A Reading by MaggieBench Cushions
Bottle-green velvet on a floating oak bench, and the burnt-orange lesson behind it
One buyer's orange cushion taught us two rules about benches built into a room. Maggie reads a green one that follows both.
SaveThe quick answer
An entryway bench cushion on a fixed plank should be ordered to the plank's exact depth or slightly under, never over, because handmade cushions can vary 1 to 2 in (2.5 to 5 cm). Check the swatch against the floor as well as the wood: a dark velvet like bottle green stands apart from oak, where a burnt orange can blend in.
The cushion, cut open
Cover fabric. A removable, zippered cover. Machine wash at 86°F (30°C) on a gentle cycle and air dry.
Piping. A fabric-covered cord sewn into the seams. It sits on the seam line, so it does not change the size.
Fiber wrap. Polyester fiber (Dacron) batting around the foam: it fills the cover out and softens the edges.
Foam core. About 2.0 lb/ft³ (32 kg/m³) high-resilience foam, firm to medium-firm, cut to the ordered size.
Zipper. Along the back band, as hidden as possible. The zipper side faces down or toward the wall.
Base panel. The underside of the cover. A non-slip fabric backing can cover the whole of it instead.
Pinned by Maggie: one plank, one mirror, one pair of trainers
Five pins, from the green velvet and its olive-gold welt down to the plank edge, up to the mirror and back to the shoes on the floor.
- Bottle-green velvet
A near-black green hides scuffs from bags and coats better than a pale seat would.
- Olive-gold piping
The piping matches the honey oak below, tying fabric and joinery together.
- Floating oak plank
The cushion stops at the plank's front edge so a thin line of warm wood still shows.
- Round oak mirror
Its frame repeats the plank's timber so the whole alcove reads as one set.
- White trainers
Shoes left under the seat show the bench's real job: somewhere to sit and put them on.
- Bottle-green velvetA near-black green hides scuffs from bags and coats better than a pale seat would.
- Olive-gold pipingThe piping matches the honey oak below, tying fabric and joinery together.
- Floating oak plankThe cushion stops at the plank's front edge so a thin line of warm wood still shows.
- Round oak mirrorIts frame repeats the plank's timber so the whole alcove reads as one set.
- White trainersShoes left under the seat show the bench's real job: somewhere to sit and put them on.
The 74-inch bench and the 27-inch seat
Right, then. A buyer in the US had a new wooden bench built into the corner of a room: 25 in (64 cm) deep, 74 in (188 cm) long, no backrest. She ordered a seat cushion, a back cushion and arm pillows in burnt orange velvet, the workshop's best seller.
The seat arrived about 27 in (69 cm) deep and hung over the front. The workshop explained that a good shake would settle it to about 26 in (66 cm), and that handmade pieces can vary 1 to 2 in. The back cushion followed in a separate parcel.
Then the bench was finished and the room came together. She loved the cushions, but the orange melted into the wood floor. The workshop offered an exchange if she returned them at her own cost.
Two lessons. Order the depth slightly under a fixed frame. And hold the swatch against the floor, not only the bench. (I once matched a seat beautifully to its bench and forgot the floor entirely. Once.)
What the green bench gets right
Now read the photograph with that story in mind.
The depth stops at the plank. The box edge ends flush with the front of the oak, so a thin line of warm wood still shows under the green. On a floating plank this shallow, a cushion that overhangs even an inch looks like a mistake and droops at the lip.
The color stands off the wood. Bottle green goes nearly black in shadow. Against honey oak and white walls it reads as its own shape, which is exactly what the burnt orange failed to do on a wood floor.
The welt belongs to the timber. The olive-gold piping repeats the oak of the plank and the frame of the round mirror, so three separate pieces read as one set. On a front edge this visible, the welt had better run straight, and it does.
The props are working props. A stone linen jacket on a black hook, a canvas tote, white trainers under the seat, a jute rug. Nobody lounges here. It is a place to sit and put your shoes on, so a velvet that wipes clean earns its spot.
More dark shades wait on the velvet shelf. Plan the depth in the bench cushion builder, or browse mudroom and entryway bench cushions. What color is the floor under your bench?
Maggie's checklist for a cushion on a fixed plank
- Measure the plank front to back at both ends and use the smaller number.
- Order the depth to the plank or a touch under, never over.
- Hold the swatch against the floor, the wall and the wood, in daylight.
- Take the piping color from the wood, not from the fabric.
- Ask for a zipped cover so it can come off for washing.
On the cutting table: green velvet on oak
| Piece | Entryway bench cushion, no backrest |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Bottle-green velvet, near black in shadow |
| Piping | Contrast welt in olive gold, matched to the oak |
| Edge | Box edge, flush with the plank's front |
| Depth rule | Plank depth or slightly under; handmade pieces vary 1 to 2 in |
| Fastening | Zipper around two corners; cover comes off to wash |
| Care | Spills wipe off by hand; covers machine wash at 86°F (30°C) |
| Best for | A seat for pulling on shoes by the door |
Have it made
Have this made — ask Maggie’s workshop
Have the tape measure handy when they call. Old cushions shrink and sag; the seat underneath does not. — Maggie
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: zippers, dogs and breakfast nooks
- A common question
Can the cover come off to be washed? Is there a zipper?
The workshop's answerYes. The zipper runs around two corners, so the foam insert slides out easily and the cover can go in the washing machine.
- A common question
We have a dog and two small kids. Is the L-07 linen or a velvet the safer bet?
The workshop's answerBoth hold up. The L-07 linen has a weave that is easy to clean, and everyday marks wipe off. Velvet is durable and soft, and spills wipe clean by hand. The covers are removable and machine washable at 86°F (30°C) when you need a deeper clean.
- A common question
Could you make both the seat and back cushions for our built-in breakfast nook?
The workshop's answerYes. Send the size of each seat run and each back section. An L-shaped seat is made as two pieces that meet at the corner. Back pillows are separate rectangles, for example 18 in (46 cm) tall and 3 in (8 cm) deep, and they can be in a complementary fabric.
An entryway bench cushion on a fixed plank is ordered to the plank's depth or a touch under, because handmade pieces can vary 1 to 2 in.
Maggie
Questions buyers ask next
What should I do if a bench cushion arrives a little deeper than my bench?
Give it a firm shake and let it settle; one seat that arrived about 27 in deep settled to about 26 in. Handmade cushions can vary 1 to 2 in, so for a fixed frame, order the depth slightly under the frame from the start.
Why match the piping to the wood instead of the cushion fabric?
Piping draws the outline of the seat. When it repeats the wood of the bench, and here the mirror frame too, cushion and furniture read as one set. Matched to the fabric, the edge simply disappears.
Is velvet a sensible fabric for a bench by the front door?
Yes, in a darker shade. A near-black green hides scuffs from bags and coats, spills wipe off velvet by hand, and a zipped cover can go in the washing machine at 86°F (30°C) for a deeper clean.
Stitch straight — Maggie
More photographs to read
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