Up here the sun comes through thinner air and the hail comes without asking. A Colorado cushion has to be ready for both, and light enough to carry indoors when the sky turns.
SaveA pale ivory seat on a white chest gets its edge from chocolate piping, matched to a single textured lumbar pillow.
The quick answer
Colorado outdoor cushions need UV-resistant outdoor fabric and a plan to bring them in, because Denver's July noon UV averages 10.4 and the state ranked second in US hail loss claims for 2017 to 2019. Indoors, pick mid-tones for sunny windows, velvet or a performance weave for dogs and ski boots, and a non-slip base on painted or lift-up benches.
Field notes
Weather and light in Colorado
Sun & UVIntense (level 4 of 4)Thin air at altitude lets more UV through
HumidityDry (level 1 of 4)Very dry air and big day-to-night swings
Rain & stormsModerate (level 2 of 4)Summer thunderstorms, and hail
Snow & freezeRegular (level 3 of 4)Fast-melting snow on the Front Range, deep winters up high
Watch for
Hail on open decks
UV fading
Ski boots and dogs at the door
Plain-language levels from general climate patterns, not measurements. Your own porch, shade and window exposure matter more.
Thin air, strong sun, and a sky that changes its mind
Denver's July sun is stronger than Philadelphia's, though the two cities sit at almost the same latitude. The average noon UV Index in July runs 10.4 in Denver and 8.6 in Philadelphia. The World Health Organization gives the reason: UV climbs about 10 percent for every 3,281 ft (1,000 m) of altitude, and fresh snow almost doubles what reaches you.
That is why Colorado outdoor cushions start with UV-resistant outdoor fabric, and why a window seat in Boulder or Colorado Springs deserves fade-aware color even though it never leaves the house. In winter, snow in the yard throws more light at the glass. The sunroom color notes apply to any bright west window.
The air is dry. Denver's afternoon humidity averages 43 percent, and about 35 in July. Mildew is rarely the trouble here. Dust and static are, and foam has to hold its shape through 47 days a year at 90°F (32°C) or hotter and 156 nights at 32°F (0°C) or colder.
Then the hail. Colorado ranked second in the country for hail loss claims from 2017 to 2019, with 380,066 of them. The workshop's outdoor fabric is water-repellent and UV-resistant, but the foam inside isn't quick-dry and there's no mesh drain bottom. On an open deck, that means a cushion you carry in before the storm and put away for winter. Callum says build it for the worst day of the season, and here that day comes with ice.
You'll hear that Denver gets 300 days of sunshine. That line began as railroad advertising in the 1870s. NOAA counts about 115 clear days a year, 130 partly cloudy and 120 cloudy. Plenty of sun, my friend. Not a promise.
Denver Squares, bungalows and ski condos: the seats they ask for
The Denver Square is the local name for the American Foursquare: two stories, a hipped roof with a center dormer, a full-width porch, often yellow brick. Most went up between about 1890 and 1915, and rows of them still stand in Highlands and Washington Park. Around them sit Craftsman bungalows with bay windows, Victorians, mid-century ranches with back decks, and up the mountain, the condos, chalets and cabins of Vail, Breckenridge and Steamboat Springs.
Those houses ask for five seats: - Mudroom benches that take ski boots, snowmelt and a wet dog, often with a lift-up lid and a non-slip base. See mudroom bench cushions and check the finished height with the seat height calculator. - Window seats facing the Rockies, many turned west into the afternoon. See window seat cushions. - Deck benches and sectionals, where hail and UV arrive in the same season. See outdoor cushions. - Bay windows in older Denver houses, rarely a true trapezoid. - Floor seating in condos where the living room doubles as the guest room; the mountain cabin notes cover that.
Two buyers in the US show how these seats get planned. One wanted window bench cushions for three rooms of a new home, six in all: a pair at 78 x 26.5 in (198 x 67 cm) in mustard, a pair at 64 x 18.75 in (163 x 48 cm) in oil green, a pair at 63 x 19 in (160 x 48 cm) in navy. They ordered the living room pair first and kept the color plan for later. Another wanted one white tufted velvet cushion, 111.5 x 34 in (283 x 86 cm), under a long window, in a single piece at the standard 4 in (10 cm).
What does the bench by your back door carry on a February morning?
A bay seat, the dogs, and the measurement nobody writes down
One buyer wrote in about a bay window seat that wasn't a true trapezoid, and dogs that jump on it. The workshop sent the pet-friendly fabric chart first. Then it looked hard at the sketch.
Every edge length was there. The front-to-back depth was not. Without that number nobody can cut a bay cushion, however handsome the drawing. The buyer measured it, chose the size range by that depth and the 91 in (231 cm) longest edge, and found the fabric in a review photo: olive green velvet 123 with taupe 106 piping. The workshop told them straight that the velvet wears as well as the pet-friendly performance weave. More on that in pet-friendly bench cushions.
Velvet remembers. Brush the pile back with your palm after the dogs have had their nap, and it forgives them.
