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Across the Map · Arizona & Southwest · United States

Outdoor cushions for Nevada pools, patios and Tahoe cabins

Las Vegas light is white at noon and apricot at six, and it draws color out of cloth faster than almost anywhere I work. I choose outdoor cushions in Nevada for the light first, then the frame.

Carson City
NevadaArizona & Southwest · United StatesCapital: Carson City
  • Sun & UVIntense
  • HumidityDry
  • WinterMild
  • SettingInland
  • Typical seatsPool chaise, double chaise, covered-patio sofa

Field notes by

The Colorist of New Orleans ·

Mustard and white kilim-pattern backrest with a mustard waffle seat cushion on a black lounger in a gravel desert gardenSave
Mustard picks up the dry grasses around a stock-tank pool, with a patterned backrest and a plain textured seat.

The quick answer

Outdoor cushions in Nevada should be UV-resistant, water-repellent outdoor fabric in light desert tones such as sand, sage and soft clay, because Las Vegas averages 84% of possible sunshine and 136 days a year at 90°F or hotter. Pool chaises want self-piped, plain foam cushions kept in shade between swims. Reno and Tahoe cushions also need dry winter storage.

136 days above 90°F, and a chaise that never sees a cloud

Las Vegas averages 136 days a year at 90°F (32°C) or hotter and 84% of possible sunshine. Rain falls on about 26 days and totals 4.18 in (10.6 cm). On July 7, 2024, the official station hit 120°F (49°C), three degrees past the old all-time record.

The air is thirsty. Afternoon humidity averages 20% over the year and 10% in June, so mildew barely gets a start and a splashed cushion dries fast. The enemy is the light: UV breaks down fiber and bleaches dye, and an open pool deck gives it from mid-morning to sunset.

Reno and Lake Tahoe are another Nevada. Reno sits at 4,505 ft (1,373 m) with 159 freezing days and 20.9 in (53 cm) of snow; the lake's surface lies at 6,225 ft (1,897 m). By the WHO's rule, UV climbs about 10% for every 3,281 ft (1,000 m), and fresh snow almost doubles the dose. Cabin cushions there fade by the window and still need winter storage.

Butterfly roofs, breeze blocks and the pool deck

Nevada cushions live where the house opens to the yard. Paradise Palms, begun in 1960 as Las Vegas's first master-planned community, holds roughly 1,000 homes, most designed by Palmer & Krisel, with butterfly roofs, breeze-block walls, clerestory windows and patios. Around it spread rambling California ranch houses, and since the 1980s the newer suburbs have filled with red-tile roofs over stucco.

The searches agree with the houses. For chaise lounge cushions, Nevada ties with four other states at 61 on Google Trends, behind only Arizona, Delaware and Florida.

Desert seat, desert cloth

SeatFabricFoam and thicknessBuild notes
Pool chaiseOutdoor fabric in sand, stone or white3-4 in (7.5-10 cm)Self-piped edges; ties at the back; plain, never tufted
Double chaiseOutdoor fabricSeat and back as two piecesMade to your sizes, e.g. a 51.5 x 35 in back and 51.5 x 49 in seat
Covered-patio sofa by a glass wallOutdoor fabric; indoor fabric only under a solid roofSeat 4 in (10 cm); shredded-foam backsHidden zippers; covers wash at 86°F (30°C)
Curved fire-pit benchOutdoor fabric in a warm neutral3 in (7.5 cm)Long curves split into matching segments
Reno or Tahoe cabin window seatCorduroy, velvet or a performance weave4 in (10 cm)Pick fade-tolerant colors; store deck cushions for winter
A real project

A curved fire-pit bench in heather beige

A buyer in the US wanted cushions for a curved stone bench around an outdoor fire pit, and measured it with a string. The workshop asked for the inner curve, the outer curve, the depth at several points and the straight end-to-end distances: 142 in (361 cm) across the back and 117 in (297 cm) across the front.

From those it drew the shape: a 245 in (622 cm) outer curve, a 208 in (528 cm) inner curve, 12 3/4 in (32 cm) deep and 3 in (7.5 cm) thick. At about 20 ft (6 m) end to end, it became four symmetrical segments, easier to carry and to store.

