Across the Map · Europe
Custom cushions for Luxembourg homes, apartments and gardens
Luxembourg has 62.8 days of fog a year and about 42 hours of December sun. In light that gray, a cushion is not decoration; it is the warmest color in the room.
- Sun & UVModerate
- HumidityHumid
- WinterCold
- SettingInland
- Typical seatsDeep window reveal seat, apartment balcony bench, garden bench
SaveThe quick answer
Custom cushions in Luxembourg should answer gray light and damp air: warm, saturated velvet, corduroy or linen blends indoors for deep window reveals and city apartments, and water-repellent outdoor fabric outside, with 2 in (5 cm) chair pads and ties. Bring garden cushions in often: MeteoLux records about 32.7 in (831 mm) of precipitation and 63 fog days a year.
1,803 hours of sun, 63 days of fog
Custom cushions in Luxembourg begin with the sky. MeteoLux's 1991–2020 normals at Findel give 1,802.9 hours of sunshine a year: 257.6 in July, only 41.9 in December. Fog settles on 62.8 days.
The climate is mild and damp rather than harsh. The annual mean is 49.6°F (9.8°C); January averages 34.5°F (1.4°C) and July 65.7°F (18.7°C). Precipitation totals 32.7 in (831.3 mm), spread over about 124 days, and snow falls on about 29.
For cloth, damp is the steady enemy, not sun. A garden cushion left out after a shower stays wet a long time under a gray sky. For color, gray light is the test: it drains cool tones and flatters warm ones.
Stone villages, capital balconies, deep old-town reveals
A cushion maker sees three Luxembourgs. In the villages, stone houses with thick walls. In the capital, modern apartments with balconies. And in the old quarters, on the UNESCO list as the city's Old Quarters and Fortifications, town houses with deep window reveals, above rock where Spain began 23 km (14 mi) of tunnels in 1644.
A deep reveal is the country's natural window seat, and window seat cushions in Luxembourg begin there. Measure it like a box: width at the glass and at the room edge, depth at both ends, and the clearance under the handle. The window seat measuring guide shows how.
Balcony cushions should be light enough to carry in with one hand. Garden cushions, on bench cushions and chair pads, get ties; the chair cushion builder sizes a pad, and a patio set needs a dry shelf waiting indoors.
Three languages, two traditions, one warm color
Luxembourg lives in three languages, Luxembourgish, French and German, with French and German side by side in public life. Its rooms often borrow from both neighbors, and I like the mix. From the French side: pale linen, a contrast piping, a certain restraint. From the German side: the snug corner bench and a cloth you want to lean into.
In gray light, both need warmth. Let one color speak and the others listen: cranberry, rust, ochre or bottle green, against greige, oatmeal or stone.
A buyer wrote in wanting a solid red to match a rug, with cream or beige piping. Before any talk of shades, the workshop asked two things: indoor or outdoor, solid or pattern. Then it sent photos of two reds, and the buyer chose a cranberry that looked perfect. That order of questions is the right one.
Judge every swatch by a north window at noon, never on a screen; the screen vs daylight guide explains why. Velvet and corduroy hold deep color beautifully in soft light. What color is the stone outside your window, my friends?
Reveal, balcony, garden: cloth, foam and piping
| Seat | Fabric | Foam and thickness | Piping and fixing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deep window reveal | Velvet or corduroy in a warm, saturated color | 2 to 3 in (5 to 7.5 cm); 2 in (5 cm) if the window opens over it | Self piping or a darker contrast |
| Kitchen corner bench | Linen blend or soft poly-cotton | 2 to 3 in (5 to 7.5 cm); backrests measured minus the seat thickness | Non-slip base; zippered cover for 86°F (30°C) washing |
| Apartment balcony bench | Water-repellent, UV-resistant outdoor fabric | 2 in (5 cm) | Ties; pieces small enough to carry in |
| Garden chair pads | Outdoor linen-look or stripe | 2 in (5 cm); 3 to 4 in (8 to 10 cm) for deep armchairs | Ties at the back corners |
| Garden bench for long sitting | Outdoor fabric | 4 in (10 cm) seat; backs about 2 in (5 cm) | Piping on the seat, plain backs |
Cotton ticking stays indoors. Outdoor fabric is water-repellent, not waterproof, and the standard foam is not quick-dry, so stand a soaked cushion on its edge until it's dry through.
Two metal garden armchairs and a stripe that stayed inside
A buyer wrote in after buying two metal armchairs for a country-house garden. They wanted deep seat and back cushions with piping, in a timeless linen-look or a fine ticking stripe, for year-round use outdoors. All they had was the chair's overall size: about 20 3/4 x 22 1/4 x 36 in (52.7 x 56.7 x 91.5 cm).
