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A Reading by ÉlodieWindow Seat Cushions

A black pinstripe window seat cushion in sea-bright light, and why it isn't navy

White shiplap and a sea window throw a hard, bright light that bleaches soft colors. A fine black pinstripe on cream holds its line in it, and lets the cobalt ginger jars do the singing.

The quick answer

A black pinstripe window seat cushion holds a crisp line in bright coastal light, where a navy stripe would shift with every hour. Here a true black on cream runs front to back across the seat's depth, breaking up a long run, while cobalt ginger jars carry the room's only strong color. Judge any stripe in daylight, not on a screen.

Read by

The Colorist of New OrleansPublished 5 min read

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Pinned by Élodie: five notes from a beach-house window

Five pins follow the blue-and-white jars, the wicker towel basket, the fringed throw, the front-to-back pinstripe and the striped flatweave rug.

Pinned: Cream window seat cushion with fine black pinstripes in a white shiplap nook with blue-and-white ginger jars and a straw hat
  1. blue-and-white jars

    The jars bring the color, which is why the stripe chosen is a true black rather than a navy.

  2. wicker towel basket

    Wicker at the end of the seat keeps towels and throws within reach of the sitter.

  3. fringed cotton throw

    The throw drapes over the square end and breaks up the long straight run.

  4. front-to-back pinstripe

    Stripes run across the depth, breaking up a long seat; say which way you want them when ordering.

  5. striped flatweave rug

    A second stripe on the floor, in a wider scale, echoes the seat without copying it.

  1. blue-and-white jarsThe jars bring the color, which is why the stripe chosen is a true black rather than a navy.
  2. wicker towel basketWicker at the end of the seat keeps towels and throws within reach of the sitter.
  3. fringed cotton throwThe throw drapes over the square end and breaks up the long straight run.
  4. front-to-back pinstripeStripes run across the depth, breaking up a long seat; say which way you want them when ordering.
  5. striped flatweave rugA second stripe on the floor, in a wider scale, echoes the seat without copying it.

Why true black, not navy, in sea-bright light

Daylight never lies; your screen sometimes does. And by the sea, daylight is loud.

White shiplap on three sides and a window full of water and sky bounce everything bright. In light like that, soft colors bleach and dark ones hold. So the window seat cushion is sea-salt cream with a fine pinstripe in true ink black. A navy would have gone blue at noon and nearly black by supper, arguing all day with the cobalt ginger jars on the sill. Black doesn't argue. It draws the line and leaves the blue to the jars.

The stripe runs front to back, across the depth of a long, deep seat, cutting the length into a rhythm of short lines so the cushion never looks like a mattress in a window. Say which way you want it when you order; our Pattern on stripe direction shows both. The piping is self piping in the same striped cotton, so the edge stays quiet.

The props tell the beach story so the cushion doesn't have to: a straw sun hat, a wicker basket of folded towels within the sitter's reach, a cream fringed throw draped over the square end to break the long run, an ivory pillow, and a striped flatweave rug in a wider scale that echoes the seat without copying it.

One caution for seaside houses, my friends: this is a cotton stripe for an indoor seat. On the porch, choose a stripe in outdoor acrylic. Which hours of the day does your window seat catch the sun?

Swatch strip: five colors under a sea window

  • Sea-salt cream#F1EBDDThe ground of the stripe, warm enough not to turn blue-white at noon.
  • Ink black pinstripe#1B1B1DHolds its line in hard coastal light and stays out of the jars' way.
  • Shiplap white#F7F7F4Bounces sea light onto the seat from three sides.
  • Cobalt ginger-jar blue#1F4FA3The one strong color in the nook, kept off the cushion on purpose.
  • Straw and wicker#C9A66BThe hat and baskets bring the warmth the stripe leaves out.
A real project

94.75 inches of stripe, and a custom option added to fit

A buyer in the US needed a window seat cushion 94.75 in (241 cm) long, 16 in (41 cm) deep and 3 in (7.6 cm) thick, in the beige stripe from a listing photo. The longest 16 in deep option stopped at 84 in (213 cm), so the workshop added a custom option to the listing.

