---
title: "Custom Cushions in Italy: Terraces, Loggias and Deep Color"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-italy/"
section: "Across the Map"
author: "Élodie Marchand, The Colorist of New Orleans"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/elodie/"
published: "2026-06-02"
updated: "2026-09-24"
keywords: "custom cushions italy, outdoor cushions italy, terrace cushions, custom cushions milan, bench cushions"
---

# Custom cushions for Italian terraces, loggias and city apartments

*An Italian terrace is judged in two lights: the white glare of an August afternoon and the soft gold of evening, when everyone finally sits down. I choose the cloth for the first and the color for the second.*

> **The quick answer:** Custom cushions in Italy should be chosen by where they live, with UV-resistant, water-repellent outdoor fabric for terraces, balconies and pergola seats. Outdoors, choose 2 in (5 cm) chair pads with ties and 4 in (10 cm) loungers, stored dry through the wet months. Loggias and apartments suit linen and velvet in terracotta, ochre and olive. Palermo's August afternoons average 88.5°F (31.4°C).

![Taupe and cream striped box cushion on a built-in plaster bench in a sunlit city loggia with olive tree and stool](https://cushionguide.com/media/bench-cushions/striped-cushion-built-in-plaster-bench-city-loggia-1600.webp "A long striped cushion runs wall to wall across a built-in plaster bench, turning a recessed loggia into a sunny morning seat.")

## Palermo's 88°F afternoons, Milan's fog and a salted coast

Custom cushions in Italy live in two climates. In Palermo, the national weather service's 1991–2020 normals put the average August afternoon at 88.5°F (31.4°C), with about 2,530 hours of sunshine a year, and southern Sicily passes 2,600. That light fades dye and bakes a dark cushion hot to the touch.

Milan averages 37.8°F (3.2°C) in January, and the Po Valley is often covered in fog from November to March; relative humidity there swings between 45% and 95% through the year. For custom cushions in Milan, that means a balcony season and a storage season, not one long summer.

The coast adds salt, and Liguria adds rain: mountains close to the sea push Genoa and La Spezia up to 79 in (2,000 mm) a year. In the Alps, 16 to 33 ft (5 to 10 m) of snow can fall at 6,560 ft (2,000 m); no outdoor cushion winters there.

## Loggias, roof terraces and the pergola at the farm

A loggia is a covered gallery, open to the air on one or more sides and often on an upper floor; Italian towns have built them since the early Middle Ages. For a cushion, it is the kindest outdoor room there is: shade at noon, shelter from most rain. A built-in plaster bench there takes one long [bench cushion](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/bench-cushions/) in outdoor fabric, like the taupe-and-cream stripe running wall to wall in the photograph above.

City apartments live on balconies and roof terraces, in full sun, so their seats want [outdoor cushions](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/outdoor-cushions/) with ties; the [chair cushion builder](https://cushionguide.com/studio/chair-cushion-builder/) sizes a pad before you order.

In the Tuscan and Umbrian countryside the seat moves under a pergola, a word English borrowed from Italian. Vine shade is dappled, so outdoor cloth belongs there too. Ligurian seaside houses face salt and those rain totals; their loungers are [chaise and sunbed cushions](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/chaise-and-sunbed-cushions/), rinsed with fresh water and carried in before a storm.

## Seat by seat: cloth, foam and piping for an Italian home

| Seat | Fabric | Foam and thickness | Piping and fixing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terrace or balcony dining chair | UV-resistant, water-repellent outdoor fabric | 2 in (5 cm) pad; 3 in (7.5 cm) for long lunches | Double piping; ties in a matching or contrast color |
| Loggia built-in bench | Outdoor fabric, stripe or solid | 3 to 4 in (7.5 to 10 cm); long runs split into pieces of about 6 1/2 ft (2 m) | Self piping; non-slip base on plaster or stone |
| Pergola or seaside daybed and loungers | Outdoor fabric in off-white, sand or stripe | 4 in (10 cm), firm high-density foam | Self piping; carried in before rain |
| Apartment window seat or sofa bench | Linen blend or velvet | 3 to 4 in (7.5 to 10 cm) | Contrast piping: bordeaux on beige, olive on ochre |
| Farmhouse kitchen bench | Linen blend or soft poly-cotton | 2 to 3 in (5 to 7.5 cm) | Zippered cover that washes at 86°F (30°C) |

Every outdoor fabric here is water-repellent, not waterproof, and the standard foam is not quick-dry. Covers zip off and wash at 86°F (30°C) on a gentle cycle; air dry them.

