---
title: "Custom Cushions in Michigan: Up North Cottages, Bay Windows"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-michigan/"
section: "Across the Map"
author: "Nate Kowalski, The Pattern Engineer of Detroit"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/nate/"
published: "2026-04-27"
updated: "2026-04-27"
keywords: "custom cushions michigan, patio cushions michigan, lake house cushions michigan, bay window seat cushion, dock bench cushions"
---

# Custom cushions for Michigan cottages, bungalows and bay windows

*Michigan gives a cushion two jobs: a bay window in a brick house downstate, and a dock bench Up North. Here is the geometry for the first and the storage plan for the second.*

> **The quick answer:** Custom cushions in Michigan split into two jobs: indoor bay window seats in brick bungalows and Tudors, and outdoor dock, deck and porch cushions at the cottage. Order a bay cushion on the custom-shape listing with every edge and the depth, and expect about ±1/2 in handmade tolerance. Tie outdoor cushions at the back corners, carry them in for storms and store them dry before the first frost.

![Deep teal chenille trapezoid cushion fitted to a white paneled bay window seat with sheer linen curtains and oak floor](https://cushionguide.com/media/bay-window-cushions/deep-teal-trapezoid-cushion-white-bay-window-1600.webp "A shaped teal cushion follows all three sides of a period bay window. White paneling and sheer linen keep the look crisp.")

## 3,288 miles of shoreline and 205 gray days

Michigan has 3,288 miles (5,292 km) of Great Lakes shoreline, more than any state except Alaska, plus 11,037 inland lakes. A cushion here meets wind in summer and snow in winter.

Here is my load case, from NOAA station averages:
- **Detroit:** 45.0 in (114 cm) of snow, 128 days at or below 32°F (0°C), 12 days at 90°F (32°C) or hotter.
- **Grand Rapids:** 77.6 in (197 cm) of snow, 139 freezing days, 205 cloudy days.
- **Houghton Lake:** 65.9 in (167 cm) of snow, 170 freezing days.
- **Sault Ste. Marie:** 120.1 in (305 cm) of snow, 174 freezing days, 209 cloudy days.

Sun is the smaller variable: the July noon UV Index runs about 7.9 to 8.4 across the Great Lakes. Damp is the bigger one. Morning humidity averages 80% in Detroit and 82% in Grand Rapids, so a cushion left on the dock overnight is wet at breakfast. In winter the lake-effect snowbelts sit downwind, and the Upper Peninsula carries one of the largest in the country.

## Brick bungalows, Tudors and the cottage Up North

Downstate, Detroit neighborhoods like East English Village filled in between about 1913 and 1950 with brick bungalows, Cape Cods, colonials and Tudors, many custom-built. On West Grand Boulevard, Tudor Revival apartments from the mid-1920s put paired bay windows on the street. A bay seat in houses like these is a trapezoid, or a hexagon if it has short straight returns. The [bay window cushions](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/bay-window-cushions/) hub covers both.

Up North, as Michiganders call the northern Lower Peninsula, the seats move outside: a dock bench, a swing on the screened porch, a boat, a bunk under the eaves. The [Great Lakes cottage page](https://cushionguide.com/places/great-lakes-cottage-cushions/) covers the lake house in general; this is the Michigan detail.

Timing matters. Michigan ranks fifth in the country for search interest in patio cushions, and its outdoor-cushion searches spike in May, then drop to almost nothing from November to January. Order in March, partner, not on Memorial Day weekend. Which comes first at your place, the bay or the dock?

## A 106-inch bay that closed on paper

A designer in the US sent a bay seat for a client: 106 in (269 cm) along the main side, 56 in (142 cm) along the back, two 35 in (89 cm) angled ends. Did she need a paper template?

No. The check takes three lines:
- Front minus back, halved: (106 − 56) ÷ 2 = 25 in of step on each side.
- Each 35 in slant is the long side of a right triangle over that 25 in step.
- The third side is the depth: about 24.5 in (62 cm).

The numbers closed, so photos and measurements were enough, with no template charge. Measure twice; the fabric remembers. The workshop recommended 4 in (10 cm) of 32 kg/m³ foam, about 2.0 lb/ft³, for a tailored built-in look, and offered warm oatmeal and natural flax [linens](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/linen-and-cotton-linen/) with physical swatches.

Another US bay had 5 in straight returns at each end: 78 in front, 46.5 in back, 23 in angled sides, about 22 in deep. That is a hexagon. Take the returns off the depth first, then close the triangle the same way. It was made in navy [corduroy](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/corduroy/).

## Bay, dock, porch, boat: what each Michigan seat gets

| Seat | Fabric | Foam and thickness | Hold-down and build |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bungalow or Tudor bay seat | Linen for warm neutrals; velvet or corduroy for winter | 4 in (10 cm); 3 in (7.5 cm) under a low sill | Custom-shape listing; a bay near 160 in long goes in two pieces |
| Bay seat with lift-up lids | Any indoor fabric | 3 to 4 in (7.5 to 10 cm) | One cushion per lid section |
| Dock or open deck bench | Outdoor fabric, not tufted | 2 to 3 in (5 to 7.5 cm) | Free ties at the back corners; self piping reinforces the edge |
| Screened or three-season porch | Outdoor fabric | 3 to 4 in (7.5 to 10 cm) | Back-corner ties; non-slip base on smooth boards |
| Boathouse or damp storage | Outdoor fabric plus an inner liner around the foam | Same as the seat | The liner costs extra; the foam is not quick-dry |

Handmade tolerance is about ±1/2 in (1 cm). Inch orders are converted to the nearest centimeter, so write your sizes to the 1/4 in and let the drawing confirm them.

