Across the Map · Canada

Custom cushions for Saskatchewan farmhouses, cabins and prairie homes

Saskatchewan gets more sunshine than any other province, and Regina's wind hardly ever rests. Out here I build cushions plain, sturdy and tied down.

SaskatchewanCanadaCapital: Regina

Sun & UVStrong
HumidityDry
WinterLong and hard
SettingInland
Typical seatsFarmhouse kitchen bench, back-entry bench, cabin bunk mattress

Field notes by Harlan

The Elder of High Point · May 20, 2026 · Updated September 24, 2026

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A freestanding kitchen bench with a red ticking cushion, set against a scrubbed pine table with lemons and wildflowers.

The quick answer

Custom cushions in Saskatchewan have to handle strong sun, steady wind and a long, dry winter. Farmhouse kitchen benches take ticking, poly-cotton or velvet on firm 32 kg/m³ foam, with ties where two cushions meet. Lake cabin bunks and storage benches are measured one by one. Deck cushions go in water-repellent outdoor fabric, get ties for the wind and come indoors every fall.

More sun than any other province, and a wind that won't quit

Saskatchewan gets more hours of sunshine than any other province. Saskatoon averages about 2,350 hours a year and Regina about 2,318, and on open prairie there's not much to shade a south window. Sun like that fades a cushion from the top down, a season at a time.

The wind comes with it. By Environment Canada's 1981-2010 normals, Regina's wind averages 11.4 mph (18.4 km/h) and Saskatoon's 9.5 mph (15.3 km/h). A loose cushion on an acreage deck doesn't stay put long. It wants ties.

Winter is long and dry. January averages 6.3 °F (−14.3 °C) in Saskatoon and 5.5 °F (−14.7 °C) in Regina, and Regina's 15.3 in (389.7 mm) of yearly precipitation falls mostly in the warm half of the year. Dry cold is easy on foam. The melt, the lake damp and the mice are what hurt a cushion, and I'll come to those.

Farm kitchens, city bungalows and the bunk room at the lake

A prairie farmhouse kitchen has a bench along the table, and it's the first seat everybody uses and the last one anybody thinks about. It takes flour, work jeans and grandchildren. Bench cushions there want a sturdy cloth on firm, about 2.0 lb/ft³ (32 kg/m³) foam, with ties so they don't walk.

In Saskatoon and Regina bungalows, the back entry does a mudroom's work with half the room. A shallow bench and a 2 in (5 cm) cushion fit where a deep one won't; the mudroom bench hub has the sizes.

Then the lake. Up in Prince Albert National Park, Waskesiu Lake has a summer resort village on its east shore, and cabins dot the lake country around it. A cabin has a deck, a porch bench and a bunk room where no two mattresses match. The boat and RV cushions hub handles odd bunks. South of the line, the North Dakota and Montana pages cover the same prairie, and the Canada overview the rest of the country.

A real project

A blue velvet bench for an 1880 farmhouse

A buyer in Canada was restoring an 1880 farmhouse kitchen for a magazine shoot and first asked for covers only, for a bench 16.5 in (42 cm) deep. The workshop makes filled cushions, so that's what was ordered: two blue velvet seat cushions, 4 in (10 cm) thick, one 63.4 in (161 cm) long and one 45.5 in (115.6 cm), with ties at the end where they meet and along the side.

One arrived 6 in (15 cm) short. The workshop remade the 45.5 x 16.5 in (115.6 x 42 cm) piece, and the buyer kept the first one as well.

Two old lessons in that. When two cushions share a bench, tie them at the join, or the gap opens every time somebody slides in. And put a tape on both pieces the day they arrive, before the shoot, the party or the harvest crew. A seam is a promise, and so is a length.

Prairie seats and what to build them from

Seat	Fabric	Foam and thickness	Build notes
Farmhouse kitchen bench	Striped ticking, poly-cotton or velvet	2 to 4 in (5 to 10 cm)	Ties at the join and back corners; zippered cover for washing
City back-entry bench	Poly-cotton or performance weave	2 in (5 cm) on a shallow bench	Non-slip base; wipe off snowmelt the same day
Cabin bunk mattress	Corduroy, velvet or soft poly-cotton	4 to 6 in (10 to 15 cm)	Measure every bunk; corner ties if two pieces make one bed
Cabin storage bench	Poly-cotton or outdoor fabric	2 to 3 in (5 to 7.5 cm)	Split at the lid lines so each lid lifts
Lake deck or acreage patio	Water-repellent outdoor fabric	3 to 4 in (7.5 to 10 cm)	Ties for the wind; indoors from fall to spring

Wheat, flax blue and a red barn door

On the prairie the view does the decorating: wheat gold, flax blue, gravel-road gray, the red of an old barn. A farmhouse bench in red or navy ticking on cream looks like it has always been there.