The color was an outdoor fabric close to heather beige: a grayed sand with the faintest lilac cast. At dusk that tone takes the fire's orange and gives it back; at noon it doesn't glare. The curved cushion guide shows how to take the same measurements.

Sand, sage, clay: color chosen for white light

Noon desert light flattens everything. A sage can read gray and a sand can read white, so judge swatches pinned to the chaise itself, at nine in the morning and again at six, never on a screen. The screen vs. daylight guide explains why.

My Nevada palette: - Caliche sand and bone white for pool loungers; light tones stay cooler to sit on and hide a season of sun better than dark ones. - Desert sage, which answers creosote and agave. - Soft clay, warm against stucco, piped in sand. - Charcoal and ink navy only in shade, under a pergola or patio cover.

On a midcentury patio with a turquoise door, let one color speak and the others listen: one clay stripe, the rest sand and white. What color is your pool tile, my friends? Start there, and hold outdoor fabric swatches against it.

The Nevada cushion year

  • October to May: the long outdoor season in Las Vegas. Cushions live outside, in shade when you can give it.
  • June to September: bring chaise cushions in or keep them in deep shade between swims. UV, not rain, does the damage.
  • When dust and wind build ahead of a summer storm, carry cushions in.
  • After pool days, rinse pool water off with fresh water and let covers dry before zipping them back on.
  • Monthly: wash covers at 86°F (30°C) on a gentle cycle and air-dry.
  • Reno and Tahoe: before the first freeze, store deck cushions dry, off concrete, in something breathable.

In the desert, choose the color you will still love after a summer of sun, not the one you love in the box.

Élodie
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Buyer questions: chaises, whites and desert color

  1. A common question

    Can you make custom double chaise lounge cushions?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. Both pieces are made to your sizes, for example a back of 51.5 x 35 in (131 x 89 cm) and a seat of 51.5 x 49 in (131 x 124 cm), ordered from the outdoor range with its fabric charts.

  2. A common question

    Why does the fabric look different in my house than in your photos?

    The workshop's answer

    Listing photos are taken in natural daylight. Warm bulbs, dark walls, shadows and screen settings can make a color look deeper; a green can turn mossy. The workshop asks for a photo taken near a window in daylight before deciding what to do next.

  3. A common question

    What kind of zippers and stitching go into outdoor cushions?

    The workshop's answer

    Durable hidden zippers, concealed as far as possible for a clean look, with double-stitched seams. Outdoor projects can have a sturdier concealed zipper and UV-resistant thread.

  4. A common question

    Which white outdoor fabrics can be cleaned with bleach for stubborn stains?

    The workshop's answer

    All the white and off-white outdoor fabrics can be cleaned, and codes V-45, V-54, M-01 and S-09 were named as the best choices for that.

  5. A common question

    Should outdoor cushions have piping?

    The workshop's answer

    Self-piping, contrast piping or none all work. For outdoor cushions the workshop recommends self-piping in the same fabric, because it looks tailored and reinforces the edges.

Have it made

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

A fabric reads one way at noon and another at dusk. Mention your light, and the workshop will weigh it with you. — 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.

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

Nevada questions, in plain light

Should chaise cushions stay out all summer in Las Vegas?

Not in open sun. Las Vegas averages 136 days a year at 90°F (32°C) or hotter and 84% of possible sunshine. From June to September, keep chaise cushions under a patio cover or indoors between swims, and pick light tones that hide fading.

Will pool splashes soak through an outdoor cushion?

Splashes bead and wipe off, because the outdoor fabric is water-repellent. A cushion left in a puddle can still soak through, and the standard foam isn't quick-dry. Stand a wet cushion on edge in the sun; in air averaging 20% afternoon humidity it dries fast.

What changes for a Lake Tahoe or Reno cabin?

Winter and altitude. Reno averages 159 days a year at or below 32°F (0°C), and the lake sits at 6,225 ft (1,897 m), where UV runs higher and snow reflects it. Store deck cushions dry for winter and choose fade-tolerant colors for bright windows.

Which colors hold up best on a desert patio?

Light, warm neutrals: sand, stone, sage and soft clay. They stay cooler to sit on and hide gradual fading better than dark colors. Keep charcoal and navy for shaded seats, and judge swatches outdoors in daylight, not on a screen.

With color and care — Élodie

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