The Pattern Room · a measuring pattern
Tufted floor cushion couch sets: what's in the set and which size to choose
Folks see the photograph and wonder what they are buying. Four pieces, my friend, packed tight enough to sleep on, and not one of them sewn to another.
SaveThe quick answer
A tufted floor cushion set is four separate pieces: one hand-tufted seat, a backrest the same length and 16 in (40 cm) tall, and two round armrest bolsters, all filled. The size you choose is the seat, such as 28 x 56 in (70 x 140 cm) or 28 x 64 in (70 x 160 cm), about 4 to 5 in thick. The backrest leans on a wall.
Four pieces, one price, no frame
The first thing people ask about a French floor couch is what they are paying for. Four pieces, and the set price covers every one.
You get one tufted floor cushion for the seat, one backrest cut to the same length, and two round armrest bolsters for the ends. All of it comes filled. You choose a size and a color, and that is the whole order.
The size you choose is the seat. Pick 16 x 32 in and you get a 16 x 32 in seat, a backrest 32 in long and a pair of bolsters to go with them. The backrest stands 16 in (40 cm) tall as standard and about 4 in (10 cm) thick.
None of the pieces is sewn to another. The backrest can lie flat and work as a cushion on its own, and the bolsters move about like pillows. If you want them to stay put together, the workshop sews on ties or hook-and-loop tape when you ask.
There is no frame, either. The backrest leans against a wall, just as it does in the photographs, and nothing needs assembling. 'What's included?' is one of the questions this set draws most.
So before we talk sizes, one question: how long is the wall you mean to lean it on?
Set sizes on the cutting table, read depth by length
| Seat (depth x length) | Backrest | Notes from past orders |
|---|---|---|
| 16 x 32 in (41 x 81 cm) | 16 x 32 in | The workshop's own sizing example: every piece follows the 32 in length |
| 18 x 48 in (46 x 122 cm) | 16 x 48 in | Set price still covers seat, back and both armrests |
| 24 x 48 in (61 x 122 cm) | 16 x 48 in | Pieces stay separate; ties can join them |
| 28 x 56 in (70 x 140 cm) | 16 x 56 in | The size in the main set photographs |
| 28 x 64 in (70 x 160 cm) | 16 x 64 in | Also pictured, and one of the most chosen |
| 25 x 73 in (64 x 185 cm) | 16 x 73 in | A standard long size; one buyer found it too narrow and went deeper |
| 30 x 73 in (76 x 185 cm) | 16 x 73 in | Suggested for sleeping for someone about 5 ft 9 in |
Sizes are depth x length: 28 x 56 means 28 in from the wall out and 56 in along it. Seats are about 4 to 5 in (10 to 12 cm) thick unless you ask for more.
Sizing a floor couch set in seven steps
Find the wall first
The set has no frame, so the backrest needs a wall behind it. Measure the stretch you mean to use, corner to corner or door trim to window. That number caps the seat length.
Leave room for the hand
Handmade pieces vary a little. Keep the seat at least 2 in (5 cm) shorter than the space between two walls, so the set drops in instead of wedging.
Read the size the right way round
A 28 x 64 in set is 28 in (70 cm) from the wall to the front edge and 64 in (160 cm) along the wall. Mark both numbers on a photo of your space so nobody turns the set sideways.
Pick a depth for how you sit
Standard floor cushions run 24 or 27 in deep. Adults who sit cross-legged want at least 28 in, and the backrest takes about 4 in of that depth once it leans in.
Settle the thickness
The standard seat is about 4 in (10 cm), some sets 4 to 5 in (10 to 12 cm). Go thinner, 3 to 4 in, if legs must slide under a low table. Thicker seats of 5, 6 or 8 in are made on request and cost more. The floor cushion thickness guide goes inch by inch.
Hold the backrest against the sitter
Sit on the floor and compare the 16 in (40 cm) back with the shoulders of the tallest person who will lean on it. If it falls short, ask for a custom backrest height before you order, not after.
Write it all in the note
The size menu sets the price. Put the exact seat size, thickness and fabric code in the personalization box, and say whether you want ties or hook-and-loop tape between the pieces.
