Across the Map · Midwest · United States

Custom cushions for Missouri brick houses, porches and lake houses

Missouri gives a cushion two jobs a year: sweat through a muggy July on the porch, then wait out a January of frozen mornings. I build custom cushions in Missouri for both, and I say plainly which seat gets which cloth.

MissouriMidwest · United StatesCapital: Jefferson City

Sun & UVStrong
HumidityHumid
WinterCold
SettingInland
Typical seatsPorch swing, glider, bay window seat

Field notes by Harlan

The Elder of High Point · April 9, 2026

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A box-edged swing cushion in a water-repellent pinstripe, shown on the swing and as a flat fabric strip. The stripes run front to back to follow the seat.

The quick answer

Custom cushions in Missouri should be split by seat: water-repellent, UV-resistant outdoor fabric for Ozarks porch swings and Lake of the Ozarks decks, and velvet or corduroy for window seats in St. Louis brick houses and Kansas City shirtwaists. The standard about 2.0 lb/ft³ (32 kg/m³) foam is not quick-dry, so porch and dock cushions come inside before storms and the first freeze.

Forty-six hot days, ninety-four frozen mornings

St. Louis averages 46 days a year at 90°F (32°C) or hotter and 94 mornings at 32°F (0°C) or below. Kansas City runs 38 hot days and 108 freezing ones. That's the Missouri test for any cushion: steam, then frost.

The air stays wet. St. Louis mornings average 81% humidity, and summers across the state have grown muggier since the mid-20th century. A porch cushion soaked by a thunderstorm won't dry overnight in that. The EPA's advice is to get wet materials dry within 24 to 48 hours, so stand the cushion on edge in the sun.

Then the storms. On April 10, 2001, hail up to 3 in (7.6 cm) across fell along the I-70 corridor, and damage around Kansas City and St. Louis topped $1 billion. When the sky goes green, carry the cushions in. The standard foam is firm and long-lived, but it isn't quick-dry, and there's no mesh drain bottom.

Red brick, shirtwaists and Ozarks porches

St. Louis is a brick town for a reason. After the fire of May 17, 1849 burned 430 buildings, a new code required stone or brick, and red clay lay right under the city. The result is block after block of brick houses with deep window reveals and bay fronts, made for a velvet window seat.

Kansas City has the shirtwaist: a Foursquare cousin with a brick or limestone first floor, wood or stucco above and a covered front porch, built mostly from the early 1900s into the 1920s in Hyde Park, Roanoke and Brookside.

In the Ozarks, a 1988 OzarksWatch essay put it plainly: "Front porches are practically universal." Lake of the Ozarks adds about 1,150 miles of mostly private shoreline, and with it decks, docks and lake-house benches.

Porch swings and gliders: porch swing cushions.
Bay and parlor window seats: window seat cushions.
Deck loungers and dock benches: outdoor cushions.

Porch, parlor, dock: what I cut for each Missouri seat

Seat	Fabric	Foam and thickness	Build notes
Ozarks porch swing or glider	Outdoor fabric: water-repellent, UV-resistant	3-4 in (7.5-10 cm)	Ties at the back corners, asked for in writing
Brick-house bay or parlor window seat	Velvet or corduroy, indoors only	3-4 in (7.5-10 cm)	Notch around casings; corduroy needs no piping
Lake deck lounger or dock bench	Outdoor fabric, self-piped edges	3-4 in (7.5-10 cm)	Plain foam, never tufted; long runs split
Shirtwaist front-porch bench	Outdoor fabric; indoor fabric only under a solid roof	3 in (7.5 cm)	Ties or a non-slip base; stored before the first freeze

A real project

The swing back that came up 23 inches short

A buyer in the US ordered a seat pillow and a separate back pillow for a porch swing. The back arrived 23 in (58 cm) shorter than the seat, because the workshop had misread a line on the measurement diagram.

At first the shop pointed to the drawing the buyer had approved. Then it looked again and owned the mistake. The buyer kept the first pillow, and the back was remade free: 63 3/4 in (162 cm) long, 18 in (46 cm) deep and 3 in (7.5 cm) thick, stripes running top to bottom. It sits on top of the seat pillow, and it fit exactly. A seam is a promise, and so is a measurement.

Label every dimension on your drawing and say which way the stripes run. The porch swing sizes guide covers the rest.

Parlor colors that sit well against old brick

Red brick is a warm, busy backdrop, and it quarrels with bright white. For a St. Louis parlor I reach for burnt sienna, mushroom taupe or deep olive in velvet, or camel or navy corduroy that will take a family's elbows for years.

One buyer in the US ordered a notched window seat cushion, 87 in (221 cm) along the window and 18 in (46 cm) deep, 3 in (7.5 cm) thick, in taupe velvet with cream piping. The workshop drew the notches on its own diagram, and nothing was cut until the buyer said yes.

