---
title: "Custom Cushions in Sweden: Red Cottages, Archipelago, Light"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-sweden/"
section: "Across the Map"
author: "Hana Lindqvist, The Quiet Geometer of Seattle"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/hana/"
published: "2026-02-05"
updated: "2026-09-24"
keywords: "custom cushions sweden, custom cushions stockholm, summer house cushions, window seat cushions, boat cushions sweden"
---

# Custom cushions for Swedish summer cottages, apartments and boats

*Stockholm gets about 33 hours of sunshine in December and about 279 in July. One window seat has to be right in both.*

> **The quick answer:** Custom cushions in Sweden mostly serve three places: the apartment window seat through dark winters, the summer cottage that stays closed through the cold months, and the archipelago dock or boat. Choose linen or corduroy indoors, 2 to 3 in (5 to 7.5 cm) thick; outdoor acrylic with ties outside; and store cottage cushions clean, dry and off the floor until spring.

![Charcoal gray window seat cushion with pale blue piping on a white bench, cream knit pillow and gray herringbone throw](https://cushionguide.com/media/window-seat-cushions/charcoal-window-seat-cushion-pale-blue-piping-1536.webp "A cool, pared-back window seat: charcoal box cushion, a pale blue outline, one cream pillow and a folded herringbone throw.")

## 33 hours of December sun, 279 in July

SMHI's normals for Stockholm give 33.4 hours of sunshine in December and 279.5 in July. Daylight runs from about six hours in late December to more than eighteen in late June.

The north is colder. Kiruna averages 7°F (−13.9°C) in January; Stockholm's January days reach about 34°F (1°C).

In winter a cushion has an easy life: low light, dry heated rooms. Summer is the test. Long evening sun through a south or west window fades the top face and leaves the bottom as it was. Turn and rotate a window seat cushion at Midsummer; the Pattern on [window seat fading](https://cushionguide.com/guides/window-seat-cushion-fading-sun/) explains why.

Rain is modest, about 21.5 in (546 mm) a year in Stockholm. The quieter risk is a cushion left out in the dew, then packed away damp.

## Red cottages that stay closed all winter

In 2002 about 55% of Swedes said they had access to a summer house, and about 20% owned one. Around 2007 there were roughly 680,000 of them.

Many are painted Falu red, an iron-oxide pigment from the copper mine at Falun. It went onto wooden buildings in the 17th century to look like brick, and it stayed because it protects wood from weather.

Inside: a kitchen bench, a daybed, a window seat, bunks. Outside: garden chairs, the terrace, the dock. All of it waits through winter in a cold, closed house.

That is the season that decides how long a cottage cushion lasts. Closing-day advice is the same as for the [Finnish mökki](https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-finland/) and the [Great Lakes cottage](https://cushionguide.com/places/great-lakes-cottage-cushions/).

## Deep windows in the city, jetties in the archipelago

If your window reveal is deep enough to sit in, it is a window seat. Measure the depth at both ends; old walls are rarely square. Keep the cushion low. Height is a feeling, and in a small room 2 to 3 in (5 to 7.5 cm) feels calmer than 10. See [how to measure a window seat](https://cushionguide.com/guides/how-to-measure-window-seat-cushion/) and the [window seat hub](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/window-seat-cushions/).

A daybed often does a sofa's work. Cover sets for the [Hemnes daybed](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/ikea-hemnes-daybed-covers/) come with backrests for daytime sitting.

Then the balcony: small, and windier than it looks. Seat pads with ties in [outdoor acrylic](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/outdoor-acrylic/), and a shelf indoors for the night.

The Stockholm archipelago has slightly over 24,000 islands, islets and skerries, about 50,000 holiday homes, and a summer full of private boats.

A dock bench cushion lives in spray, dew and wind off open water. Outdoor acrylic, a tie at each back corner, inside at night. Water-repellent sheds a shower; it is not waterproof. On a boat, every berth is its own shape: trace it and write every side on the template. See the [boat cushion hub](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/boat-and-rv-cushions/) and [V-berth templates](https://cushionguide.com/guides/boat-cushion-templates-v-berth/).

