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The Pattern Room · a measuring pattern

Can indoor cushions go on a covered or screened porch?

I cut canvas for boats before I cut cushions, and the first thing I ask is where the weather comes from, not what color you like. A porch roof answers half of that.

Drafted by

The Weather Man of Casco Bay · · Updated

  • Steps7
Black and white zebra-print box cushion on a white oak-topped storage bench next to French doors and a cream shag rugSave
Zebra stripes against a pale blue-gray wall and gauzy curtains. The print does the talking and the pillows stay plain.

The quick answer

Indoor cushions can go on a covered porch only when a closed roof keeps rain and direct sun off the seat. Linen-look, velvet and soft fabric are fine there, though none is waterproof. On a screened porch that lets in pollen, dust and humid air, or anywhere rain blows in, choose water-repellent, UV-resistant outdoor fabric and store the cushions indoors off-season.

How a porch roof decides between indoor and outdoor cushions

A porch roof keeps rain off the boards. It can't keep out blowing rain, afternoon sun or the damp air that rides in through a screen, and those three decide whether indoor cushions belong out there.

Here's the line I draw on cushions for a covered porch. Under a closed roof, where rain and direct sun never reach the seat, indoor linen-look, velvet or the workshop's soft performance microfiber will do fine. None is waterproof, and under a good roof none needs to be. Anywhere rain, damp or strong sun can reach the cushion, it needs outdoor fabric.

Can indoor cushions be used outside under a roof? It's one of the questions buyers ask most. Rain doesn't negotiate.

Five porches, five verdicts

The spotWhat reaches the seatIndoor fabric?What fails first
Deep covered porchShade and some humidity; no rain, no direct sunYes: linen-look, velvet or soft fabricVery little, if the roof truly covers the seat
Screened porchPollen, dust and humid air through the screenNo: choose outdoor fabricMildew on dust and damp held in the weave
Covered balconyRain on windy days, some low sunOnly if rain barely reaches itA wet front edge, then a faded top
Sunny breezeway or open-sided porchDirect sun for part of the dayNo: limited UV resistanceFading, velvet first
Open patio, deck or poolsideRain, sun and dewNo: outdoor fabric in a plain buildSoaked foam, then fading and mildew

Read your porch in seven checks

  1. Watch it in a storm

    Look at the seat during or right after a windy rain. Wet boards under the bench or a damp front edge mean rain reaches it, and it will again.

  2. Follow the sun for a day

    Note whether direct sun lands on the seat. Indoor fabrics have limited UV resistance and fade in strong, prolonged sun; velvet should stay out of it altogether.

  3. Check the air, not just the roof

    A screen stops rain but lets in pollen, dust and humidity. Mildew grows on dirt left on fabric, so a dusty, humid screened porch calls for outdoor fabric.

  4. Pick the fabric for the worst day

    Closed roof, dry, shaded: indoor fabric. Any rain, damp or strong sun: outdoor fabric. Outdoor fabrics work indoors too, so when in doubt, go outdoor.

  5. Keep the build plain where water can reach

    Water gets in through seams, zippers and the dips around tufting buttons. On an exposed seat choose a plain foam-filled cushion, and ask for a waterproof inner liner where damp or pets are likely.

  6. Order samples, then the whole set at once

    Judge swatches in your own porch light. Then order seat, backrests and bolsters together; each roll is dyed in its own batch, and a later piece can sit a shade off.

  7. Plan the off-season now

    Outdoor fabric is water-resistant, not sealed. Store cushions indoors through long off-seasons, and bring indoor-fabric ones in before the damp months.

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Have it made

Measured it? Have Callum’s workshop make it

Short list: size, sun hours, how fast it has to dry. The workshop goes through it with you. — 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.

Fabric · Foam · Pipingwhat the workshop will confirm with you

Fabric
The cover cloth: weave, color and care code.
Foam
The core: its density and thickness set the feel.
Piping
The corded seam edge: matching, contrast or none.
Only for this request: no marketing calls or texts. Outside the US, add the country code.
In inches: length × depth × thickness, plus any angles or cut corners.

* 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

What gives out first when indoor fabric meets weather

Usually three things, in this order.

Fading. Indoor fabrics carry limited UV resistance, so the top of a cushion goes pale while the sides keep their color. Velvet is the most sensitive.

Mildew. Humid air plus dust is the recipe, and a screened porch collects both. Indoor weaves don't resist moisture and mold the way outdoor-performance fabrics do, and chenille is no fabric for a humid climate. More on mildew in the glossary.

Soaked foam. Standard foam takes 24 to 48 hours to dry once water gets in. The workshop doesn't offer quick-dry foam or mesh bottoms as standard (a mesh base has been built on request for some projects, so ask), so the usual defense is outdoor fabric, a plain build and dry storage. See the Patterns on dry-fast foam and water-repellent vs waterproof.

