Across the Map · New England · United States
Custom cushions for New Hampshire farmhouses, lake camps and mudrooms
Snowmelt, mud season and a lake camp that has to be shut every fall: New Hampshire asks more of a bench cushion than most states do. Here is how I would build one for each job.
- Sun & UVModerate
- HumidityModerate
- WinterLong and hard
- CoastSalt air nearby
- Typical seatsMudroom bench, farmhouse window seat, lift-lid storage bench
SaveThe quick answer
Custom cushions in New Hampshire should be built for the season that works them hardest. Mudroom benches want outdoor or performance fabric in a zip-off cover, with bench height plus cushion equal to your seat height: 3 in on a 15 in bench gives 18 in. Old-house window seats need both depths measured. Lake camp cushions come in dry before October's freezing nights.
Snow, then mud, then a short bright summer
Concord averages 67.7 in of snow a year and about 169 nights at or below 32°F. Then comes mud season, in March and April, when the frozen ground thaws from the surface down and the meltwater has nowhere to go. All of it walks in through the back door.
That is why so many custom cushions in New Hampshire sit on a bench by a door. Wet boots, wet dogs and grit ground into the weave are the daily test. Foam that stays damp longer than a day or two invites mildew, so the cover must zip off and the fabric must wipe clean.
Summer is shorter and kinder than people expect: Concord sees about 13 days a year at 90°F (32°C) or more. The sun still does its work on a lake-facing deck. Boston, the nearest city in our UV records, averages a noon UV index of about 8 in July and about 1 in December, so plan for fading in summer, not winter.
Up top, Mount Washington's summit averages 281.8 in of snow a year. Your ski house sits lower, but the boots coming through its door don't know that.
Big house, little house, back house, barn
Nineteenth-century farm children in northern New England had a rhyme for home: big house, little house, back house, barn. Farmers joined those buildings into one connected line, and somewhere along it there is nearly always a mudroom bench by a door. Those benches were built for the room, not a catalog, so measure each one where it stands.
Portsmouth is older and grander. The Wentworth-Gardner House, built in 1760, has paneled folding shutters that recess into deep window jambs. Deep jambs make lovely window seats, dear, provided the shutters still fold closed over the cushion. On the Seacoast, porches also get salt air, so choose coated or plastic hardware there.
Around Lake Winnipesaukee the houses are camps: screened porches, storage benches, dock benches and a bunk room or two. In the White Mountains, ski houses add boot benches and a long seat by the woodstove. Across New England, 69% of new homes started in 2024 had decks, so the camp deck needs cushions too.
The searches agree with the houses. New Hampshire sits near the very top of the country for 'bench cushion' searches, and in the top tier for window seats and custom cushions. Where does your family actually sit to pull its boots off? Measure that bench first.
Cloth, foam and piping for each New Hampshire seat
| Seat | Fabric | Foam and thickness | Piping | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mudroom bench by the back door | Outdoor fabric or a performance weave | 3 in (7.5 cm) on a 15 in bench for an 18 in seat | Self-piping, which hides grit | Snowmelt; wash covers at 86°F (30°C) |
| Farmhouse window seat on old glass | Corduroy or velvet for winter warmth | 4 to 6 in (10 to 15 cm) if it doubles as a lounge | A contrast welt to trace the seat | Condensation; lift the cushion to air it |
| Georgian window seat in a deep jamb | Linen or ticking stripe | 2 to 3 in (5 to 7.5 cm) | Self or tonal | Folding shutters must still close |
| Lake camp screened porch | Outdoor fabric, UV-resistant and water-repellent | 4 in (10 cm), plain top, no tufting | Self-piping | Indoors and dry before freezing nights |
| Dock bench | Outdoor fabric | 2 to 3 in (5 to 7.5 cm) with ties or a non-slip base | Self or none | Lake wind; the foam is not quick-dry |
| Ski house boot bench | Outdoor fabric | 3 in (7.5 cm) with a non-slip base on smooth wood | Self-piping | Never store a damp cushion |
Every thickness uses the same firm 32 kg/m³ foam, about 2.0 lb/ft³. Outdoor fabric wipes well indoors too, though it feels firmer than indoor upholstery, closer to a good sun-lounger cushion.
A window seat that grew into a winter lounge
A couple in the US ordered a window seat cushion about 26 in deep and 98 in long, in orange corduroy. They chose 6 in thick over 8 in, and added two bolsters, 8 in across and 26 in long, for the ends.
They loved it, and came back later for a matching back cushion: 3 in deep, 90 in long and 11 in high. They wanted the corduroy lines running vertically, so the workshop checked that with production before cutting.
That is how a window seat becomes the warmest seat in the house by February: a deep cushion, a bolster at each end and a back between you and the cold wall. Adding pieces later is easy if you keep the fabric code. See how bolsters dress a reading nook.