They wanted the piping to continue in the stripe rather than a solid, and were told to write piping same color, with the stripe's fabric code, in the note. The 32-density foam, about 2 lb/ft³ (32 kg/m³), was explained as a firm foam that doesn't sag, not memory foam.

Two lessons to pin beside the window: ask for a custom option instead of forcing the nearest size, and name self piping by fabric code.

Buyer questions: a thickness mix-up, a grip question and a pew

  1. A common question

    The thickness in my order note doesn't match the option I picked. Which one will you make?

    The workshop's answer

    The workshop spots the mismatch and asks before starting. On one order the note said 4 in (10 cm) but the 5 in (12.5 cm) option was selected; since 4 in is the standard thickness, the workshop checked, and the buyer confirmed 5 in.

  2. A common question

    Can the non-slip grip go only in the middle, with a fabric border around it?

    The workshop's answer

    No. The anti-slip always covers the whole base; a 4 in (10 cm) fabric border isn't possible. It sits on the underside, so it isn't seen anyway, or you can choose no anti-slip at all.

  3. A common question

    Will you make a small custom bench or church pew cushion, about 48 x 14 in, and can a backrest go with it?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. A 48 x 14 in (122 x 36 cm) church pew cushion and a 45 1/4 x 15 3/4 in (115 x 40 cm) bench cushion were each quoted as custom pieces, at the same price. Adding a 45 1/4 x 11 3/4 in (115 x 30 cm) backrest made a matching pair.

On the cutting table: the beach-house pinstripe

ProductWindow seat cushion, rectangle, box edge
FabricStriped cotton: fine black pinstripe on cream
Stripe directionFront to back, across the depth
PipingSelf piping in the same stripe
Oversize lengthCustom option, e.g. 94.75 x 16 x 3 in (241 x 41 x 7.6 cm)
FoamAbout 2 lb/ft³ (32 kg/m³), firm, not memory foam
Non-slip baseWhole underside, or none
Where it belongsIndoor seats; outdoor acrylic stripes for porches
Best forBright coastal rooms with one strong accent color

Order this cushion

Have it made

Have this made — ask Élodie’s workshop

Color is easier to settle in a conversation than on a screen. Tell the workshop about the room and the light it gets, and the fabric choice follows. — Élodie

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.

Fabric · Foam · Pipingwhat the workshop will confirm with you

Fabric
Striped cotton: fine black pinstripe on cream
Foam
About 2 lb/ft³ (32 kg/m³), firm, not memory foam
Piping
Self piping in the same stripe
Only for this request: no marketing calls or texts. Outside the US, add the country code.
In inches: length × depth × thickness, plus any angles or cut corners.

* Required. A member of the workshop team will call you to talk it through; nothing is charged and nothing is made until you have agreed on every detail with them.

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.

Nothing is made or charged until you approve the details.

Want to pick the shape and add photos? Use the full quote form

In bright coastal light, a black pinstripe window seat cushion keeps its line while navy shifts by the hour, so give the blue to one ginger jar instead.

Élodie
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Questions buyers ask next

Why does a navy stripe look different in morning and evening light?

Navy sits between blue and black, so it leans toward whichever the light favors: bluer in cool, bright daylight and nearly black under warm evening lamps. A true black stays black in both, which is why it suits a room with a strong blue elsewhere.

Should the stripes run front to back or end to end on a long window seat?

Front to back breaks a long seat into short lines and keeps it from looking like a mattress. End to end carries the eye along the window and makes the seat feel longer. Either can be ordered, so write the direction in your note.

Can a cotton stripe go on a screened porch or beach deck?

Keep cotton stripes to indoor seats. For a porch or deck that sees damp, salt and sun, choose an outdoor acrylic stripe instead. The indoor stripe can set the look inside, and the outdoor one can echo it.

With color and care — Élodie