---
title: "Custom Cushions in Czechia: Prague Flats, Weekend Cottages"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-czechia/"
section: "Across the Map"
author: "Nate Kowalski, The Pattern Engineer of Detroit"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/nate/"
published: "2026-05-12"
updated: "2026-09-24"
keywords: "custom cushions czech republic, custom cushions prague, window seat cushions prague, cottage cushions, bench cushions"
---

# Custom cushions for Czech apartments, window seats and weekend cottages

*In an old Prague building the window can be two windows deep. Measure the sill, then measure what swings over it, and the cushion fits both.*

> **The quick answer:** Custom cushions in Czechia usually go in three places: the deep sill of an older Prague apartment, the balcony of a panel-block flat, and the bench at a weekend cottage. Measure the sill in centimeters and check any sash that opens over it, choose 2 in (5 cm) for balcony chairs and 4 in (10 cm) for long sitting, and store outdoor cushions dry over winter.

![Brown and cream herringbone-stripe seat and back cushions with ties on a teak bench overlooking terracotta rooftops](https://cushionguide.com/media/bench-cushions/herringbone-stripe-teak-bench-cushions-rooftop-balcony-1600.webp "Seat and back cushions in a brown herringbone stripe fit a slatted teak bench on a balcony high above old rooftops.")

## Prague weather, read as a spec sheet

The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute's 1991–2020 normals for Prague's Klementinum station read like tolerances. January averages 39.0°F (3.9°C) by day and 31.1°F (−0.5°C) by night. July averages 79.7°F (26.5°C) and 61.9°F (16.6°C).

Precipitation is modest: 17.9 in (453.9 mm) a year. Sun is the bigger variable. July brings about 229 hours of sunshine; on December 21 the sun is up for roughly 8 hours 8 minutes.

For the workshop that means:
- Fading happens in summer, on south-facing sills and open balconies.
- Nights near freezing mean outdoor foam should not sit wet on a balcony through the cold months.
- A sill cushion spends winter next to cold glass, so a washable zippered cover matters more than extra thickness.

## Box windows, deep sills and the sash that sets the limit

Many older Czech apartments have the *kastlové okno*, the box window: two sashes one behind the other, with an air gap between. Czech sources call it the most common window in Central Europe for two hundred years. In the older version the frames sat at the outer and inner edges of the wall, so the sill inside can be deep enough to sit on.

One catch. If the inner sash opens over the sill, the cushion has to stay under it. Open the sash, measure from the sill to its lowest edge, and treat that as a hard ceiling, partner.

A buyer got in touch needing 0.75 in (2 cm) corduroy cushions for exactly this. The first foam measured 1 in (2.6 cm) and bulged to 1.5 to 2 in (4 to 5 cm) inside the cover. The fix: foam cut under the limit, and a cover that cannot balloon.

Panel-block flats are the other half of the story. Between 1959 and 1995, 1.17 million panelák flats were built; in 2005 they housed about a third of the population. Their windows are shallower, so the seat to measure is usually on the balcony.

The method is in the Pattern on [measuring a window seat](https://cushionguide.com/guides/how-to-measure-window-seat-cushion/). How deep is your sill, and what swings over it?

## Chata or chalupa, the bench asks the same questions

Czech has two words for the weekend place. A *chata* was built for seasonal recreation; a *chalupa* is an older rural house adapted for it. Cottaging grew from the 1960s, with city life, rising living standards and limited chances to travel.

Either way, the seat is usually a wooden bench, in the garden or around the kitchen table. Measure length and depth, and if a backrest cushion sits on the seat cushion, subtract the seat thickness from the backrest height.

Outdoors, use [outdoor acrylic](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/outdoor-acrylic/), UV-resistant and water-repellent. Cotton [ticking](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/striped-cotton-and-ticking/) stays in the house. The [bench cushion builder](https://cushionguide.com/studio/bench-cushion-builder/) turns your numbers into a drawing, and the [bench cushion hub](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/bench-cushions/) shows the edges. Weekend-cottage logic is much the same at [Great Lakes cottages](https://cushionguide.com/places/great-lakes-cottage-cushions/).