The workshop said that wasn't enough. When the chairs arrived, they were to measure between the armrests, the seat depth, and the back height they wanted. It suggested seats 3 to 4 in (8 to 10 cm) thick, in 2.0 lb/ft³ (32 kg/m³) high-resilience foam wrapped in polyester wadding, with ties at the back corners.
Then it steered them away from the stripe. The ticking is 100% cotton and doesn't belong outdoors; the outdoor linen-look fabrics do, in natural tones.
I agree with every word. In a damp, gray garden, an outdoor linen-look in oatmeal or stone looks like linen and forgives the weather. Even so, I would carry those cushions in when the fog season starts.
- Measured
- Chair overall about 20 3/4 x 22 1/4 x 36 in (52.7 x 56.7 x 91.5 cm), W x D x H; seat cushions 3 to 4 in (8 to 10 cm) thick
- What it taught
- Measure the seat itself, not the chair's overall size, and keep cotton ticking indoors.
Photographs for homes like these
Open any photograph large; each one has its own link and a Save button.
Save
Save
Save
Save
SaveA Luxembourg garden year
- April: bring garden cushions out in a dry week, after washing covers at 86°F (30°C) on a gentle cycle and drying them in the air.
- May to September: out by day, in by night when showers are forecast. July brings the most sun, about 258 hours.
- After rain: unzip, stand the foam on its edge, and let it dry through before it goes back in the cover.
- October: store outdoor cushions indoors, clean and dry to the core, in breathable bags, off a cold floor.
- November to February: window seat season. On foggy mornings, wipe condensation from deep reveals before it reaches the cushion.
Under a gray sky, the cushion is the sun you get to choose.
Élodie
Buyer questions: gray light, garden sofas and darker piping
- A common question
My cushion looks much more orange than the pinkish shade in the listing. Did you use the wrong fabric?
The workshop's answerThe workshop checked the production code against the order: the right fabric was used. Small tone shifts between screen and cloth are normal, especially in orange and pink, because light, camera and screen all change what you see, so look at it in daylight. When the buyer was still unhappy, the workshop made a new cover in a color of their choice and let them keep the first.
- A common question
Is the regular fabric all right for a covered outdoor area?
The workshop's answerYes, if the area is covered, but the standard fabric isn't made for rain. A separate water-repellent range is available; if you don't specifically need it, the workshop says the soft fabric is the nicer choice.
- A common question
Can you make square outdoor cushions to match my garden bench cushion?
The workshop's answerYes, in outdoor fabric, through the outdoor floor-cushion listing or a custom listing. For outdoor use the workshop insists on outdoor-specific fabric, and patterned outdoor fabrics with a contrast piping were confirmed suitable outside.
- A common question
Will a light beige cushion with darker piping look good? Do you have a photo of that pairing?
The workshop's answerIf there's no finished photo of the exact pairing, the workshop sends the two fabrics side by side, such as L-04 with L-32 piping. Its view: a light cover with darker piping looks very elegant, because the piping traces the cushion's shape without being loud.
- A common question
Can you make back cushions for a garden sofa that are thinner at the top?
The workshop's answerYes. For one garden sofa, the workshop quoted two 39 1/4 x 27 1/2 x 6 in (100 x 70 x 15 cm) seat cushions with piping and two 39 1/4 x 15 3/4 in (100 x 40 cm) wedge backrests without piping, all in outdoor fabric. Once it was clear the backrests needed filling too, the price was adjusted.
Have it made
Have it made for your home — ask Élodie’s workshop
Describe the room at four in the afternoon: the floor, the wall, the one color you love. That is where a good fabric choice begins. — Élodie
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.
Luxembourg cushion questions, in soft light
Which colors work best in Luxembourg's gray light?
Warm, saturated colors: cranberry, rust, ochre and bottle green, set against oatmeal or stone. With about 42 hours of December sun, cool grays and icy blues can look flat. Judge swatches in your own daylight before ordering.
Can garden cushions stay out overnight?
In a dry spell, yes, in water-repellent outdoor fabric. But Findel records precipitation on about 124 days a year, and the standard foam isn't quick-dry, so bring cushions in when showers are forecast and store them indoors for winter.
How do I measure a deep window reveal for a cushion?
Measure the width at the glass and at the room edge, the depth at both ends, and the clearance under the window handle. If the widths differ, send a drawing so the cushion is cut to the shape; old reveals are rarely perfectly square.
Is velvet practical for a window seat in a damp climate?
Yes, indoors. Velvet holds deep color in soft light and wipes clean, but it isn't waterproof: wipe condensation from the sill on cold mornings and air the cushion now and then. Its pile can look lighter or darker depending on the brushing direction.
With color and care — Élodie
The atelier
Keep going
Across the Map
Nearby places
Close by on the map