Across the Map · Carolinas & Georgia · United States

Custom cushions for Georgia porches, from Savannah squares to Atlanta bungalows

Georgia is my home state, and its porches taught me more than any pattern book. Here is what a Savannah summer, an Atlanta spring and a Tybee breeze ask of a swing, a rocker and a bench.

GeorgiaCarolinas & Georgia · United StatesCapital: Atlanta

Sun & UVIntense
HumidityHumid
WinterMild
CoastSalt air nearby
Typical seatsPorch swing, rocking chair, porch bench

Field notes by Rosa

The Porch Keeper of Savannah · February 18, 2026

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Sand cushions soften a dark wicker sofa and armchairs set on a jute rug among hydrangea borders.

The quick answer

Custom cushions in Georgia should be cut in water-repellent, UV-resistant outdoor fabric for any porch that rain or sun can reach, with zip-off covers you wash after the spring pollen and again after the humid summer. Tie swing and rocker cushions to the slats, use a non-slip base on a flat bench or against a wall, and bring cushions in before storms.

Pollen, then damp: a Georgia porch works two shifts

Pull up a chair, neighbor, and run a finger along the porch rail in late March. That yellow film is pine pollen, and Atlanta knows it well. On March 29, 2025, Atlanta Allergy & Asthma counted 14,801, the highest it has ever recorded, with oak, pine, sycamore, sweet gum and birch all pitching in.

Then the air turns heavy. Savannah, my hometown, averages 73 days a year at or above 90°F (32°C), mornings near 86% humidity and about 48 in (122 cm) of rain. Atlanta takes about 50 in (128 cm), 44 days of 90°F or more, and a July noon UV index near 9.8. Winter is short: 26 freezing nights in Savannah, 42 in Atlanta.

Georgia shoppers know the rhythm. Searches for outdoor cushions here climb in March, peak in April and May, and nearly vanish by December.

So a Georgia porch cushion works two shifts a year. Shed the pollen in spring. Dry out between summer storms.

Squares, raised cottages and bungalow porches

Savannah was laid out in 1733 on James Oglethorpe's plan, ward by ward around open squares, and 22 of those squares survive inside a historic district of about 1,300 acres, a National Historic Landmark since 1966. I've re-covered as many window seats in the houses around them as porch swings.

Out on Tybee, the raised cottages stand on wooden piers with enclosed wraparound porches, a type built there from 1873 on. Salt rides in off the ocean, so rinse cushions with fresh water and favor fabric ties over metal hardware.

In Atlanta, Virginia-Highland grew as a streetcar suburb, most of its houses built between 1909 and 1926, and its Craftsman bungalows face the sidewalk with generous front porches. New farmhouse builds keep the deep porch going, a swing at one end and rockers down the line. Start with porch swing cushions, rocking chair cushions and the porch swing sizes pattern.

Now look up. Many Southern porch ceilings are painted haint blue, a pale blue-green that began with the Gullah people of Georgia and South Carolina. Taupe, sand, soft gray, clean white and quiet stripes all sit happily under it. What color is your porch ceiling?

Fabric, thickness and fastening on a Georgia porch

Seat	Fabric	Thickness	What keeps it put
Porch swing seat	Water-repellent, UV-resistant outdoor fabric	3 to 4 in (7.5 to 10 cm), measured inside the arms	Ties at the back corners, knotted to the slats
Swing back cushions	The same outdoor fabric, self or double piping	Filled back pillows	Ties to the rail; double piping adds structure
Rocking chair seat and back	Outdoor fabric in a mid-tone that forgives pollen	2 to 3 in (5 to 7.5 cm), traced from a paper template	Ties at the back posts
Porch bench	Outdoor fabric	2 to 4 in (5 to 10 cm)	Non-slip base
Screened porch daybed	Outdoor fabric; screens let pollen and humid air through	4 in (10 cm)	Non-slip base against a flat wall

Ties are sewn in only when you ask for them, so write the count and where each one goes in your order.

A real project

Two porch benches, one black cushion, then another

A buyer in the US wrote to ask whether bench cushions only came 4 in thick. They don't: 2, 3, 4 and 5 in are all made. She had two matching outdoor benches and wanted something slim that would stay where she put it.

She chose a black outdoor fabric, once the workshop confirmed that every outdoor black is the same quality, and added a non-slip base. The cushion came 16 x 74 x 2 in (41 x 188 x 5 cm).

It must have behaved, because when it arrived she ordered an identical one for the other bench. On a bench with no slats to tie to, that grippy base does all the holding. More ways to keep a seat still are in stopping a bench cushion sliding.

