working indoor projects the workshop also offers a sturdy acrylic linen.
What outdoor-rated promises, and what it can't
Water-repellent is a promise; waterproof is a contract. Even on a fabric sold as waterproof, rain finds the stitching and the zipper, and whatever gets into the foam has to get out again. That's a job for the whole cushion, not the cloth alone. Read water-repellent vs waterproof, and ask about dry-fast foam for anything that lives in the open.
Where the outdoor range earns its keep is damp air. It resists moisture, mildew and mold far better than indoor cloth. Linen, velvet, chenille and the rest of the indoor listings are not made for open air, and chenille least of all in humid climates. If you live somewhere like the Gulf Coast, where the air stays wet all summer, that matters more than any color.
Mistakes happen, friend. When indoor cushions were ordered for outdoor use, the workshop canceled and refunded the order so it could be placed again from the outdoor listing.
Wash, drain, dry, store
Unzip the cover along the underside and slide it off the foam.
Machine wash at 86°F (30°C) at most on a gentle cycle, with mild detergent and no bleach.
Air dry the cover; skip the tumble dryer.
Stand a rain-soaked cushion on its edge so water drains out of the foam.
Let everything dry all the way through before it goes back out or into storage.
Over winter, store cushions indoors with airflow, never sealed in plastic, and bring them in before the first frost. The full routine is in outdoor cushion care and winter storage.
Choosing color in hard light
Outdoor color is judged in the hardest light there is, noon sun on a deck, and a screen shows you none of it. Order samples, up to 5 codes at a time, lay them on the actual chair outside, then look again at dusk. Which way does your porch face?
A code picked from a sample card, T-33 or HM-36 for instance, is still ordered through the outdoor listing, where any color and piping combination is possible. The taupe pads with slate blue piping around the garden table show why that matters: a quiet body color, and a crisp edge that tells the eye where the seat ends.
The bright cards are there to be used. A mustard pad on dark iron or a deep teal on gray, weathered wood reads from across the yard, and that is half the pleasure of sitting outside.
Outdoor acrylic beside membrane fabric and indoor cloth
Partly Beads it at the cloth, but it isn't waterproof; seams and zipper let some in
No
Humid air
Yes Resists moisture, mildew and mold
Partly Breathes poorly, warm in summer
No Not for humid open air
Strong sun
Yes UV-resistant
Partly Ask about the exact code
No Not made for open air
Price group
Above the standard indoor charts
Above the standard indoor charts
Standard charts priced alike
Membrane-backed fabrics have their own page in the Swatch Library, under water-repellent membrane.
In real rooms
Open any photograph large; each one has its own link and a Save button.
SaveFour mustard seat pads tied in bows give a set of dark wrought-iron garden chairs a cheerful lift.SaveThree cushions follow the angles of a classic townhouse bay: a straight center piece and two angled sides in a soft gray geometric.SaveA single block of deep teal on silvered timber, set against lake water of almost the same color. The rope and lantern are the only props.SaveThin green pinstripes on ivory give this walnut café banquette a tailored look, softened by layered pillows and a waffle throw.SaveA teal window seat cushion framed by floor-to-ceiling bookcases, a green banker's lamp and a wine-red pillow.SaveA striped seat with a solid navy side band on a teak bench between lavender beds and olive trees.SaveA thick awning-stripe cushion makes a slatted folding chair comfortable enough for a long balcony coffee.SaveA tightly woven teal cushion on a paneled bay seat, shared by a napping cat, a book and a cream throw.SaveTaupe box seat pads with a fine slate-blue piping soften a set of wicker dining chairs on a sunny terrace.
A real project
Two bolsters indoors, then the porch chairs
A buyer wrote to the workshop for a 20 x 73 in (51 x 185 cm) window seat with two cylinder armrest pillows. We read '20' as a diameter at first, which would have made a pair of bolsters as thick as porch posts. They set us straight: 7 in (18 cm) across and 20 in (51 cm) long, in the same linen, L-42, with L-01 piping.
