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Across the Map · New England · United States

Window seat cushions for Massachusetts capes, colonials and triple-deckers

Massachusetts houses were built by hand, and every window seat shows it. Here is how to fit a Cape dormer, a triple-decker bay and a porch that sees about 96 freezing nights a year.

Boston
MassachusettsNew England · United StatesCapital: Boston
  • Sun & UVModerate
  • HumidityModerate
  • WinterCold
  • CoastSalt air nearby
  • Typical seatsDormer window seat, triple-decker bay window seat, victorian three-sided bay seat

Field notes by

The Piping Queen of Newport ·

Powder blue and white striped window seat cushion with matching pillows in a white tongue-and-groove alcoveSave
A classic blue awning stripe fills a white paneled alcove; the outdoor-grade weave copes with sun from the window beside it.

The quick answer

Window seat cushions in Massachusetts should be cut to the real walls of an old house, not to a perfect rectangle. Measure the front, back, depth at both ends and every angled edge, and notch around casings. Choose 3 in (7.5 cm) under a dormer casement or 4 in (10 cm) on a deep bay, washable covers near cold glass, and outdoor fabric on open porches.

Field notes

Weather and light in Massachusetts

  • Sun & UVModerate (level 2 of 4)Strong in July, faint in December
  • HumidityModerate (level 2 of 4)Humid coastal summers, radiator-dry winters
  • Rain & stormsFrequent (level 3 of 4)Rain or snow on about a third of the days
  • Snow & freezeRegular (level 3 of 4)Snowy winters, deeper inland than in Boston

Watch for

  • Condensation on single-pane glass
  • Out-of-square window bays
  • Salt air on the Cape and Islands

Plain-language levels from general climate patterns, not measurements. Your own porch, shade and window exposure matter more.

Ninety-six frosty nights and a pane of cold glass

The coldest seat in a Massachusetts house is usually the best one: the window seat. Boston averages 49.2 in (125 cm) of snow and about 96 days a year at or below 32°F (0°C). Worcester, on higher ground, gets 72.9 in (185 cm) and 135 freezing days.

That cold ends up on the glass. Warm room air meets a single-pane sash, turns to water and runs onto the cushion. The EPA says to dry wet surfaces quickly and damp materials within 24 to 48 hours, before mold starts. So: a zippered cover you can wash, and a cushion you lift to air on frosty mornings.

Summer turns it around. Boston's noon UV Index averages about 8.0 in July and 1.1 in December, so a south-facing seat fades in July; see sun through glass. On the Cape and the Islands, salt spray adds its own wear on metal zippers. The wider region is on the New England page.

Capes, First Period houses and a bay on every triple-decker floor

Cape Cod houses go back to the 1600s here: low, broad, a steep roof to shed snow, a big central chimney. The paired dormers mostly came later, with the 1922 to 1955 Cape revival. That is where the window seats went, under the slope with a casement swinging in above your knees. Keep that cushion slim: 3 in (7.5 cm), or 2 in (5 cm), the thinnest the workshop makes.

Essex County holds more preserved First Period houses (1626 to 1725) than anywhere else, with oak frames and small diamond-pane casements. Federal and Victorian houses brought deep sashes and three-sided bays. Then the triple-decker: about 15,000 went up in Boston and nearby cities between 1880 and 1930, many with a street-facing bay on each floor and a two-story front porch so the upper families had one too.

I once cut a bay cushion to a corner I assumed was square. It wasn't, and I'd wager yours isn't either, dear. Measure the front, the back, the depth at both ends and each angled side, the old-house way. If a casing hangs over the seat, notch around it instead of shrinking the depth.

What does your window seat measure at the left end, and at the right?

Dormer, bay, porch: fabric, thickness and piping for each seat

SeatFabricThicknessPiping and build
Cape dormer seatLinen-look or soft performance fabric3 in (7.5 cm); 2 in (5 cm) under a low sashSelf piping keeps a small seat quiet
Triple-decker or Victorian bayVelvet or corduroy for winter; ticking for a period room4 in (10 cm)Contrast piping traces each angle; custom-shape listing
Seat against single-pane glassSoft performance fabric or velvet, both wipe clean3 in (7.5 cm)Zippered cover, washed at 86°F (30°C) on delicate
Shallow old seat, 12 in (30 cm) deepAny indoor fabricUp to 2 in (5 cm) front overhangSlightly firmer foam and an inner wrap
Open porch or deckOutdoor fabric, UV-resistant and water-repellent3 to 4 in (7.5 to 10 cm)Back-corner ties; indoors from first frost

Seat foam is 32 kg/m³, about 2.0 lb/ft³, wrapped in Dacron. A straight welt is a kind of honesty: on an out-of-square bay it shows every angle, so draw the angles right.