Corduroy has a nap. Lay every piece with the ribs running the same way, my friend, or two cushions from one bolt will look like two colors. The corduroy wale guide shows why.

What color does the brick outside your window seat turn at sunset?

Photographs for homes like these

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

Rust velvet window seat cushion in a deep plaster window with a cable-knit throw, open book, protea and brick wall — A deep window reveal becomes a reading seat with one burnt sienna velvet cushion, a matching pillow and a cream knit throw.

Dusty rose velvet bay window seat cushion with an angled end, stacked books, mug and a cream knit throw — A dusty rose velvet cushion cut with an angled end to fit a bay window seat exactly.

Pistachio green and white kilim-pattern sun lounger cushion on a teak lounger on a wooden deck overlooking a lake — A lake cottage deck with green chairs and a moored boat; the pistachio pattern keeps the lounger in the same fresh green family.

Deep teal solid box cushion with self piping on a weathered gray wooden bench on a lake jetty with rope and lantern — A single block of deep teal on silvered timber, set against lake water of almost the same color. The rope and lantern are the only props.

Terracotta, mustard and cream stripe seat cushion with two terracotta back pillows on a gray wood bench in a screened porch — Warm kilim stripes in terracotta, mustard and cream on a weathered bench in a screened porch, with plump terracotta pillows and succulents on the sill.

The Missouri cushion year

March: check stored porch cushions for damp spots; dry anything damp within 24 to 48 hours.
April to June: storm and hail season. Keep a clear corner inside the door for the swing and deck cushions.
July and August: after a soaking, stand cushions on edge in the sun and unzip the covers to air.
Lake weekends: rinse lake water off outdoor covers with fresh water; dry fully before stacking.
October: wash covers at 86°F (30°C) on a gentle cycle, air-dry, and store cushions off concrete in something breathable before the first freeze.

Put velvet in the parlor and outdoor cloth on the porch. A cushion only fails when it's asked to live in the wrong room.
Harlan

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Buyer questions: porch, parlor and lake questions

A common question
Is there any fabric I can't use for a window seat or bench cushion?
The workshop's answer
No restrictions indoors: velvet, soft fabric, linen, stripes and the outdoor range can all be used, and families can be mixed, such as a linen body with velvet piping. The one practical note: velvet is indoor-only and not water-resistant, so choose the outdoor range for anything that may get damp.
A common question
Can I have a tough outdoor fabric body with velvet piping, so it matches my parlor?
The workshop's answer
It can be made, but the workshop advises against mixing an outdoor and an indoor fabric on one cushion. If durability is the goal, it recommends an indoor fabric that stands up to heavy use instead.
A common question
Is velvet a good choice with a dog, a cat and small kids, and can it be machine washed?
The workshop's answer
Yes. The velvet's tight weave resists snagging from claws, it spot-cleans easily, and the covers machine wash at 86°F (30°C). The workshop has recommended it over linen for a home with cats and small children.
A common question
My new corduroy cover looks a shade off from the old one. Did the color change?
The workshop's answer
The workshop has bought that corduroy from the same mill for about three years. Corduroy has a pile, so it looks deeper from one angle and yellower from another, depending on the ribs and the light, and a well-used cover can look lighter.
A common question
Can I get a velvet window seat cushion with matching bolsters, at least 4 inches thick?
The workshop's answer
Yes. Pick a color number from the velvet swatch card and order the set with seat, backrest and bolsters. The standard thickness is 4 in (10 cm), and every size can be customized.

Have it made

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

Old upholsterers will tell you the real cutting happens in the conversation, long before the shears come out. Tell the workshop what you sit on, and they will talk it through with you. — Harlan

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.

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

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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

Missouri cushion questions, answered plain

Do porch swing cushions in Missouri need to come inside for winter?

Yes, with standard foam. St. Louis averages 94 days a year at or below 32°F (0°C), and water left in foam freezes and thaws without drying. Store cushions dry, off concrete, in something breathable until spring.

What fabric suits a Lake of the Ozarks deck or dock?

UV-resistant, water-repellent outdoor fabric with self-piped edges, made as plain foam cushions, not tufted. Rinse lake water off with fresh water, stand wet cushions on edge, and bring them in when storms are forecast.

Is velvet practical for a window seat in an old St. Louis brick house?

Yes, indoors. The polyester velvet wipes clean and machine washes at 86°F (30°C). Mid-tones such as taupe, olive and burnt sienna sit well against red brick and hide daily wear better than pale cream.

How do I measure a shirtwaist bay window seat?

Measure the front edge, the back edge along the windows, each angled side, and the depth straight front to back. Send a drawing with every edge labeled; the workshop checks that the numbers close into a real shape before cutting.

Sit well. — Harlan

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