---
title: "Custom Cushions in Missouri: Brick Homes, Porches and Ozarks"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-missouri/"
section: "Across the Map"
author: "Harlan Pruitt, The Elder of High Point"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/harlan/"
published: "2026-04-09"
updated: "2026-04-09"
keywords: "custom cushions missouri, outdoor cushions st louis, window seat cushions kansas city, lake of the ozarks cushions, porch swing cushions missouri"
---

# 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.*

> **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.

![Ivory porch swing cushion with thin red and gray pinstripes and self piping on a white swing, fabric strip beside it](https://cushionguide.com/media/porch-swing-cushions/ivory-pinstripe-porch-swing-cushion-white-swing-1600.webp "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.")

## 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](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/porch-swing-cushions/).
- **Bay and parlor window seats**: [window seat cushions](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/window-seat-cushions/).
- **Deck loungers and dock benches**: [outdoor cushions](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/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 |

## 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](https://cushionguide.com/guides/porch-swing-cushion-sizes/) 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](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/velvet/), or camel or navy [corduroy](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/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](https://cushionguide.com/guides/corduroy-cushions-wale-nap-direction/) shows why.

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

## The Missouri cushion year

1. March: check stored porch cushions for damp spots; dry anything damp within 24 to 48 hours.
2. April to June: storm and hail season. Keep a clear corner inside the door for the swing and deck cushions.
3. July and August: after a soaking, stand cushions on edge in the sun and unzip the covers to air.
4. Lake weekends: rinse lake water off outdoor covers with fresh water; dry fully before stacking.
5. 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

> **Tailor's margin:** Measure an old window seat at the front and at the back. Old walls lean, and the difference usually means a notch or an angle, not a mistake.

## 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.

## 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.

## Related at the atelier

- [Custom cushions for Wyoming ranch houses, lodges and cabins](https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-wyoming/): Custom cushions in Wyoming have to hold on and hold up: ties or a non-slip base on porch cushions in the windiest state in the US, firm 3 to 4 in (7.5 to 10 cm) foam on ranch and mudroom benches…
- [Custom cushions for Montana cabins, lodges and ranch houses](https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-montana/): Custom cushions in Montana should be built for a long indoor winter: firm, about 2.0 lb/ft³ (32 kg/m³) foam, hard-wearing corduroy or a nubby bouclé on window seats, and fireside floor cushions kept…
- [Custom cushions for Manitoba homes, cottages and enclosed porches](https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-manitoba/): Custom cushions in Manitoba are mostly indoor cushions for a long winter: window seats and enclosed-porch benches in velvet, corduroy or linen-look fabric on firm 32 kg/m³ foam, with zip-off covers…
- [Corner Floor Cushion in Dusty Pink Corduroy by a Bright Window](https://cushionguide.com/readings/dusty-pink-corduroy-corner-floor-cushion-window/): A corner floor cushion is sized by radius, so a 48 in corner cushion is ordered as 48 x 48 in and reaches 48 in along each wall.
- [Corner Floor Cushion in Mustard and Forest Green: A Study Nook](https://cushionguide.com/readings/mustard-forest-green-corner-floor-cushion-study-nook/): A corner floor cushion reads warm and rich when its two colors share the same depth: here a mustard seat catches the light while forest green backrest pillows sit back against the wall.
- [Brick Red Bolster Pillows: Reading the Piped End Caps](https://cushionguide.com/readings/pair-brick-red-bolsters-oatmeal-daybed/): A good bolster pillow is judged at its ends: each round end cap should sit flat, with piping that runs even all the way around and meets cleanly.
- [Porch swing cushion sizes: measuring a 4, 5 or 6 ft swing](https://cushionguide.com/guides/porch-swing-cushion-sizes/)
- [Cushions for 7-sided and rounded bay window seats in older homes](https://cushionguide.com/guides/7-sided-rounded-bay-window-seat-cushion/)

*Sit well. — Harlan*

---

Written by Harlan Pruitt (https://cushionguide.com/masters/harlan/) 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-missouri/