---
title: "Custom Cushions in Ontario: Muskoka Cottages, Toronto Bays"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-ontario/"
section: "Across the Map"
author: "Nate Kowalski, The Pattern Engineer of Detroit"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/nate/"
published: "2026-06-17"
updated: "2026-06-17"
keywords: "custom cushions ontario, custom cushions toronto, muskoka chair cushions, window seat cushions toronto, cottage dock cushions"
---

# Custom cushions for Ontario cottages, Toronto bay windows and decks

*In the 1880s, nearly half the houses built in Toronto's Cabbagetown were bay-and-gables. That's a lot of trapezoids, and every one of them closes only if the numbers do.*

> **The quick answer:** Custom cushions in Ontario split into two jobs, city window seats and cottage outdoor cushions. A Toronto bay-and-gable window seat is usually a trapezoid: send the long edge, short edge, both angled sides and the center depth, all in inches or all in centimeters. Dock, deck and Muskoka chair cushions go in water-repellent outdoor fabric with ties, and come in clean and dry by Thanksgiving weekend.

![Denim blue faceted bay window seat cushion on a white paneled base with linen and check pillows and a brass lamp](https://cushionguide.com/media/bay-window-cushions/faceted-denim-blue-bay-cushion-victorian-terrace-1600.webp "A denim blue cushion shaped to a three-sided bay, with pillows and a brass lamp gathered at the reading end.")

## Bay-and-gables, semis and the condo balcony

Toronto's bay-and-gable house appeared in the 1860s and was built until about the 1890s: a big bay window covering more than half the front, a gable on top. In the 1880s building boom, nearly half of the 3,000 homes built in Cabbagetown were bay-and-gables, and the semi-detached versions put a ground-floor bay on the front room. Every one of those bays is a seat waiting for a cushion.

A canted bay is a trapezoid, sometimes with short straight returns at the ends. Five numbers describe it:
- **Long edge**, straight across the room side of the seat, wall to wall.
- **Short edge**, along the center window.
- **Depth**, square from the short edge to the long edge, at the center.
- **Each angled side**, on its own. They aren't always equal.
- **Returns**, any short straight ends, plus handles and sash stops in the way.

Angles are just lengths in disguise; you don't need a protractor. The [bay window calculator](https://cushionguide.com/studio/bay-window-calculator/) checks your numbers, and the [bay window cushions](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/bay-window-cushions/) hub covers the rest. Up in the towers, a condo balcony wants small chair pads with ties and somewhere to go when the wind picks up.

## Humid summers, snowbelts and Canada's highest UV

Toronto has a hot-summer humid continental climate. July averages 72.5 °F (22.5 °C), January 25.7 °F (−3.5 °C), and downtown gets 32.7 in (831 mm) of precipitation and 47.8 in (121.5 cm) of snow a year. On the northwest shore of Lake Ontario, the city misses the worst lake-effect squalls.

Cottage country doesn't. The snowbelt runs along the eastern and southern shores of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, from Parry Sound to London. Muskoka, about two hours north of Toronto, has some 1,600 lakes and roughly 100,000 seasonal property owners on top of 60,000 year-round residents; the Kawarthas to the southeast are cottage country too. Those cottages sit shut through a snowy winter, so storage matters more than sun.

Sun still counts. Environment and Climate Change Canada says Canada's highest UV Index numbers are found in southern Ontario, strongest from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The [Great Lakes cottage page](https://cushionguide.com/places/great-lakes-cottage-cushions/) covers the U.S. shore, [Michigan](https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-michigan/) and [New York](https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-new-york/) sit across the water, and the [Canada overview](https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-canada/) covers the other provinces.

## A 107.5 in bay that didn't close on paper

A buyer in Canada sent a sketch of a bay seat about 9 ft wide: 107.5 in (273 cm) on the long edge, 55 in (139.7 cm) on the short edge, two angled sides of 32.5 in (82.5 cm) and a depth of 23 in (58.4 cm). The workshop laid out the options: 2, 3, 4 or 5 in (5, 7.5, 10 or 12.5 cm) thick, piping in any color, and a removable cover washable at 86 °F (30 °C) with no dryer. As one piece it was priced as a large custom shape, and it came in over the buyer's budget.

Run the numbers anyway, partner. Half the difference between the edges is 26.25 in (66.7 cm). With 23 in (58.4 cm) of depth, a plain trapezoid needs sides of about 34.9 in (88.6 cm), not 82.5. Two explanations fit: straight returns of about 3 7/8 in (9.8 cm) at each end, or one number that's off. Either way, it gets settled before anyone cuts foam.

The lesson in the file: get a quote on a big trapezoid before you design around one piece, and ask whether a center piece plus two ends suits your bay. The [trapezoid calculator](https://cushionguide.com/studio/trapezoid-cushion-calculator/) runs this check in seconds.

## From the bay window to the dock: specs by seat

| Seat | Fabric | Foam and thickness | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bay-and-gable window seat | Linen-look, velvet or performance weave | 3 to 4 in (7.5 to 10 cm) | Trapezoid: every edge plus center depth; mark handles and sash stops |
| Semi-detached front-room bay | Linen-look or velvet | 3 in (7.5 cm) under a low sill | Measure seat board to sill before picking thickness |
| Condo balcony chair | Water-repellent outdoor fabric | 2 in (5 cm) | Ties on two corners; bring in before storms |
| Muskoka chair | Outdoor fabric | 2 to 3 in (5 to 7.5 cm) | Seat slopes back: measure along the slats; ties to the back slats |
| Dock bench | Outdoor fabric | 3 in (7.5 cm) | Ties drawn on the order sketch; check the pre-shipment photo |
| Cottage bunk or porch daybed | Corduroy or poly-cotton | 4 in (10 cm) | Zip-off covers; stored dry from Thanksgiving to Victoria Day |

## Closing the cottage by Thanksgiving weekend

1. Thanksgiving is the second Monday in October. Put cushions on the list for the weekend before, not the Monday.
2. Unzip every cover and wash at 86 °F (30 °C) or below. Air-dry; no dryer.
3. Stand the foam on edge until it's dry right through. A soaked cushion should be dry within 24 to 48 hours.
4. Store cushions loose, off the floor, in breathable covers, or take them back to the city.
5. Photograph each cushion with a tape measure across it. On Victoria Day weekend in May, when the cottage opens, you'll know which one goes where.