Sun is the catch. Brights fade first under a big south window, so put your boldest color where the sun can't reach it, the bunk room or the back entry, and keep the window seat in a mid-tone that ages evenly. The window seat fading guide explains why.

If you can't decide, my friend, lay three swatches on the sill for a week and see which one you still like on Sunday. Which color would your kitchen pick?

Photographs for homes like these

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

Rust velvet swing cushion on a rope-hung teak porch swing under a covered porch, with pillows, knit throw and wreath — Stepping back shows the whole porch: rust velvet on the swing, cream pillows, a knit throw and the meadow beyond.

Mustard piped bench cushion on a rustic oak farmhouse bench beside a white kitchen island, pillows and wildflowers on top — A mustard cushion turns a plain oak bench against the kitchen island into a proper seat.

Taupe and cream pinstripe cushion on an oak entryway bench below coat hooks, with boots underneath and keys on top — A padded top turns a simple oak entry bench into the place where boots come off and keys land.

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.

Burnt orange velvet cushion on a teak porch swing hung from ropes, with cream and ticking-stripe pillows and a knit throw — Burnt orange velvet picks up the color of the evening sun on a teak swing, softened with cream pillows and a knit throw.

Opening the cabin in May, closing it in fall

Victoria Day weekend is when cabins come out of winterizing. Air the place out before you touch anything soft.
If mice wintered over, don't sweep or vacuum the droppings. Follow the Public Health Agency of Canada steps in the questions below.
Check every cushion for nesting before it goes back on a bunk. Unzip and wash covers at 86 °F (30 °C); replace foam that's been chewed into.
In fall, wash the covers, dry everything completely, and store cushions off the floor in a breathable cover.
Better still, bring them home to town for the winter. Nothing stored damp, nothing sealed wet.

A prairie cushion should be plain enough to last and tied down enough to stay.
Harlan

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Buyer questions: benches, bunks and cabin storage

A common question
Our cabin storage bench has lift-up lids. Can the cushion be split to match them?
The workshop's answer
Yes. The cushions can be divided at the lid lines so each section lifts with its own lid. Send a clear drawing with every edge measured. If the sections aren't identical, say about 1.5 in (4 cm) different in depth, each one needs its own drawing: front, back, both sides and the depth at each end.
A common question
Can you make cushions for the top bunk in our camper?
The workshop's answer
Yes. Two velvet cushions of 71 x 28 in (180 x 71 cm) were quoted at the pictured 12 in (30 cm) thickness. In the velvet chart, #4 is a dark beige and #13 is a beige.
A common question
If I stack two cushions to make a taller bed for the kids, will they slide apart?
The workshop's answer
It works. Ties can be added at the corners so the stacked cushions tie together. It's a custom setup, so there are no ready photos of it.
A common question
Can you put ties on two bench cushions so they stay together and don't slide?
The workshop's answer
Yes. Ties can go on the end where the two cushions meet, and on a side so they can be tied to the seat.
A common question
The cushion arrived flat and misshapen. Will it come back?
The workshop's answer
Cushions are tightly vacuum-packed, so they often look flat on arrival. They usually regain their full shape within 24 to 48 hours; for one opened that same day, the advice was to allow 3 to 5 days. If it doesn't recover, send photos or a video.

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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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.

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Saskatchewan cushion questions

Does Saskatchewan sun fade cushions faster?

It can. Saskatchewan gets more hours of sunshine than any other province, about 2,350 a year in Saskatoon, and UV is strongest from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Draw a blind at midday and turn window cushions each season so they fade evenly.

How do I keep patio cushions from blowing away on the prairie?

Order ties at the back corners, and a non-slip base for smooth seats. Regina's wind averages 11.4 mph (18.4 km/h), so cushions on an open acreage deck or a lake dock should be tied on, and brought in when a storm is forecast.

How should I clean up mouse droppings near cabin cushions?

Don't sweep or vacuum. The Public Health Agency of Canada says to wear rubber gloves, spray droppings and nesting material with 1 part bleach to 9 parts water, let it soak 10 minutes, then wipe up with paper towels. Deer mice are one of the carriers.

What thickness suits a farmhouse kitchen bench?

Usually 2 to 4 in (5 to 10 cm); the 1880 farmhouse bench above used 4 in (10 cm). Check that the new seat height still suits the table, and tie two cushions together where they meet so the join stays closed.

Sit well. — Harlan

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