Measured: 16 x 74 x 2 in, black outdoor fabric, non-slip base; a second identical cushion for the matching bench
What it taught: A thin 2 in outdoor cushion with a non-slip base stays put on a bench.

Rosa's wash-day calendar

Late March and April: shake and brush pollen off the cushions every few days while the count runs high.
When the pollen settles: unzip every cover and wash at 86°F (30°C) on a delicate cycle with mild detergent; air dry.
June 1: hurricane season opens. Make sure each cushion is one a single person can carry indoors.
July and August: after each storm, stand cushions on edge in moving air; standard foam needs 24 to 48 hours to dry.
September: a second wash clears summer grime before mildew spots take hold.
Winter: store cushions dry and breathing, never sealed in plastic.

Photographs for homes like these

Open any photograph large; each one has its own link and a Save button.

Lemon yellow and white tropical leaf outdoor seat cushion and two back cushions on a gray wicker loveseat under a pergola — Bright lemon leaves on white keep a gray wicker loveseat cheerful, with piping cut from the same print.

Ivory box cushions on a gray wicker patio sectional with navy striped and coral pillows beside hydrangea borders — Ivory seat and back cushions give a dark wicker sectional a clean outline, while navy and coral pillows carry the color.

Brick red curved outdoor bench cushion with self piping on a natural resin wicker bench, deck with ferns and lantern behind — One piece of brick-red outdoor fabric, cut to an arc, turns a curved wicker bench into proper seating.

Pale blue ticking-stripe seat and back cushions with a front drop on a wooden garden swing among roses — A soft blue ticking stripe covers the seat and two back cushions of a timber garden swing, with the seat fabric dropping over the front rail.

Four brick red curved cushions on wicker benches arranged in a circle around a round teak coffee table under a pergola — Four arc-shaped cushions make a full conversation circle, each one sized to its own wicker section.

On a Georgia porch a cushion has two enemies, pollen in March and damp in July, and one best friend: a cover that unzips.
Rosa

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Buyer questions: cushions that stay put

A common question
What's the best way to keep back cushions in place?
The workshop's answer
It depends on what they lean against. Against a frame, railing or slats, matching fabric ties let you tie them on. Against a flat wall or a solid backrest, a non-slip backing does the job better.
A common question
Can you add Velcro or clips to hold the cushions in place?
The workshop's answer
No. Velcro, hook-and-loop and concealed clips aren't part of production. Firm cushions cut to size sit side by side on their own, and ties or a non-slip base are the two options for keeping them put.
A common question
Do custom cushions come with ties automatically?
The workshop's answer
No. Ties are added only when you ask for them at the time of ordering. One buyer who assumed they were standard received chair cushions without them, and the workshop offered to pay half of a local tailor's cost to add them.
A common question
Can you make tie-on cushions for old ladder-back chairs?
The workshop's answer
Yes. Send a photo, the dimensions on a simple diagram including the left and right side edges, and the quantity. Ties go at the back to secure each pad, and the covers are removable and washable.
A common question
Can you make a cushion for a vintage barrel-back rattan chair with a rounded back?
The workshop's answer
Yes, semicircular back and all. Along with width and depth, such as 17 x 18 in, send a clear photo from directly above showing the whole seat. A simple tracing or template of the seat is even better for getting the curve right.

Have it made

Have it made for your home — ask Rosa’s workshop

Swings sway, rockers rock, dogs circle three times. Tell the workshop what your seat goes through, and they will plan for it. — Rosa

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.

Name

Phone Only for this request: no marketing calls or texts. Outside the US, add the country code.

Best time to call optional

What to make optional

Measurements optionalIn inches: length × depth × thickness, plus any angles or cut corners.

Notes optional

* 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

Georgia porch questions

Why do Georgia porch cushions get mildew spots in summer?

Mildew is dirt plus damp, given time. It grows on pollen, dust and leaf litter left on the fabric, not on the fiber, so wash covers after pollen season and again in late summer, and dry soaked cushions within 24 to 48 hours.

What thickness keeps a rocker comfortable without lifting me above the arms?

Usually 2 to 3 in (5 to 7.5 cm); a thicker pad raises you against the arms. For a curved seat, trace it onto paper, write the widest width and depth on it, and photograph it flat beside a tape measure.

Do Tybee and Savannah porch cushions need a storm plan?

Yes. Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, and Ready.gov's checklist says to bring in outside furniture. Cushions sized so one person can carry each piece, and a dry closet kept for them, make that a quick job.

Can a wicker loveseat cushion follow rounded corners?

Yes. Oval and rounded cushions are made; the craftsmen check the shape first from a simple drawing with every measurement and a photo of the seat. Matching square pillows, such as 16 x 16 in, can go in the same quote.

Porch light's on — Rosa

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