## Closing the cottage: the cushion procedure

1. Pick the date before the frost. Houghton Lake averages 2 freezing nights in September and 10 in October.
2. Unzip every cover and wash at 86°F (30°C) on delicate with mild detergent. Air dry; no dryer for non-slip bases.
3. Stand the foam on edge where air moves. Standard foam needs 24 to 48 hours to dry; give it the full time.
4. Check each piece for damp spots and chewed corners. Anything still damp stays out another day.
5. Zip the dry covers back on and label each cushion with its seat and its letter from your drawing.
6. Store off the floor in a dry room or a breathable bag, never sealed in plastic.

## Brick downstate, cedar and water Up North

Brick sets the palette downstate. Red-brown brick and oak trim take warm neutrals well: oatmeal, camel, a deep green, one rust piping line. Up North the water does the talking: navy, white stripes and sand against weathered cedar. On a dock bench, pick a mid-tone; pure white shows every wet footprint.

With about 205 cloudy days a year in Grand Rapids, colors read darker in your room than in a bright listing photo. Order samples, up to five codes per sample order, and judge them at a north window at noon. The Pattern on [screen versus daylight](https://cushionguide.com/guides/cushion-color-screen-vs-daylight/) explains why.

> A bay window cushion is two triangles and a rectangle. If they close on paper, the cushion fits the bay.
>
> — Nate

> **Tailor's margin:** Dock cushion ties go at the two back corners. They are free, but never automatic, so write them into the order.

## Buyer questions: tolerances, lids and lake wind

**A common question:** My cushion came about half an inch wider than I ordered. Is that normal?

**The workshop's answer:** Within limits, yes. Inch orders are converted to the nearest centimeter, so an order for 29.5 x 111.25 in was cut at 29.5 x 111.4 in (75 x 283 cm). Handmade cushions carry a tolerance of about ±1/2 in (1 cm), most on long pieces, and the edge relaxes a little with use.

**A common question:** Our bay window seat has three flip-up lids. One cushion or three?

**The workshop's answer:** Three. Send clear photos and measurements, and the workshop makes a separate cushion for each flip-up section, so every lid opens on its own.

**A common question:** Can you add ties at the back corners so the cushion stays on the bench?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes, free of charge. Ties go on the two back corners of a bench cushion or the back of a chair pad. Write the request with your exact size in the personalization box.

**A common question:** Can the foam get a protective layer? The cushion is going into a dog house outside.

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. Waterproof inner covers for the foam can be added at extra cost, paid through a separate link after the cushion order, and everything is produced together.

**A common question:** Can you make outdoor cushions that shed rain, with ties and no piping?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes, from the water-repellent outdoor range. One set was a 48 x 24 x 5 in seat and a 48 x 18 x 3 in back, no piping, with ties at the two corners of the long sides.

## Michigan questions, measured

### When should Up North cottage cushions come in for the season?

Before the first frost. Houghton Lake averages 2 freezing nights in September and 10 in October, so wash and dry in September. Standard foam can take 24 to 48 hours to dry.

### Is a Detroit bungalow bay seat a trapezoid or a hexagon?

Look at the ends. If the angled sides run straight into the side walls, it is a trapezoid. If there are short straight returns, it is a hexagon, and each return needs its own number on the drawing.

### What keeps a dock cushion from blowing into the lake?

Ties at the two back corners, added free when you ask, or a non-slip base on smooth boards. A slim 2 to 3 in cushion gives the wind less to catch. Carry it in when storms are forecast.

### Can a Michigan dock cushion have quick-dry foam?

Not from this workshop. The standard foam is 32 kg/m³ seat foam, not quick-dry, and there is no mesh drain bottom. It suits covered porches and cushions that come in before rain; for damp storage, add an inner liner.

## Related at the atelier

- [Bay Window Cushion in Dove Gray, Cut in Three Pieces](https://cushionguide.com/readings/dove-gray-three-piece-bay-window-cushion-townhouse/): A bay window cushion is easiest to make and live with as three pieces: a straight center rectangle and two end sections cut to the bay's angles, so only the ends need angled cutting and each piece…
- [Bay Window Seat Cushion in Teal Outdoor Weave, Cat Included](https://cushionguide.com/readings/teal-bay-window-seat-cushion-sleeping-cat/): A bay window seat cushion in a sunny, pet-shared bay works best in a tight outdoor-grade acrylic weave in a mid-tone like petrol teal.
- [Bay Window Cushion in Terracotta Diamond on a Stone Ledge](https://cushionguide.com/readings/terracotta-diamond-bay-window-cushion-tuscan-stone-alcove/): A bay window cushion on a solid stone or wood ledge works best slim and firm: about a third of the ledge height keeps the architecture in charge, and firm foam stops you feeling the hard base.
- [Cushions for Great Lakes cottages and lake houses](https://cushionguide.com/places/great-lakes-cottage-cushions/): Lake house cushions on docks, decks and screened porches need outdoor-rated, water-repellent fabric, zippered covers and ties for the wind off the water.
- [How do I order a cushion for an angled bay window seat?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/bay-window-seat-cushion-angled-order/): Order an angled bay window seat cushion on the trapezoid (custom-shape) listing, not the rectangle one, choosing the size by the seat's depth and overall length.
- [V-berth and boat cushions, from the bow to the cockpit](https://cushionguide.com/concepts/v-berth-boat-cushions/): V-berth cushions are usually two mirror-image trapezoids that meet on the centerline, so each half lifts for the locker below.
- [Can indoor cushions go on a covered or screened porch?](https://cushionguide.com/guides/indoor-cushions-covered-porch/)
- [Making templates for boat cushions, V-berths and cockpit benches](https://cushionguide.com/guides/boat-cushion-templates-v-berth/)

*± 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-michigan/