## Window, cottage, dock: the Swedish picks

| Seat | Fabric | Thickness | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apartment window seat | Linen or corduroy | 2 to 3 in (5 to 7.5 cm) | Measure depth at both ends |
| Cottage kitchen bench | Performance fabric or linen-look | 2 to 3 in (5 to 7.5 cm) | Zippered, washable covers |
| Garden armchairs | Outdoor linen-look | 3 to 4 in (8 to 10 cm), 32 kg/m³ HR foam in wadding | Ties at the back corners |
| Archipelago dock bench | Outdoor acrylic | 2 to 3 in (5 to 7.5 cm) | Ties; indoors at night |
| Boat cockpit or berth | Outdoor acrylic | Cut to your template | Every side written on the drawing |
| Hemnes daybed | Linen or corduroy | Cover cut to the mattress | Backrests about 20 in (50 cm) high as standard |

32 kg/m³ is about 2.0 lb/ft³. Outdoor fabric here means UV-resistant and water-repellent, never waterproof.

## Two garden armchairs, and a cotton stripe that stayed indoors

A buyer in Sweden bought two metal garden armchairs, country-house style. They wanted deep seat and back cushions with piping, outdoors all year, in a linen-look or a fine ticking stripe.

They had one number: the chair overall, 20.75 x 22.25 x 36 in (52.7 x 56.7 x 91.5 cm). It is not enough. A cushion fits the seat, not the chair. The workshop asked them to wait for the chairs, then measure between the armrests, the seat depth, and the back height they wanted.

The build: seats 3 to 4 in (8 to 10 cm) thick, 32 kg/m³ HR foam wrapped in wadding, ties at the back corners.

The stripe stayed inside. The ticking is 100% cotton, so the outdoor cushions went to the outdoor linen-look.

What do your chairs measure between the arms?

## Pale rooms, one line of color

A buyer in Sweden ordered a 23.5 x 55 in (60 x 140 cm) bench cushion, 5 in (12.5 cm) thick. After ordering, they saw that the fabric looked cream in a listing photo and gray-blue on the chart. Listing photos are shot under warm light. The workshop sent real photos, and the buyer changed fabric before production.

Nordic light is cool. It pulls beige toward gray. So judge swatches at a window at noon, not under a lamp. The Pattern on [screen versus daylight](https://cushionguide.com/guides/cushion-color-screen-vs-daylight/) covers it.

For the body, something pale and warm: oat, birch white, stone. For the piping, one color from outside. Falu red. Archipelago blue. Moss.

Six hours of light in December.
Eighteen in June.
A pale cushion holds both.

## Five dates in a Swedish cushion year

1. Before Midsummer: open new vacuum-packed cushions the day they arrive. Foam left compressed for weeks can be damaged.
2. Midsummer: turn and rotate window seat cushions. The longest days fade one face.
3. August: wash covers at 86°F (30°C) on a gentle cycle, no bleach, air dry.
4. Before the cottage closes: dry every foam on edge, bring dock and boat cushions in, store off the floor in breathable bags, never sealed plastic.
5. Spring opening: air everything for a day before anyone sits.

> A cottage cushion is chosen in summer and decided in winter. Store it dry.
>
> — Hana

> **Tailor's margin:** Measure between the armrests, not the chair. The chair's overall size is the wrong number.

## Buyer questions: stripes, travel dates and small boxes

**A common question:** Can the corduroy on the side band of a corner floor sofa run vertically, like in the photos?

**The workshop's answer:** Side bands are normally cut with the cords running horizontally because of the fabric roll length, which keeps the sides seamless. Vertical stripes can be made as a special request, but the band may then need joins along the way.

**A common question:** We are away a lot in summer. Can you time the delivery, and can I still report a problem if I open the box later?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. Send your travel dates and the shipment can be timed so it doesn't arrive while you're away. If the box can only be opened weeks later, you can still write about damage or missing pieces then.