Have it made
Measured it? Have Harlan’s workshop make it
The best cushions I have known began with somebody asking one more question. Ask yours here. — 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.
Key facts
- The set price covers one seat, one backrest the same length as the seat and two round armrest bolsters, with filling.
- The size you choose refers to the seat and is written depth x length: 28 x 56 means 28 in deep and 56 in long.
- The standard backrest is 16 in (40 cm) tall and about 4 in (10 cm) thick.
- Tufted pieces have no foam core; they are packed tightly with siliconized polyester fiber clusters and rate about 6 to 7 out of 10 for firmness.
- Tufted covers are sewn through with buttons, so they do not come off; the set leans on a wall and has no frame.
Packed, not foamed: why the seat sits firm
There is no foam core in a tufted set. The seat, the backrest and the bolsters are packed with cluster fiber: polyester hollow fiber rolled into small balls that feel like cotton in the hand. The workshop calls it silicone-ball fiber, and the standard mix often carries some cotton filler too.
It goes in hard. Each piece is overfilled on purpose so it holds its shape instead of pressing flat. On a scale where 1 is a plush pillow and 10 is a bed you barely sink into, the workshop puts these at about 6 to 7. Soft to the touch, firm to sit on, and comfortable enough to sleep on.
That firmness has weight. A set this densely filled is heavy to carry, and it is nothing like a bean bag. It also takes years to flatten.
Then comes the tufting. Every button is sewn by hand straight through both faces and the fill, which pins the fiber where it belongs so it cannot drift to one end. Ask, and the workshop will send a photo of the filling before you commit.
Why the covers stay on for good
Buyers often ask for a zipper on this set. It cannot have one.
A tufting button is a stitch that runs from the top face, through the fill and out the bottom. Once those stitches are tied, cover and filling are one piece. Cut them to pull a cover off and the fill goes loose and the shape goes with it. So a tufted set is cleaned where it sits, never in the machine; the care routine for tufted cushions walks through it.
If a cover has to go in the wash, because of a toddler, a shedding dog or a rental, choose the plain style. Untufted cushions come with a zippered cover that comes off, and the workshop suggests exactly that for pets and small children. Tufted or plain sets out the trade.
A seam is a promise. On a tufted set, so is every button.
A rust velvet set for a 77.5 in nook
A buyer in the US had a wall nook 77.5 in (197 cm) long and wanted the full French set in rust velvet: base, backrest and two bolsters. The standard 25 x 73 in (64 x 185 cm) seat was too narrow for the way they meant to use it.
The workshop quoted three deeper versions at the same 73 in length: 28, 30 and 38 in deep. They chose 30 x 73 x 4 in (76 x 185 x 10 cm), with the standard backrest, 16 in tall and 4 in thick, running the full 73 in.
Before any cutting, the orientation was settled on a photo of the nook marked up by hand, length along the wall and depth out into the room. With 4.5 in to spare, the workshop promised to stay close to 73 in and to take responsibility if the set came out too long.
It arrived in two parcels, and the buyer loved it. A good fit is mostly a good conversation before the shears come out.
Common mistakes with floor couch sets
- Ordering a seat exactly as long as the nook. Leave at least 2 in (5 cm) for handmade tolerance.
- Reading 28 x 64 as 28 in long. The first number is depth, from the wall out.
- Setting the set on bare hardwood with nothing under it. A rug or grip mat stops the seat skating when someone drops onto it.
- Expecting a freestanding sofa. The backrest has no frame and needs a wall behind it.
- Counting pieces the moment the first box lands. A four-piece set can come in more than one parcel, on different days.
- Opening every roll pack before checking the color at one end. A wrong color can then go back sealed.
- Leaving the delivery date out of the order note when a move or a trip is coming.
- Taking 'linen' on trust. Some tufted 'linen' sets use a soft, chenille-like weave, so ask for the fiber content of your color code in writing and see a swatch.
A tufted floor cushion set is four loose pieces: one seat, a backrest the same length and 16 in tall, and two round bolsters.