## Sill, balcony, cottage: the numbers side by side

| Seat | Fabric | Thickness | Build and fastening |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deep sill under an opening sash | Corduroy or linen-look | about 1 in (2 to 3 cm); piping from 1.25 in (3 cm) up | Foam cut under the limit, non-slip base |
| Deep sill, clear headroom | Linen-look or velvet | 2 to 3 in (5 to 7.5 cm) | Box edge, non-slip base |
| Panel-flat balcony bench | Outdoor acrylic | 4 in (10 cm) seat, 2 in (5 cm) back | Ties at the back corners |
| Balcony chair pads | Outdoor acrylic | 2 in (5 cm) | Ties; indoors for winter |
| Cottage garden bench | Outdoor fabric, never cotton ticking | 3 to 4 in (7.5 to 10 cm) | Ties or anti-slip bottom |
| Cottage kitchen corner bench | Corduroy or linen | 2 to 4 in (5 to 10 cm) | Trapezoid corner piece |

Seat foam is 32 kg/m³, about 2.0 lb/ft³. Handmade sizes land within about ±0.5 in (1 cm).

## The holiday-home window seat that didn't close

A buyer messaged the workshop about a window seat in a holiday home: long side 48 in (121.5 cm), short side 37 in (94 cm), depth 16.25 in (41 cm), linen-look with contrast piping.

The workshop drew it before cutting anything. The numbers did not make a closed shape. Two parallel sides and a depth describe many trapezoids; they need an angle to describe one. Angles are just lengths in disguise.

The workshop asked for a sketch. It showed one 90-degree corner, and from that the workshop worked out the slanted edge. The buyer kept 16.25 in (41 cm) for the depth because of a small wood protrusion they could not re-measure while away. The zipper went on the 48 in (121.5 cm) side, and the order carried a note: ±0.5 in (1 cm) handmade tolerance.

The cottage seat is never in front of you when the question comes. Photograph it with the tape lying on it and mark every right angle. The [trapezoid calculator](https://cushionguide.com/studio/trapezoid-cushion-calculator/) checks that your sides close.

## A Czech year, cushion by cushion

- ✓ Spring: check cottage cushions for damp spots before the first weekend out.
- ✓ Summer: turn sill cushions on south-facing windows; July is Prague's sunniest month.
- ✓ Autumn: bring balcony cushions in before the nights turn freezing.
- ✓ Wash covers at 86°F (30°C), gentle cycle, no bleach; air dry, no tumble dryer.
- ✓ Dry the foam completely, on edge where air moves. Never bag it damp.
- ✓ Closing the cottage: take the good cushions back to the flat.
- ✓ Winter: if the glass sweats, wipe the sill dry under a box-window seat.

## Color for plaster walls and pine boards

Tall windows and white plaster make a Prague room bright but cool; a warm oat or tobacco linen-look keeps the sill from reading gray. Piping one shade darker than the body traces the edge without shouting.

The cottage is the opposite: pine boards, a wood stove, darker corners. A rust or bottle-green [corduroy](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/corduroy/) holds its own there and forgives muddy weekends. Look at two or three swatches in the room, in daylight, before the fabric code goes on the order.

> A deep sill is a seat with a ceiling. Measure the ceiling first.
>
> — Nate

> **Tailor's margin:** Open the inner sash before measuring. Write the clearance on the sketch in centimeters, not inches. No rounding, no surprises.

## Buyer questions: sills, benches and tolerances

**A common question:** Should I order the cushion a little smaller than the niche so it drops in?

**The workshop's answer:** Order your real measurements, for example 59 x 23 in (150 x 59 cm); fit allowance is handled in production. Some buyers still take about 0.5 in (1 cm) off each side for a snug fit with piping, ordering a 34.5 x 28.5 in (87 x 72 cm) niche as 34 x 28 in (86 x 71 cm).

**A common question:** Can you make a 0.75 in (2 cm) window seat cushion so the window can still open over it?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes, 0.75 in (2 cm) cushions are made to order. At that thickness the foam has to be cut evenly and sized to the cover, or it bulges above the limit, so give your absolute maximum height including the cover.