If you have a bay like that in a Denver bungalow, draw it, write the depth in the middle, and measure it twice. The bench cushion builder is a good place to rough out the rest.
Colorado deck cushions take a July noon UV Index of 10.4 in Denver and hail in the same season. When a storm is forecast, carry them in.
Open any photograph large; each one has its own link and a Save button.
SaveA graffiti-print cushion in black, pink, turquoise and yellow turns a plain white window box into a reading perch. The pillows and the lamp each borrow one color from the print.SaveA barely-there navy pinstripe keeps a white bench crisp and hides the everyday marks a plain ivory would show.SaveA deep monochrome pinstripe cushion fills the gap between dark green units, turning a kitchen recess into a seat.SaveA deep cream corduroy cushion on an oak storage box makes a daybed-depth window seat with a garden view.SaveA frond print in mustard and slate carries the garden view indoors and softens the rough stone of the chimney breast.SavePhotographed square-on, the seat shows a long straight front edge and an even thickness from end to end.SaveA denim blue cushion is the only color in a quiet cream window seat with sheer linen curtains.
Colorado cushion care, season by season
Spring: May is Denver's wettest month, at 2.29 in (58 mm). Clear a dry closet or bin that fits every deck cushion before the storms come.
Summer: carry deck cushions in whenever hail is in the forecast, and turn window seat cushions end to end now and then so one side doesn't take all the afternoon sun.
Fall: unzip the covers and wash them at 86°F (30°C) before the first freeze, then let covers and foam dry all the way through.
Winter storage: keep outdoor cushions dry, off concrete, in something that breathes, never a sealed bag with damp inside. Long cushions fold or roll without harm.
Winter indoors: snow in the yard sends extra light through west- and south-facing glass. Draw the sheers on bright afternoons.
Ski season, every week: brush grit off the mudroom bench and wipe snowmelt with a damp cloth and a little mild soap.
Buyer questions: sun, dogs and lift-up lids
A common question
Our window seat gets direct afternoon sun. Is the cushion color going to fade?
The workshop's answer
The workshop's answer was that its fabric holds up well in sunlight and resists fading, and that it keeps clean with gentle hand cleaning.
A common question
You have several outdoor fabric charts. Is one of them better quality than the others?
The workshop's answer
No. The outdoor range runs to close to 200 fabrics on four or five charts, all woven cloth rather than vinyl, all water-resistant and UV- and fade-resistant, and all the same quality. The charts differ only in texture, color tone and pattern. The workshop's own pick is the HM range, and it sends close-up photos of any code.
A common question
What exactly is a non-slip base? Is it a mat that goes under the cushion?
The workshop's answer
It isn't a separate mat. The bottom panel of the cover is sewn from a grippy anti-skid fabric across the whole underside. It holds by friction, not glue, so it leaves nothing on a painted or wooden bench, and you can't see it once the cushion is down. You select it in personalization, and it works on covers-only orders and on linen or corduroy.
A common question
My bench is an old chest with a lid that lifts. How do I keep the cushion from sliding off when I open it?
The workshop's answer
Ask for ties on the hinge side only, and send each hinge's position measured from one end, its width and a photo so the ties line up. If ties won't work with the hinges, the cushion can be sized to sit inside the lid's bevel, for example 42 x 18 in (107 x 46 cm), with a non-slip base. That holds it in normal use, but no base keeps a cushion on a lid that's lifting.
A common question
Can a really long outdoor bench cushion be made in one piece?
The workshop's answer
Often it's better in sections, because very long pieces can pass the maximum single-piece length; a bay cushion about 160 in (406 cm) long was suggested in two. You choose where the joins fall, and a long bench can even be one cushion per seat. The foam is flexible, so a long cushion folds or rolls for storage without damage.
Have it made
Have it made for your home — 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.
Colorado questions, answered plainly
Why do cushions fade faster in Colorado than back East?
Altitude. The World Health Organization estimates UV rises about 10 percent per 3,281 ft (1,000 m) of elevation. Denver's average noon UV Index in July is 10.4, against 8.6 in Philadelphia at nearly the same latitude, and snow on the ground reflects more light in winter.
Should deck cushions stay out through Colorado hail season?
No. Colorado ranked second in the US for hail loss claims from 2017 to 2019. The workshop's outdoor fabric is water-repellent and UV-resistant, but the foam isn't quick-dry and a mesh drain bottom isn't standard, so these cushions belong on a covered deck or indoors when storms are forecast.
Can I get a thin outdoor pad for a narrow deck bench?
Yes. Outdoor cushions come in 2, 3, 4 and 5 in thicknesses. A buyer in the US ordered a black outdoor pad 16 x 74 x 2 in (41 x 188 x 5 cm) with a non-slip base, then came back for an identical one for the other bench.
Is Colorado's dry air hard on foam and fabric?
Mostly it's kind. Denver's afternoon humidity averages 43 percent, so mildew is rare. Dry air brings dust, static and big day-to-night swings instead. Firm foam, about 2.0 lb/ft³ (32 kg/m³) as standard, holds its shape, and zippered covers wash at 86°F (30°C).
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