The middle path for porch benches and swings

Most porches sit between a living room and an open deck. There I steer people to outdoor fabric on the pieces that take the weather: bench seat, swing cushion, front row of pillows. That's indoor outdoor cushions done right.

The workshop's outdoor range runs close to 200 fabrics on four or five charts, woven so they feel like cloth, not vinyl, and every one is water-, UV- and fade-resistant. Seat, backrest and bolsters can all be made in it, and under a solid roof an outdoor body can even take indoor-fabric piping.

For porch bench cushion fabric, start with the patio and porch cushions, the porch swing cushions and how outdoor fabrics are built. The screened porch cushions Concept Sketch shows a full set.

So tell me, friend: what's over your seat, a solid roof, a screen or open sky?

A real project

Storage benches, a snowy winter and eight swatches

A buyer in the US sent drawings of outdoor storage benches with lift-up lids and backrests, in a place with hot summers and snowy winters. She wanted the seat cushions split at every lid line, so any lid opens without unloading the run.

One run was about 1.5 in (4 cm) deeper at one end, so the workshop asked for a separate full drawing of each piece. The workshop also told her plainly what it didn't offer as standard: no quick-dry foam, no fast-draining mesh bottom. Its UV-resistant, water-repellent fabric suits a covered porch, or an open spot if the cushions winter in storage.

She asked for close-ups of eight outdoor codes, picked one, and ordered seats 3 in (7.5 cm) thick, including two at 45.5 in (116 cm), with back pillows and long round lumbars. Sectioned seats need every piece drawn on its own; the Pattern on storage bench cushions with hinged lids walks through it.

Common mistakes on the porch

  • Ordering indoor fabric for an open patio. The workshop has cancelled and refunded such orders so buyers could reorder from the outdoor range.
  • Choosing a color before saying where the cushion lives. Say indoor or outdoor first, so the search starts in the right chart.
  • Trusting a screen to do a roof's job. Screens stop rain, not pollen, dust or humid air.
  • Buying the swing cushion this year and its pillows next year. Separate dye batches rarely sit perfectly side by side.
  • Calling water-repellent fabric waterproof and leaving it out all winter. It sheds showers; it isn't sealed.

Porch cushions take in water through seams, zippers and the dips around tufting buttons, so a seat in the weather should be plain, not tufted.

Callum
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Buyer questions: roofs, screens and swatches

  1. A common question

    Our screened porch keeps the rain off, but it's open to pollen, dust and a humid climate. Outdoor fabric or the pet-friendly fabric? Can I see swatches first?

    The workshop's answer

    Outdoor fabric. The screen keeps out rain, but pollen, dust and humid air still reach the cushions, and the outdoor range handles damp and mildew best. The workshop sends samples on request, so you can judge the colors on the porch itself.

  2. A common question

    Will regular indoor cushions be all right on a covered porch or balcony?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes, if the roof is closed and rain and direct sun don't reach the seat. Linen, velvet and the soft fabric are fine there, though none is waterproof, so check the spot really is covered before choosing them.

  3. A common question

    Can I use your linen, velvet or chenille cushions outdoors?

    The workshop's answer

    Not in the open air. The indoor fabrics are indoor-only, and chenille especially isn't made for permanent outdoor exposure in humid climates. Order from the outdoor range instead: more than 100 outdoor-rated, UV-resistant colors, in any piping combination.

  4. A common question

    Are your outdoor cushions actually waterproof, or only water-resistant?

    The workshop's answer

    Water-resistant. The outdoor range is a dedicated water-repellent fabric that handles showers and spills, with outdoor-suitable inserts. It isn't sealed or coated, so store the cushions indoors through long off-seasons.

  5. A common question

    The shape I want only shows indoor fabrics. Can it be made in outdoor fabric?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes, most cushions can. Pick a code from the outdoor charts and write it in the personalization note when you order the shape. That's also how chair pads and square cushions end up matching an outdoor bench: every piece is cut from the same fabric.

Short answers before porch season

Will indoor fabric fade on a sunny porch?

It can. Indoor fabrics have limited UV resistance and fade in strong, prolonged sun, velvet most of all. If sun lands on the seat for part of the day, choose UV-resistant outdoor fabric.

Can outdoor fabric be used on an indoor bench?

Yes. Outdoor fabrics work indoors too and are the toughest choice for a hard-working kitchen or mudroom bench. The woven range feels like cloth, not vinyl, so it doesn't look out of place.

Should porch cushions come inside for the winter?

Yes, for any long off-season. Outdoor fabric is water-resistant, not sealed, and wet foam takes 24 to 48 hours to dry. Keep them somewhere dry, and bring indoor-fabric porch cushions in first.

Is it fine to mix outdoor fabric with indoor piping?

Under a covered porch or terrace, yes: order the cushion as an outdoor piece and name the indoor piping code in your note. On an open patio, keep the piping in outdoor fabric too.