- Measured
- Seat about 26 x 98 in, 6 in thick; two bolsters 8 in across x 26 in; back cushion 3 x 90 x 11 in
- What it taught
- Bolsters and a slim back cushion turn a window seat into a lounge; keep the fabric code so later pieces match.
Shutting the lake camp for winter, in order
- Pick a dry, breezy day in late September. Concord averages about 2 freezing nights in September and 12 in October.
- Shake out pine needles and sand, then unzip every cover.
- Wash covers at 86°F (30°C) or lower with mild detergent and no bleach. Air dry; skip the tumble dryer.
- Stand the foam on edge indoors until it is dry right through. Water left in foam freezes, thaws and never quite dries.
- Store cushions off the floor where air moves. Never seal them in plastic.
- Write the bench's name on masking tape under each cushion. You will thank me in May.
- Wait for the mud to settle before they go back out. Winnipesaukee's ice-out has come as early as March 17 (2024) and as late as May 12 (1888).
Photographs for homes like these
Open any photograph large; each one has its own link and a Save button.
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SaveColors for knotty pine, old plaster and gray March light
The cushion in the photo is sage performance weave on a beadboard corner bench, with a golden retriever supervising. It is the right idea for a New Hampshire mudroom: a mid-tone that forgives grit, on a fabric that wipes. Pale solids look wonderful for about a week in April.
Knotty pine and old heart pine run orange-honey, so they like olive, navy, rust and oatmeal beside them. In a Georgian or Federal room, ticking and stripes suit the paneling; the cotton stripes are lovely but stain more easily than the performance fabrics, so keep them away from the back door.
Then the piping. A straight welt is a kind of honesty, and on a long window seat in an out-of-square room it is the line everyone's eye follows. Order samples and judge them in winter daylight, beside the trim.
Bench height plus cushion thickness is your seat height. Measure the mudroom bench from the floor first, then choose the cushion, never the other way around.
Maggie
Buyer questions: benches, boots and camp porches
- A common question
Can a mudroom bench cushion have a non-slip bottom and still go in the wash?
The workshop's answerYes. A cover with a non-slip bottom is still machine washable, and the fabrics are made for easy care. The soft fabric range is the one the workshop points to as especially easy to clean.
- A common question
Do bench cushions come with ties or a grippy bottom?
The workshop's answerNot by default. Ask for anti-slip fabric on the underside, or for ties such as two corner ties, in the personalization note when you order. Straps have been added free of charge.
- A common question
Should I size the cushion a little smaller than our old farmhouse bench so it fits?
The workshop's answerNo. Give the exact seat size, end to end. The cushion is made to the measurements you write and isn't shortened, so it fits properly.
- A common question
Do my bench measurements need to include the piping?
The workshop's answerNo. Give the bench size, for example 48 x 21 in. The cushion is cut to the bench, and the piping sits on the seams, so it doesn't change the size.
- A common question
Is there a quick-dry foam or mesh bottom for camp cushions in a place with hot summers and snowy winters?
The workshop's answerNo. The outdoor fabric is UV-resistant and water-repellent, but there is no mesh bottom and the foam is not a quick-dry outdoor foam. The cushions do well on a covered porch and when stored for winter; they aren't meant to sit uncovered in rain and snow.
Have it made
Have it made for your home — ask Maggie’s workshop
I once cut a lovely cushion two inches short, and I have not forgotten it. That is why the workshop goes over your measurements with you on the phone. — 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.
Before you measure a New Hampshire bench
When should New Hampshire lake camp cushions come in for winter?
Before the freezing nights settle in. Concord averages about 2 nights at or below 32°F in September and 12 in October, so late September is a safe target. Bring cushions in dry, because water left in foam freezes, thaws and never fully dries out.
How thick should a mudroom bench cushion be in a New Hampshire farmhouse?
Work back from the seat height you want. Seat height is bench height plus cushion thickness, so a 15 in bench with a 3 in cushion gives an 18 in seat. Standard thicknesses are 2, 3, 4 and 5 in, and most buyers choose 3 or 4.
Why does New Hampshire search for bench cushions so often?
Its houses are full of benches. Five years of Google Trends data score New Hampshire 54 for 'bench cushion', behind only Delaware and Vermont once Wyoming's small-sample reading is set aside, plus 26 for 'custom cushions' and 30 for 'window seat cushion'.
Can a window seat go where Georgian interior shutters fold into the jamb?
Yes, if you measure with the shutters both open and closed. Houses like Portsmouth's Wentworth-Gardner House have paneled shutters that recess into deep jambs, so note how far each leaf swings over the seat and pick a thickness that still lets them close.
How do I keep a dock bench cushion from blowing into the lake?
Ask for ties on the two back corners, which are sewn on free, or a non-slip base on the underside. Velcro isn't offered. On a dock, ties are the surer choice, and they still let you lift the cushion off to dry.
Stitch straight — Maggie
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