---
title: "Custom Bench Cushion for a Reading Nook: Patio Ideas Indoors"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/readings/blue-floral-cushion-plywood-bench-pink-reading-corner/"
section: "Readings"
author: "Élodie Marchand, The Colorist of New Orleans"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/elodie/"
published: "2026-01-19"
updated: "2026-01-19"
keywords: "custom bench cushion, reading nook cushion, bench cushion, bench cushion indoor, made to measure cushion, custom size cushion"
---

# 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.

![Navy and blue floral box cushion on a birch plywood storage bench against a blush pink wall with rust and cream pillows](https://cushionguide.com/media/bench-cushions/blue-floral-cushion-plywood-bench-pink-reading-corner-1600.webp "Blush walls, a mustard rug and a blue floral cushion make a reading corner built on contrasting colors.")

## 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](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/striped-cotton-and-ticking/): lovely indoors, and less fond of long hours of [sun through glass](https://cushionguide.com/guides/window-seat-cushion-fading-sun/). 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](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/bench-cushions/) should begin.

## Pinned by Élodie

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

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.

## Borrow from the patio, keep from the parlor

One bench, two ways of thinking, row by row. Both belong in good [reading nook cushions](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/reading-nook-cushions/).

|   | Borrow from outdoor cushions | Keep from indoor cushions |
|---|---|---|
| Fabric | Outdoor fabrics work perfectly indoors and are the toughest choice | The linen range is hard-wearing and suits nooks and kitchens |
| Sun | Made for sun, so a window bench keeps its color | Indoor fabrics can fade in strong, prolonged sun |
| Build | Plain, non-tufted foam under a zip-off cover | Tufted pieces look plush but cannot be unzipped or machine washed |
| Fill | A firm foam seat, 4 in (10 cm) as standard | Shredded-foam back pillows, softer to lean on with a book |

## 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.

## Buyer questions: backs, fills and tough fabrics

**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.

**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.

**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

> **Tailor's margin:** If a reading bench sits in a sunny window, choose an outdoor fabric; indoor fabrics can fade in strong, prolonged sun.

## The bench, by the numbers

|   |   |
|---|---|
| Cushion | Box cushion for a birch plywood storage bench |
| Fabric | Ink navy and cornflower floral on a white cotton ground |
| Piping | Self piping in the same print |
| Edge | Box edge with a side band |
| Thickness | 4 in (10 cm) standard; 2, 3 and 5 in (5, 7.5, 12.5 cm) also offered |
| Back pillows | Shredded foam in its own inner cover, softer than the seat |
| Care | Zip-off cover, 86°F (30°C) gentle cycle, air-dry |
| Best for | Reading corners, kids' rooms, benches near a window |

## 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.

## Related at the atelier

- [Custom Bench Cushion Mistakes, Read from a Striped Nook](https://cushionguide.com/readings/black-white-stripe-bench-cushion-reading-corner/): The most common custom bench cushion mistakes are picking a dark solid for a dark corner, letting stripes change direction at the edge, ordering an angled seat on the rectangle listing, and…
- [Cowhide Bench Cushion for a Reading Nook, Checked in Every Light](https://cushionguide.com/readings/brown-cowhide-bench-cushion-book-corner-table-lamp/): A chocolate cowhide print bench cushion looks its richest in warm afternoon sun, so check the swatch in morning light, under your evening lamp and away from screens before you order.
- [Custom Bench Cushion in Scarlet Velvet for an Attic Reading Nook](https://cushionguide.com/readings/scarlet-velvet-attic-eaves-reading-nook-cushion/): A scarlet velvet custom bench cushion ages well in a reading nook if you plan for sun, spills and sliding.
- [How to order a custom cushion size that isn't in the size menu](https://cushionguide.com/guides/custom-size-cushion-not-on-menu/): To order a custom size cushion that isn't on the menu, choose the size option that covers your measurements, or the next larger one if you fall between two, and write the exact length x depth x…
- [Is this cushion fabric true black, or a dark gray or charcoal?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/true-black-vs-charcoal-cushion-fabric/): A cushion fabric that looks black on screen is often dark gray, navy or brown, not true black.
- [Is your velvet shiny or matte, and is the pile short?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/velvet-sheen-matte-short-pile/): The velvet has a short, tight pile that feels smooth and soft rather than long, and its sheen has been described both as a little glossier than matte and as not shiny.
- [Reading nook bolsters, back pillows and a seat depth that invites a nap](https://cushionguide.com/guides/reading-nook-cushion-bolsters/)

*With color and care — Élodie*

---

Written by Élodie Marchand (https://cushionguide.com/masters/elodie/) 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/readings/blue-floral-cushion-plywood-bench-pink-reading-corner/