The seat went in, and they were happy enough to come back for the outside: chair and back cushions with rounded corners, plus a question about chenille. Their climate runs humid, and chenille isn't recommended for that kind of air in the open. The workshop steered them to mildew-resistant outdoor fabric and offered close-up photos to help match the color.
Measured
20 x 73 in seat; two bolsters, 7 in diameter x 20 in long
What it taught
Give a bolster's diameter and its length as two separate numbers, and pick outdoor-performance fabric wherever the air stays humid.
Even a fabric sold as waterproof lets rain in at the seams and the zipper. If a cushion lives in the open, the foam inside has to dry fast too.
I picked T-33 from your outdoor samples. Do I order it on the regular cushion listing?
The workshop's answer
No, use the outdoor listing. Outdoor codes chosen from samples, such as T-33 or HM-36, are ordered there, and every one of its 100+ colors is outdoor-rated, water-repellent and UV-resistant, with any piping combination. Indoor fabrics like linen, velvet and chenille aren't made for open air.
A common question
Is your linen pure linen, and what would you suggest for a bench that takes a beating?
The workshop's answer
Usually it's a blend or a linen-look: the L codes are polyester, one natural chart is 50% linen and 50% polyester, another is half cotton, half linen. Blends are used because they're durable and easy to clean. For hard-working projects the workshop recommends a sturdy acrylic linen, and a 100% linen chart is available on request.
A common question
The care note says 30 degrees. Is that Fahrenheit, and which cycle should I use?
The workshop's answer
It means 86°F (30°C), not 30°F. Unzip the cover, turn it inside out and machine wash on a gentle, delicate or cold cycle with mild detergent and no bleach. Air dry rather than tumble dry, and iron on low if needed.
A common question
Can I get extra fabric by the yard to finish another piece so it matches?
The workshop's answer
Yes. Cut lengths come through the fabric samples listing, and bigger pieces through a custom order link once you send the code and length. The fabric can ship with your cushions. Most rolls are about 55 in (140 cm) wide and some about 79 in (2 m), which limits the largest single piece.
A common question
My outdoor chair pads came without ties. Aren't they standard?
The workshop's answer
No. Ties and straps are add-ons, made only when requested, and a request typed into the size box can get overlooked. Ask in writing with position, length and color, message after ordering to confirm, and check the pre-dispatch photo. When extras were missed, the workshop refunded the add-on, remade covers at shared cost or sent fabric and thread.
Have it made
Have it made in outdoor acrylic — ask Callum’s workshop
Tell them where it lives. Porch, deck or boat: the weather picks the fabric and the foam before anyone else does. — Callum
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.
Outdoor fabric, weather permitting
Is solution-dyed acrylic the same as waterproof fabric?
No. Solution-dyed acrylic is colored through the fiber and sheds water, but it breathes, so heavy rain can work through, especially at seams and zippers. Membrane-backed fabrics stop water at the cloth itself, yet they breathe poorly and can feel warm on a summer afternoon.
Does outdoor fabric make sense on an indoor window seat?
Often, yes: on a sun-struck bay window, an entry bench or a seat the dogs share. One buyer chose rugged outdoor fabric for a 38 x 14.5 in (97 x 37 cm) entry bench for exactly that reason. For hard-working indoor projects, a sturdy acrylic linen is offered too.
Why do outdoor cushions cost more than indoor ones?
Fabric is one of the price drivers. The standard indoor charts, linen-look, velvet and soft fabric, are priced alike, while outdoor fabrics sit in a higher group, as do natural linen and 100% cotton. Size, thickness, shape and add-ons such as ties count too.
How should outdoor cushions be stored for the winter?
Clean them, let the foam dry completely while standing on edge, then store them indoors where air can move. Never seal damp cushions in plastic bags, which traps moisture and invites mildew. Bring them in before the first frost, not after it.
Fair winds — Callum
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Readings
Cushions made in outdoor acrylic & solution-dyed
Real pieces in real rooms, read by the masters for color, light and wear.
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