## Eleven terrace chairs, white with lavender piping

A buyer in Italy wrote to the workshop with a terrace and eleven chairs. They wanted seat pads about 15 3/4 x 18 in (40 x 46 cm), 1 1/4 to 2 in (3 to 5 cm) thick, plain white, with lavender piping on both edges and lavender ties, all in place by mid-July.

The workshop settled the thickness at 2 in (5 cm), priced it as a bulk order, and asked two questions before cutting: which side the zipper should sit on, and the exact color codes for the white and the lavender. A zipper on the back edge disappears against the chair, and a color named by its code arrives as that color, not as a guess.

They also asked for large tablecloths to match. The workshop said no: its fabric is at most 55 in (140 cm) wide, too narrow for a seamless cloth. I like a maker who says no plainly.

White with a pale piping is right for a sunny terrace: cooler to the touch than a dark cushion, and the thin lavender line draws each chair against the stone.

## Terracotta, sienna, ochre, olive: a palette from the ground

Italy gave painters some of their earth colors by name. Sienna comes from *terra di Siena*, the earth of Siena: yellowish brown when raw, reddish brown once burnt. Terracotta means baked earth. Those are the tones of the roofs and floors your cushions sit against, so let them lead.

- **Ochre** indoors. A buyer in Italy chose ochre yellow for a floor sofa 31 1/2 x 86 1/2 in (80 x 220 cm), with backrest and armrests for the full sofa look.
- **Olive** in linen rather than velvet, when you want the green matte and dry. Beside ochre, it's a Tuscan hillside in two swatches.
- **Bordeaux** as piping. Another buyer ordered four 47 1/4 x 15 3/4 in (120 x 40 cm) bench cushions in beige linen piped in bordeaux, and the workshop sent a picture of the pairing first.
- **Off-white, sand and taupe stripes** outdoors, where the sun is hardest.

Indoors, [linen blends](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/linen-and-cotton-linen/) keep the matte look of plaster, and [velvet](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/velvet/) holds deep color in a shuttered room. Outside, choose from the [outdoor fabrics](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/outdoor-acrylic/). Which earth is on your terrace floor, my friends?

## The Italian cushion year

- ✓ March to May: wash covers at 86°F (30°C) on a gentle cycle, air dry, and bring terrace cushions out once the spring rain eases.
- ✓ June to September: in the south, carry pads into the loggia or the shade at midday. UV fades dye; shade is free.
- ✓ After a day by the sea, rinse salt from covers and zippers with fresh water.
- ✓ Autumn storms: stand soaked foam on edge until it's dry to the core. The standard foam isn't quick-dry.
- ✓ November to March in the north: store outdoor cushions indoors, clean and dry, off the floor, in breathable bags, and keep indoor linen and velvet out of hard afternoon sun.

> Italy chose its palette from the ground: terracotta, sienna, ochre, olive. A good cushion simply agrees with the floor.
>
> — Élodie

> **Tailor's margin:** Name the zipper side before cutting. On a terrace chair, put it on the back edge, where neither the sun nor the eye will find it.

## Buyer questions: terraces, olive linen and shaped seats

**A common question:** Do you have outdoor fabric for sun lounger cushions and bench pads on a terrace?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. There are close to 200 outdoor fabrics, all UV-resistant and suited to sun loungers and outdoor benches, ordered through the outdoor listing. Custom shapes need a drawing or a photo with the measurements.

**A common question:** I'd like olive green, but in cotton or linen rather than velvet. What do you have?

**The workshop's answer:** The olive fabric shown is a linen. Other colors and materials are on the fabric-samples listing, because each listing shows only one color chart.