Picked for Massachusetts

Seats to start from

Fabric families

Try it in the Studio

A real project

The 112-inch seat whose corners weren't square

A buyer in the US sent a sketch of a long angled window seat: 112 in (284 cm) along the wall, 18 in (46 cm) deep, both angled sides written as 35 in. The first photo was blurry, so the workshop asked for a sharper one and drew the seat to scale.

The drawing wouldn't close. With the long edge, the depth and end sections of 32.5 in and 31 in, the angled sides work out near 37.2 in and 35.9 in, not 35. That is what a corner that isn't square does to a tape measure.

So the workshop cut from the long edge, the depth and the end sections, which leave about 48.5 in for the short edge, and let the angled sides follow. She confirmed the drawing and chose a linen that washes at 86°F (30°C), because of her dog. The trapezoid cushion calculator runs the same check at home.

Measured
112 in long edge, 18 in deep, end sections 32.5 in and 31 in, short edge about 48.5 in
What it taught
When old corners aren't square, cut from the long edge, the depth and the end sections, and let the angled sides follow.

A Massachusetts year for window seats and porch cushions

  • January mornings: wipe fog off the glass and sill, and stand the window seat cushion on edge for an hour.
  • February: a damp mark means unzip, wash at 86°F (30°C) on delicate with mild detergent and no bleach, and air dry fully.
  • March: order swatches, up to 5 codes per sample order, and judge them at the window where the cushion will sit.
  • May: Massachusetts searches for outdoor cushions peak now. Bring porch cushions out once the freezes end.
  • After a coastal storm: rinse salt off zippers and ties with fresh water.
  • October: before the first frost, wash covers, dry the foam completely and store everything off the floor, never sealed damp in plastic.

Colors borrowed from a Massachusetts street

  • Weathered shingle gray#9A958CThe gray unpainted Cape shingles turn; calm on a dormer seat.
  • Colonial barn red#7B2E26Warm against white trim in January.
  • Ticking navy#2B3A55Reads as period in a Federal parlor.
  • Oyster linen#DCD3C3Forgiving under cool north light.
  • Salt-marsh green#7C8A6AHides lint on a busy mudroom bench.

Old walls lean. Cut the window seat cushion from the long edge and the depth, and let the angled sides follow the house.

Maggie
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Buyer questions: casings, overhangs and porches

  1. A common question

    The window casing sticks out over my window seat, so a cushion can't sit against the wall. Can you notch it?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. For a 109.25 x 25 in seat with a casing 0.75 in deep, the workshop drew a notch 0.75 in deep and 96.25 in wide along the back edge, keeping the full 25 in depth for the 6 in on the left and 7 in on the right. Send a sketch and photo, then approve the diagram.

  2. A common question

    My old wooden window seat is only 12 in deep. Can the cushion be 14 in and hang over the front?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. Up to 2 in of overhang is common and won't break the cushion down, because high-density foam keeps the front edge structured. The workshop can also make the foam slightly firmer and add an inner wrap.

  3. A common question

    Which thickness do you recommend for a window seat?

    The workshop's answer

    The options are 2, 3, 4 and 5 in, all at the same price. Most buyers choose 3 or 4 in: 3 in gives a neater, lower profile on a window seat, 4 in gives more cushioning.

  4. A common question

    Can your cushions go out on a covered porch?

    The workshop's answer

    Under a closed roof the regular fabrics are fine. In open-air spots, including screened porches, any piece can be made in outdoor fabric: seat, back or bolster.

  5. A common question

    Do the covers come off, and how should I wash them?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes, every cover zips off. Wash at 86°F (30°C) on a delicate cycle with mild detergent and no bleach, and air dry instead of tumble drying.

Have it made

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

Numbers first, fabric second, piping last. Jot down what you have, and the workshop will go down the list with you, item by item. — Maggie

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.

Only for this request: no marketing calls or texts. Outside the US, add the country code.
In inches: length × depth × thickness, plus any angles or cut corners.

* 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

Massachusetts seats, asked and answered

Does a triple-decker bay window need a custom-shape cushion?

Usually. A bay seat has angled sides, so it is a trapezoid, or a hexagon if it has short straight returns. Order it on the custom-shape listing with every edge and the depth written on a drawing.

What thickness fits a Cape Cod dormer window seat?

Start at 3 in (7.5 cm). Dormer seats sit under a sloped ceiling, often with a casement swinging in above. Drop to 2 in (5 cm), the thinnest option, only if the sash won't clear.

Can porch cushions stay out on a Boston porch all winter?

No. Boston sees about 96 days a year at or below 32°F (0°C), and the workshop's foam isn't quick-dry, so trapped water freezes and thaws. Wash and dry everything in October and store it off the floor.

Does salt air on the Cape and the Islands affect porch cushions?

Mostly the hardware. FEMA coastal guidance notes salt spray is heaviest near breaking waves, with faster corrosion measured five to 10 miles inland. Rinse zippers and ties with fresh water after storms.

Stitch straight — Maggie

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