A Reading by HarlanBench Cushions
An anthracite corduroy entryway bench cushion, and how it will look after a year of boots, dogs and Monday mornings
Harlan reads a near-black corduroy seat on a white storage bench, then does what he has done for fifty-some years: pictures it a year from now, after the boots and the dog have had their say.
SaveThe quick answer
An anthracite corduroy bench cushion ages well in an entryway because a near-black wide wale hides the dust and scuffs of sitting down to pull on shoes. Ask for firm foam that holds its shape and a removable zippered cover, and set it on a white storage bench so the dark seat never looks heavy.
What a front hall asks of a cushion
There's a saying in the shop: a seam is a promise. In a front hall that promise gets tested twice a day, once going out and once coming home.
What I see. A white paneled storage bench in a cream hall. On it, a box cushion in anthracite wide-wale corduroy, self piped, running the length of the lid. It is the darkest thing in the room, and that's no accident. The black hooks on the rail, the thin black frame of the round mirror, the dark waxed jacket hanging above: the cushion ties them into one picture.
Proportion. The white bench below carries the weight of the dark seat, so the whole thing reads crisp instead of heavy.
Why the props are there. The jacket repeats the cushion's color up the wall. The mirror frame echoes it, thin and round. The seagrass basket brings one natural texture so a monochrome hall doesn't feel cold, and the cream-and-gray striped runner softens the hard floor. Stop there, my friend. Two small black details and one basket are plenty.
The cloth's temper. Corduroy is a living cloth; its ridges catch light and dust alike. In near-black, the dust and the scuffs from boots sink into the shadow of the wale. More colors sit on the corduroy shelf, and more halls under entryway bench cushions.
What does your front hall ask of a cushion, morning after morning?
Pinned by Harlan: five notes on one wall
The pins read top to bottom the way you'd walk in: mirror, jacket, the corduroy seat, then the basket and the runner at your feet.
- Anthracite corduroy
The darkest thing in the hall, it ties together the black hooks and mirror frame.
- Waxed jacket
A dark coat above the bench repeats the cushion color vertically.
- Black round mirror
A thin black frame echoes the seat without adding bulk.
- Seagrass basket
One natural texture keeps a monochrome entrance from feeling cold.
- Striped runner
Cream and gray stripes soften the hard floor.
- Anthracite corduroyThe darkest thing in the hall, it ties together the black hooks and mirror frame.
- Waxed jacketA dark coat above the bench repeats the cushion color vertically.
- Black round mirrorA thin black frame echoes the seat without adding bulk.
- Seagrass basketOne natural texture keeps a monochrome entrance from feeling cold.
- Striped runnerCream and gray stripes soften the hard floor.
The year-one notebook: boots, dogs, spills and sun
| Daily test | What happens | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| Boots and shoes | Dust and scuffs sink into the dark wale | Brush with the nap, not against it |
| A dog on the seat | Pet hair shows on dark pile; claws can pull a ridge | A high-rub polyester weave if the dog lives on it |
| Spills | A dark color hides the stain line | Blot fast; a zippered cover comes off for cleaning |
| Sun through the door glass | Dark dyes show fading first where daily sun lands | Flip or turn the cushion now and then |
| Sat on every morning | Soft foam dips at the favorite end | Firm foam, about 2.0 lb/ft³ (32 kg/m³) |
Four cushions and the side everybody forgets
A buyer in the US wrote to the workshop about a dining bench set with an odd end. Four cushions, all 3 in (8 cm) thick: three at 24 x 36 in (61 x 91 cm), and one trapezoid.
Now, most folks give the top and bottom of an odd piece and call it done. This buyer gave all four sides: 41 in (104 cm) along the top, 21 in (53 cm) along the bottom, and sides of 9 in (23 cm) and 24 in (61 cm). The workshop quoted the whole set from those numbers.
That's the lesson I'd write in the margin of any notebook: list every side of the odd piece, not just top and bottom. An entry bench tucked into a corner often has a crooked end of its own. The trapezoid cushion calculator checks your four sides before you send them, the mudroom bench sketches show benches that take a beating, and how long foam lasts has its own Pattern. The rest live under bench cushions.
On the cutting table: the hall bench seat
| Piece | Box cushion for a white paneled storage bench |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Wide-wale corduroy in anthracite (code V10) |
| Piping | Self piping |
| Edge | Box edge |
| Color job | Ties together black hooks, a black mirror frame and a dark jacket |
| Hides | Dust and scuffs from sitting down to put on shoes |
| Watch for | Pet hair on dark pile |
| Foam to ask for | Firm; about 2.0 lb/ft³ (32 kg/m³) |
| Best for | A front hall or mudroom used every day |
Have it made
Have this made — ask Harlan’s workshop
The best cushions I have known began with somebody asking one more question. Ask yours here. — 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.
Buyer questions: stripe direction, corner backs and a 136-inch run
- A common question
Do your striped fabrics run vertically, and can the piping follow suit?
The workshop's answerYes. The striped fabrics are vertical stripes, and you can ask for the stripes on the piping to run vertically too.
- A common question
I measured my back cushions wall to wall in a corner. Is that right?
The workshop's answerIt works, as long as you tell the workshop the numbers are wall to wall. Where two back cushions meet in a corner, one is made about 4 in (10 cm) shorter so they don't collide.
- A common question
Can you make a very long bench cushion, around 136 inches, in one piece?
The workshop's answerIt can be done, but the workshop recommends two pieces. At that length a single piece may come out 1 to 2 in (2.5 to 5 cm) off, even though it is measured before it goes out. That quote was for a 25 x 136 in (64 x 345 cm) cushion.
An anthracite corduroy entryway cushion hides a year of boot scuffs in its wale; repeat the near-black in two small details, like hooks and a mirror frame, then stop.
Harlan
Questions buyers ask next
Does dark corduroy hold up on a bench by the back door?
In a dark color, yes, for a bench people sit on to pull on shoes. The wale hides dust and light scuffs. If a muddy dog sleeps on it every day, a high-rub polyester weave that wipes clean is the steadier choice.
Why pick a dark cushion for a light entryway?
A dark seat hides the marks of daily use and gives a pale hall a clear focal point. Repeat the color in two small details, such as hooks or a mirror frame, so the cushion looks planned rather than dropped in.
Should an entry bench cushion be firm or soft?
Firm. People perch on an entry bench for a minute to tie laces, usually on the same spot. Firm foam holds its shape there; the workshop's foam is about 2.0 lb/ft³ (32 kg/m³) and keeps its form.
Sit well. — Harlan
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