**A common question:** How thick should balcony chair pads and a bench cushion be for an older person?

**The workshop's answer:** 2 in (5 cm) suits chairs best, with 3 or 4 in (7.5 or 10 cm) possible. For a bench used for long sitting, 4 in (10 cm) gives the best support, and back cushions can be thinner, around 2 in (5 cm).

**A common question:** I'm adding back cushions above the seat cushion on our bench. Do I subtract the seat thickness?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. Take the seat cushion's thickness, for example 4 in (10 cm), off the backrest height so the pieces don't push each other out. A quick sketch confirms the final sizes.

**A common question:** What stops a seat cushion sliding on a wooden bench?

**The workshop's answer:** Corner ties, an anti-slip bottom fabric, or a non-slip pad underneath. Tufted cushions generally stay put; the workshop has had no complaints about them sliding.

## Questions buyers ask next

### Do old Prague box windows leave room for a window seat cushion?

Often, yes. The older box window sets its two frames at the outer and inner edges of a thick wall, leaving a deep sill. Measure the sill depth and, if the inner sash opens over it, the clearance under the open sash. That clearance is the maximum cushion height.

### What thickness works for a panel-flat balcony?

For balcony chairs, 2 in (5 cm); 3 or 4 in (7.5 or 10 cm) is possible. For a bench where someone sits a long time, 4 in (10 cm), with a back cushion around 2 in (5 cm). Use outdoor fabric and ties.

### Should cottage cushions stay at the chata over winter?

Better not. A chata was built for seasonal stays, and a closed, unheated house is hard on foam and covers. Wash the covers at 86°F (30°C), dry the foam completely, and store everything in the flat or another dry, ventilated place until spring.

### Can I send cushion sizes in centimeters?

Yes. Give length, depth and thickness in centimeters, plus every side of any odd shape. Metric sizes avoid rounding from inch conversion, and handmade pieces land within about ±0.5 in (1 cm).

## Related at the atelier

- [Trapezoid Window Seat Cushion in Rust for a Small Stair Landing](https://cushionguide.com/readings/rust-trapezoid-landing-window-seat-cushion/): A small landing window seat feels generous when the cushion fills the whole trapezoid, wall to wall, with no bare board at the angled ends.
- [Reading Nook Window Seat Cushion in Caramel: Edge and Corners](https://cushionguide.com/readings/caramel-reading-nook-window-seat-cushion-brass-sconce/): A window seat cushion that sits inside a wooden lip should have a box edge and square corners cut exactly to the frame.
- [Burgundy Window Seat Cushion in Linen-Look by a Garden Window](https://cushionguide.com/readings/burgundy-linen-look-window-seat-cushion-garden-view/): A window seat cushion in an old house should follow the real walls, not a perfect rectangle: measure both diagonals and let each seat's depth be what the walls give you.
- [Custom cushions for Dutch canal houses, houseboats and balconies](https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-netherlands/): Custom cushions in the Netherlands usually go on a canal-house window seat, a houseboat bench or a narrow balcony.
- [Custom cushions for Swedish summer cottages, apartments and boats](https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-sweden/): Custom cushions in Sweden mostly serve three places: the apartment window seat through dark winters, the summer cottage that stays closed through the cold months, and the archipelago dock or boat.
- [Bow windows and curved window seats: how an arc becomes a cushion](https://cushionguide.com/concepts/curved-and-bow-window-seat-cushions/): To order a curved window seat cushion, send a drawing that marks the straight length before each curve, where every curve starts and ends, and how deep the arc runs, or a paper template photographed…
- [One printable cushion measuring worksheet for any shape you order](https://cushionguide.com/guides/printable-cushion-measuring-worksheet/)
- [Bullnose and waterfall-front cushions, explained by the edge](https://cushionguide.com/guides/bullnose-cushion-rounded-front-edge/)

*± 1/4 in — Nate*

---

Written by Nate Kowalski (https://cushionguide.com/masters/nate/) for CushionGuide (https://cushionguide.com/about/). The site explains made-to-measure cushions and the partner workshop makes them; measurements are in inches first. This Markdown mirrors the page at https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-czechia/