**A common question:** How tall are the backrest cushions in the daybed cover set for a 79 x 31.5 in (200 x 80 cm) mattress?

**The workshop's answer:** About 20 in (50 cm) high as standard. A different height can be made.

**A common question:** Our floor sofa slides on the wooden floor when we lie on it. How do we stop it?

**The workshop's answer:** Put a rug or a piece of fabric underneath. The pieces have a non-slip bottom panel, but smooth floors can still let them move.

**A common question:** The delivery box looks far too small for my order. Is something missing?

**The workshop's answer:** Cushions are vacuum-sealed, so the parcel looks small; they expand to full size once opened. Accept the delivery. If anything is missing, photograph the box and contents and message the workshop.

## Questions buyers ask next

### Which fabric suits a Stockholm window seat that gets evening sun?

Linen or corduroy feels best indoors. A south- or west-facing window gets a lot of summer sun, about 279 hours in a Stockholm July, so turn and rotate the cushion at Midsummer, or choose outdoor acrylic, which resists fading best.

### Can cushions stay in a closed summer cottage through a Swedish winter?

Only if they go in clean and completely dry, stored off the floor in breathable bags, never sealed plastic. Water left in foam will not dry in an unheated house. If you can, take the best cushions back to the apartment.

### How thick should cushions for metal garden armchairs be?

The workshop recommends seats 3 to 4 in (8 to 10 cm) thick in 32 kg/m³ HR foam wrapped in wadding, with ties at the back corners and an outdoor fabric. Measure between the armrests and the seat depth, not the chair overall.

### Do archipelago dock and boat cushions need a special fabric?

Yes: UV-resistant, water-repellent outdoor acrylic, plus ties. Water-repellent sheds spray and showers but is not waterproof, so stand wet cushions on edge to dry before you stow them.

## Related at the atelier

- [Custom cushions for Estonian wooden houses, apartments and summer homes](https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-estonia/): Custom cushions in Estonia work hardest in three places: window seats through the short days of December, sauna dressing rooms and terraces at summer homes, and apartments in wooden houses or…
- [Window seat cushions for Danish nooks, summer houses and apartments](https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-denmark/): Window seat cushions in Denmark mostly serve the hyggekrog, the cozy nook by a window, plus apartment balconies and wooden summer houses.
- [Window Seat Cushion for Long Sitting: Charcoal Chalk Stripe](https://cushionguide.com/readings/charcoal-chalk-stripe-window-seat-blush-alcove/): A window seat cushion for long sitting needs a firm box cushion that fills the whole seat, pillows stepped for back support, and a spot for a cup.
- [Window Seat Cushion in Blue-Gray Stripe: Ties, Grip and Zippers](https://cushionguide.com/readings/blue-gray-stripe-window-seat-cushion-gray-panel-closeup/): A fitted window seat cushion seldom needs ties when walls hold it at the back and both ends; a non-slip base helps on a smooth painted seat, and the zipper belongs on the long back side, facing the…
- [Window Seat Cushion in Ochre Stripe on an Olive Kitchen Bench](https://cushionguide.com/readings/ochre-stripe-cushion-olive-panelled-kitchen-window-bench/): On a dark painted bench, the window seat cushion should be the lightest thing on it.
- [Custom cushions for Maltese balconies, roof terraces and townhouses](https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-malta/): Custom cushions in Malta do three jobs: a slim window seat inside the enclosed wooden gallarija, sun-safe cushions for the flat roof terrace, and courtyard seats in old limestone farmhouses.
- [Making templates for boat cushions, V-berths and cockpit benches](https://cushionguide.com/guides/boat-cushion-templates-v-berth/)
- [Window seat cushion thickness compared: 2, 3, 4 and 5 inches](https://cushionguide.com/guides/window-seat-cushion-thickness/)

*— Hana*

---

Written by Hana Lindqvist (https://cushionguide.com/masters/hana/) 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-sweden/