Harlan Pruitt
What 'French tufted' means
French tufted describes a floor cushion or seat packed firm with polyester fiber and tufted by hand: buttons are pulled through the whole cushion and tied off, so the top dimples into the familiar grid. The buttons hold the filling in place, which is why these cushions stay flat and firm enough to sit or sleep on rather than slumping like a bean bag. Because the tufting goes through the filling, the cover can't have a zipper; it's sewn closed and spot-cleaned, and a tufted look can't be added to a loose cover later. The hand-stitched ridge around the edge, often called a French edge, appears only on tufted pieces. Button count and spacing are set by the craftsman for each size, and spare buttons are included.
Buyer questions: what buyers ask before they order the set
- A common question
Does the floor couch price cover the backrest and armrests, or only the seat?
The workshop's answerIt is the full set for one price: one seat cushion, one backrest and two round armrest bolsters, exactly as in the main photo, with the filling included. The size you choose is the seat, and the backrest is made the same length, so a 16 x 32 set is a 16 x 32 in seat, a backrest 32 in long and two armrests. The standard backrest is 16 in (40 cm) tall.
- A common question
What's inside the tufted cushions? Is there foam?
The workshop's answerNo foam core. They are filled with siliconized polyester hollow fiber rolled into small clusters, which feel like cotton rather than foam, packed densely and sewn by hand; the standard mix often includes some cotton filler. The workshop can send a photo of the filling. Large custom sets, such as three floor cushions of about 37 x 37 x 12 in (95 x 95 x 30 cm) with two backrests, are quoted per order from size, fabric and fill.
- A common question
Will a tufted floor cushion feel firm, or squishy like a bean bag?
The workshop's answerFirm. The workshop rates it about 6 to 7 on a scale where 1 is very plush and 10 is a firm bed you barely sink into. There is no sponge inside; the fiber is packed very tightly, so it feels soft to the hand but holds its shape through long daily use, and it is comfortable enough to lie on. It is also heavy. For more support, ask for extra filling or a thicker cushion, such as 6 in (15 cm) or 12 in (30 cm).
- A common question
Can the French floor set stand out in the middle of the room?
The workshop's answerNot this one. The tufted French-style set needs no assembly, but it has no built-in back support; it is designed to lean against a wall, as in the photos. The modular teddy floor sofa is different: metal bars at the sides and behind the backrests let it stand on its own.
- A common question
Is the floor couch one piece, or are the back and arms separate?
The workshop's answerAll separate: one seat, one backrest and two armrest cushions, each made to your size, that simply sit together. The armrests are not sewn on, but on request the workshop adds ties to fasten the pieces to a bench or to each other, or hook-and-loop tape to join them. For an L-shaped floor couch, order two sets and arrange them as separate pieces.
Short answers on French floor couch sets
Can I order only the seat of a French floor set, or add extra backrests?
Yes to both. A seat-only bottom cushion is quoted on its own and costs less than the full set, for example 36 x 73 in. Extra backrests go through a custom order, such as a 20 x 40 in base with two 40 in backrests and two bolsters. For an armless couch, small extra pillows can serve as arms.
How big are the round bolsters on a floor couch set?
The workshop's standard bolster is 8 in (20 cm) across, and some sets use 10 in. Bolsters are made to any length and diameter, so a deeper seat can have longer arms. If you want them firm enough to lean on while reading, say so in the order note.
Which fabrics can a tufted floor couch set be made in?
Sets have been made in velvet, including rust velvet on a 30 x 73 in base, in linen shades and in the workshop's soft performance weave. Fiber content varies by color code, and some 'linen' shades are blends, so ask for the exact composition in writing before you choose.
Is a tufted floor couch set comfortable enough for a guest to sleep on?
Yes. The fill is firm enough to lie on, and buyers use these sets as beds for guests and sleepovers. For someone about 5 ft 9 in, the 30 x 73 in set has been suggested. A 6 or 8 in seat sits higher off the floor, at extra cost.
How far apart are the buttons on a tufted floor cushion?
It depends on the size and the maker. On the workshop's tufted cushions, the craftsmen set the button count and spacing by hand for each piece. One small DIY floor cushion finished at 24 x 18 in placed its tufts 5 to 6 in in from the edges, with one in the center, which gives a sense of scale for a small cushion.
