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A Reading by ÉlodieBench Cushions

A blue floral bench cushion in a blush reading corner, borrowing from the patio

Blush walls, a mustard rug, a birch plywood box and one cushion in ink navy blossoms. It takes its nerve from the patio and its softness from the parlor.

The quick answer

An indoor bench cushion can borrow toughness from the patio: outdoor fabrics work perfectly indoors and suit a sunny window, where indoor fabrics can fade. Keep the indoor comforts for the parts you lean on: soft shredded-foam back pillows, a solid-foam seat, and a zip-off cover that washes at 86°F (30°C) on a gentle cycle.

Read by

The Colorist of New OrleansPublished 5 min read

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Ink navy on birch, blush behind

Light first, always. It comes in warm and low across a wall the pink of the inside of a shell, and it lands on a cushion that refuses to be pale: ink navy and cornflower blossoms on a white ground, boxed and piped in its own print. On a plain birch plywood box, that one decision turns storage into a seat someone meant.

Now read the colors the way the room does. Blush on the wall, mustard on the floor, a rust linen pillow at the end of the seat. Blue is the only cool voice, and it sits across the color wheel from rust and mustard, which is why the corner feels lively and still balanced. Let one color speak and the others listen.

The props earn their places. A cream oblong pillow softens the line where seat meets wall. The monstera stands between bench and bookcases like a hedge between two gardens. A black tray table keeps a book and a mug within arm's reach, which is the whole definition of a reading corner. The rattan pendant, the round mirror and the botanical prints bring the garden indoors, and the pale blue tile underfoot repeats the cushion's blue so the eye travels from seat to floor and back.

A cotton print like this one is family to the cotton stripes and ticking: lovely indoors, and less fond of long hours of sun through glass. That is where the patio has something to teach the parlor.

What color does your wall not have yet, my friends? That is usually where a custom bench cushion should begin.

Pinned by Élodie

Five places where color does the work in this blush corner.

Pinned: Navy and blue floral box cushion on a birch plywood storage bench against a blush pink wall with rust and cream pillows
  1. Blue floral cushion

    A dark floral gives a simple plywood box presence and makes it look deliberate.

  2. Rust linen pillow

    Rust sits opposite blue on the color wheel and warms the seat.

  3. Monstera

    Large leaves separate the bench from the bookcases.

  4. Tray table with book

    A book and mug within reach of the seat make this a reading corner.

  5. Mustard rug

    Mustard balances the blue and ties to the rust pillow.

  1. Blue floral cushionA dark floral gives a simple plywood box presence and makes it look deliberate.
  2. Rust linen pillowRust sits opposite blue on the color wheel and warms the seat.
  3. MonsteraLarge leaves separate the bench from the bookcases.
  4. Tray table with bookA book and mug within reach of the seat make this a reading corner.
  5. Mustard rugMustard balances the blue and ties to the rust pillow.

Borrow from the patio, keep from the parlor

One bench, two ways of thinking, row by row. Both belong in good reading nook cushions.

Borrow from outdoor cushionsKeep from indoor cushions
FabricOutdoor fabrics work perfectly indoors and are the toughest choiceThe linen range is hard-wearing and suits nooks and kitchens
SunMade for sun, so a window bench keeps its colorIndoor fabrics can fade in strong, prolonged sun
BuildPlain, non-tufted foam under a zip-off coverTufted pieces look plush but cannot be unzipped or machine washed
FillA firm foam seat, 4 in (10 cm) as standardShredded-foam back pillows, softer to lean on with a book
A real project

Three inches short, and a bluer cord

A buyer in the US ordered a 22 x 57 in (56 x 145 cm) bench cushion in a linen and received one about 54 in (137 cm) long. The piping also looked lighter than it had in the photo. The workshop apologized and remade the cushion at the full 22 x 57 in, and because a remake is a fresh start, it let the buyer switch the piping to a blue linen.

That second part is the one I keep. A cord color judged in your own room, against your own light, is always a surer choice than one picked on a screen.

Sizes
22 x 57 in (56 x 145 cm)
Fabric
Linen, re-piped in a blue linen

The lesson: A replacement order is also a chance to fine-tune the piping color.

Buyer questions: backs, fills and tough fabrics

  1. A common question

    On the French-style tufted bench set, how big is the back cushion, and do the backrest and arms come off?

    The workshop's answer

    The backrest and armrests come with the seat. For a 24 x 48 in (61 x 122 cm) seat, the backrest is 16 x 48 in (41 x 122 cm). They are separate pieces, attached to nothing, so you can lay the back flat or move the arms around like pillows. Because they are tufted, the covers don't zip off.

  2. A common question

    Which of your fabrics would hold up as performance fabric on a busy kitchen banquette?

    The workshop's answer

    For an indoor banquette the workshop points to its linen range, which is hard-wearing and suits a kitchen. For something tougher still, the outdoor fabrics work perfectly indoors too. Every cover is removable and machine washable at 86°F (30°C) on a gentle cycle.

  3. A common question

    Is the back cushion filled with the same foam as the seat?

    The workshop's answer

    No. Back pillows are filled with shredded foam rather than the solid foam used in seats, so they are softer and more comfortable to lean against. The workshop confirms the filling with you before production.

If a plywood storage bench looks plain, give it a patterned cushion in a color the walls do not have; the box suddenly looks built on purpose.

Élodie
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The bench, by the numbers

CushionBox cushion for a birch plywood storage bench
FabricInk navy and cornflower floral on a white cotton ground
PipingSelf piping in the same print
EdgeBox edge with a side band
Thickness4 in (10 cm) standard; 2, 3 and 5 in (5, 7.5, 12.5 cm) also offered
Back pillowsShredded foam in its own inner cover, softer than the seat
CareZip-off cover, 86°F (30°C) gentle cycle, air-dry
Best forReading corners, kids' rooms, benches near a window

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
Ink navy and cornflower floral on a white cotton ground
Foam
Shredded foam in its own inner cover
Piping
Self piping in the same print
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

Questions buyers ask next

Why is the piping on a patterned cushion usually cut from the same print?

Self piping comes from the cushion's own fabric, so it always matches in dye and texture. A solid cord from another range can differ slightly in tone, and on a busy print that difference shows along every edge.

What thickness suits a bench cushion in a reading corner?

4 in (10 cm) is the standard for everyday seating and the size most buyers keep. For a neater, lower profile on a bench or window seat, 3 in (7.5 cm) works well. 2, 3, 4 and 5 in are all standard options.

Does piping change the finished size of the cushion?

No. Piping sits on the seam, so the cushion is made to the dimensions you order. It is included at no extra charge, whether it matches the fabric or contrasts with it.

Can a bench cushion be tied to the bench?

Yes. Fabric ties can be sewn into the seams at the corners or along the back, in any position you ask for. They hold a cushion to a bench, tie a backrest to a seat, or keep stacked cushions together.

With color and care — Élodie