## Brick outside the bay, water outside the cottage

I'm an engineer, so I use a rule instead of a mood board: look at the biggest surface you see from the seat. In a bay-and-gable that's often the brick of the houses across the street, framed by three windows. Match its depth, not its hue. A mid-tone cushion sits quietly against red or buff brick; a pale one glares on a gray February afternoon.

At the cottage, the biggest surface is water. Navy, deep teal or a clean white stripe on [outdoor acrylic](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/outdoor-acrylic/) holds up beside it. What's the biggest thing you see from your seat?

> A bay window seat is four lengths and a depth. Get those five numbers right and the angles take care of themselves.
>
> — Nate

> **Tailor's margin:** One unit per drawing. Centimeters or inches, never both on the same sketch.

## Buyer questions: bays, units and ties

**A common question:** How do I enter the depth and length for my bay window cushion on the trapezoid listing?

**The workshop's answer:** For depth, measure the straight distance from the short angled sections to the long edge. For length, enter the total length between the outer corners of the angled sections. Then upload the two requested images, a photo and a drawing, and that's all that's needed.

**A common question:** Can you make separate pads for a U-shaped booth, and does it matter if my numbers are in inches or centimeters?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes, as separate pads, for example two of 24 x 19 in (61 x 48 cm) and one of 14 ft x 19 in (427 x 48 cm). Send all final measurements in inches only or centimeters only; mixing the two is how errors creep in.

**A common question:** I have a trapezoid-shaped bay. What measurements do you need?

**The workshop's answer:** A drawing with every side measured, a photo of the space, and the length, width and thickness. Measure each angled side separately: on one bay the workshop pointed out that two sides couldn't both be 43 in (109 cm) if the shape was a trapezoid.

**A common question:** Is the fabric waterproof?

**The workshop's answer:** The standard fabrics aren't waterproof. There's a water-repellent collection that sheds spills well, and a separate outdoor fabric for cushions that live outside.

**A common question:** Can you add ties so the cushions stay put?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes, wherever you specify: at the bottom back corners of bench cushions, for example, or ribbons on two corners of a chair pad. Mark the ties on your drawing and check the pre-shipment photo; in one order the ties were forgotten.

## Ontario cushion questions

### What shape is a bay-and-gable window seat cushion?

Usually a trapezoid: a long edge across the room side, a short edge along the center window and two angled sides, sometimes with short straight returns. Order it as a custom shape with every edge, the center depth and a photo.

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

Use Thanksgiving weekend, the second Monday in October, as the deadline: wash, dry and store cushions before the cottage shuts. Victoria Day weekend in May is when cottages traditionally open again.

### Do Muskoka chairs need special cushions?

A Muskoka (Adirondack) chair seat is higher at the front than the back, so measure seat depth along the slats and back height separately. Use outdoor fabric, 2 to 3 in (5 to 7.5 cm) thick, with ties to the back slats.

### How strong is the sun on a Toronto balcony or dock?

Canada's highest UV Index readings are found in southern Ontario, and UV peaks between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Use outdoor fabric outside, and draw a sheer over an indoor window seat at midday to slow fading.

## Related at the atelier

- [Custom cushions for Canadian homes, cottages and long winters](https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-canada/): Custom cushions in Canada are built around a short outdoor season and a long freeze.
- [Custom cushions for Wisconsin cottages, cabins and Milwaukee flats](https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-wisconsin/): Custom cushions in Wisconsin split into two jobs: window seats and storage benches indoors, and dock and porch cushions outdoors.
- [Custom cushions for Ohio porches, bay windows and Lake Erie winters](https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-ohio/): Custom cushions in Ohio split two ways: bay window seats indoors, measured edge by edge including both slants and any short returns, and porch or patio cushions outdoors in water-repellent fabric…
- [Bay Window Cushion in Dusty Rose Linen, Cut to the Angle](https://cushionguide.com/readings/dusty-rose-bay-seat-cushion-dressing-room/): A bay window cushion starts with a drawing, not a fabric: mark every side length and both angled ends, and the quote comes back exact.
- [Bay Window Cushion Corner Up Close: How Linen-Look Wears](https://cushionguide.com/readings/trapezoid-window-cushion-corner-detail-indigo-piping/): Oatmeal linen-look on a bay window cushion is a polyester weave that copies linen's matte, slubby surface but wrinkles and shrinks less than pure linen.
- [Bay Window Cushion in Deep Teal with Clipped Corners](https://cushionguide.com/readings/deep-teal-clipped-bay-window-cushion-oak-frames/): A bay window cushion with clipped corners follows the short angled sides of the bay, and a box edge with piping on both the top and bottom seams makes it read as one neat slab.
- [Measuring a 3-sided bay window seat cushion, panel by panel](https://cushionguide.com/guides/bay-window-seat-cushion-3-sided/)
- [5-sided bay window cushions: working out angles, sections and seams](https://cushionguide.com/guides/5-sided-bay-window-cushion-calculator/)

*± 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-ontario/