**A common question:** Can you make armchair cushions that are narrower at the back with a rounded front?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes, through the custom-shape (trapezoid) listing, not the rectangle one. Upload a photo of the old cushion with every measurement written on it, for example 19 in (48 cm) at the back, 17 in (43 cm) sides, a curved 22 in (56 cm) front, 20 in (51 cm) at the center, and 4 3/4 in (12 cm) thick.

**A common question:** Can the non-slip grip go only in the middle, with a fabric border around it?

**The workshop's answer:** No. The non-slip fabric always covers the whole base; a 4 in (10 cm) border isn't possible. It sits on the underside, so it doesn't show, or you can leave it off entirely.

**A common question:** Can you handle a whole villa: a very long indoor sofa seat, an outdoor daybed and decorative pillows?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. A 4 x 31 1/2 x 197 in (10 x 80 x 500 cm) indoor seat in off-white linen was quoted in three parts, plus a 4 x 35 1/2 x 86 1/2 in (10 x 90 x 220 cm) outdoor daybed cushion in off-white outdoor fabric, both in firm high-density foam, with striped linen pillows. The workshop then asked whether the backrests should be foam-filled or pillow-style.

## Italy cushion questions, answered in daylight

### Can terrace cushions stay out all summer in southern Italy?

They can live outside through the dry season in UV-resistant outdoor fabric, but give them shade at midday. Palermo averages 88.5°F (31.4°C) on August afternoons and about 2,530 hours of sunshine a year, and strong sun fades any dye over time.

### What cushion suits a covered loggia?

Outdoor fabric is the safe choice, because a loggia is open to the air and driving rain still reaches the front edge. A built-in bench takes one long box cushion, split into pieces of about 6 1/2 ft (2 m) or less, with a non-slip base on plaster or stone.

### Should balcony cushions stay out through a Milan winter?

No. Milan averages 37.8°F (3.2°C) in January and the Po Valley is often foggy from November to March, so damp foam dries slowly. Store outdoor cushions indoors, clean and dry, in breathable bags, and bring them back out in spring.

### Which fabrics suit a Ligurian seaside house?

Water-repellent, UV-resistant outdoor fabric on anything that sits outside, rinsed with fresh water after salty days. Genoa and La Spezia can see up to 79 in (2,000 mm) of rain a year, so bring cushions in before a storm and dry them on edge if they get soaked.

## Related at the atelier

- [Custom cushions for Bulgarian terraces, mountain houses and apartments](https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-bulgaria/): Custom cushions in Bulgaria must handle strong summer sun and real winters.
- [Outdoor cushions for Greek island terraces, courtyards and built-in benches](https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-greece/): Outdoor cushions in Greece need UV-resistant, water-repellent outdoor fabric, ties or a non-slip base for the meltemi, and sizes cut to the built-in masonry benches of terraces and courtyards.
- [Custom cushions for French apartments, terraces and country houses](https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-france/): Custom cushions in France should be chosen by region, because each French climate treats fabric differently.
- [Can I see close-up photos of a fabric before I order?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/close-up-fabric-photos-before-ordering/): Yes, close-up photos of any fabric code are free and sent on request in your message thread.
- [Can you show me my fabric and piping combination together before I order?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/fabric-piping-combination-side-by-side-photo/): The workshop will photograph your chosen body fabric and piping swatches side by side before you order, in as many combinations as you need, with extra shots in different lighting on request.
- [I'm an interior designer. Can you send a full swatch set of all your colors?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/full-fabric-swatch-set-for-interior-designers/): Yes, interior designers can ask for a complete swatch set of every color, which one design firm received for the usual shipping-only sample fee.
- [Can indoor cushions go on a covered or screened porch?](https://cushionguide.com/guides/indoor-cushions-covered-porch/)
- [The best foam for a bench cushion depends on the bench](https://cushionguide.com/guides/best-foam-for-bench-cushions/)

*With color and care — Élodie*

---

Written by Élodie Marchand (https://cushionguide.com/masters/elodie/) 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-italy/