A Reading by CallumOutdoor & Water-Repellent Cushions
One brick red outdoor bench cushion cut to a curve, and how to seat a crowd
Callum writes from a shaded deck about curved benches, windy evenings and why a single cushion makes a better host than three.
SaveThe quick answer
For an outdoor bench that seats a crowd, cut one cushion for the whole seat, curve included, so no guest sits on a gap. Use outdoor fabric, and on a windy deck add long ties and go thicker, to 6 in (15 cm), so the cushion is heavier. On a curved bench, mark on paper where the arc starts and ends; that is the measurement people forget.
Portland ·
Dear friend,
A letter from a shaded deck
The best party seat is a curve. People sitting on an arc face each other without trying, and a conversation starts on its own.
This natural resin wicker bench bends in a gentle arc, and somebody had the sense to cut the outdoor bench cushion as one piece, brick red, following the curve all the way. No folds at the inner edge, no seam between guests, no gap for a glass to find. On a straight bench you might split the seat. On a curve, every join is a place where two pads push apart when four people sit down.
The pad sits just over the woven edge. That hides the rim and spares bare legs from rough wicker, which your guests in shorts will appreciate. Self piping keeps the outline clean against the busy weave. One saturated color, and the frame does the rest of the talking.
Before you order, draw the bench on paper and mark where the arc starts and where it ends. Most people forget those two points. Our Pattern on measuring a curved cushion walks through chord, rise and radius.
Pinned by Callum
Five pins, from the arc-cut seat to the lantern waiting on the side table for dusk.
- Arc-cut red seat
One piece cut to the bench's curve, with no folds at the inner edge.
- Self piping
Matching piping keeps the silhouette clean against busy wicker.
- Wicker frame
The pad sits just over the woven edge, sparing legs from rough rattan.
- Boston fern
Green against red is a complementary pairing that keeps the deck lively.
- Lantern
A single warm accent on the side table.
- Arc-cut red seatOne piece cut to the bench's curve, with no folds at the inner edge.
- Self pipingMatching piping keeps the silhouette clean against busy wicker.
- Wicker frameThe pad sits just over the woven edge, sparing legs from rough rattan.
- Boston fernGreen against red is a complementary pairing that keeps the deck lively.
- LanternA single warm accent on the side table.
Red, green and one lantern
Brick red against Boston ferns is an old pairing. The colors are complementary, so the deck looks lively without a single throw pillow. That matters when you host. Pillows walk off, get sat on and end up on the lawn. A strong seat color does their job and stays put.
A palm in a white planter, a stacked stone wall and a gray outdoor rug hold the background steady. The metal lantern with its pillar candle is the only warm accent, set on the side table for when the light goes.
Wind is the guest nobody invited. If your deck catches a breeze, ask for ties; on outdoor cushions they can go on the back or the sides. There's more in our outdoor cushions, the outdoor acrylic range and patio and porch cushions. How many people do you need to seat on a summer night, friend?
Two long benches at a beach house, and the wind
A buyer wrote to the workshop needing two cushions of 118 x 15 3/4 in (300 x 40 cm) for benches at a beach property. The first quote was at the standard 4 in (10 cm).
They had watched the wind come off the water, and they asked for two changes: 6 in (15 cm) instead, and four long ties on each cushion so a gust could not lift them. The workshop confirmed ties on the sides and offered to re-quote at the new thickness.
That buyer understood coastal weather. A thicker cushion is a heavier cushion, long ties hold it down, and a bench full of guests at sunset is no place for a pad to go sailing.
- Sizes
- 2 cushions, 118 x 15 3/4 in (300 x 40 cm), 4 to 6 in (10 to 15 cm) thick
The lesson: In windy coastal spots, specify long ties and a thicker, heavier cushion.
Buyer questions: thickness, ties and a big order
- A common question
Can you make washable outdoor cushions 6 inches thick?
The workshop's answerYes. Outdoor, washable cushions are made in any size, 6 in (15 cm) thick included. Send the full length and width first, and the shop will suggest outdoor fabrics that suit the job.
- A common question
Can you put ties on an outdoor bench cushion and choose which way the stripes run?
The workshop's answerYes. One order was a 59 x 19.7 x 4 in cushion with piping and two ties on the back, plus two 29.5 x 20 x 3 in cushions, all in outdoor fabric M-24. The stripes ran along the 59 in length on the long cushion and across the 20 in width on the other two, as the buyer asked.
- A common question
I'm ordering a lot of cushions at once. Can the order be split into smaller parts?
The workshop's answerYes. The shop has split one larger order into three custom listings of about the same size, each checked out on its own, so the buyer could place it in pieces.
The curved bench, by the numbers
| Cushion | One-piece seat cushion cut to the arc of the bench |
|---|---|
| Frame | Natural resin wicker, curved |
| Fabric | Brick red outdoor fabric |
| Piping | Self piping |
| Edge | Box edge, sitting just over the woven rim |
| Thickness | Standard 4 in (10 cm); 6 in (15 cm) available |
| Ties | Long ties on the sides or back for windy decks |
| Measure | Where the arc starts and ends, drawn on paper |
| Best for | Decks, patios and curved conversation benches |
Have it made
Have this made — ask Callum’s workshop
Short list: size, sun hours, how fast it has to dry. The workshop goes through it with you. — Callum
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.
On a curved outdoor bench, cut one cushion for the whole arc: every join is a gap where two pads push apart when four guests sit.
Callum
Questions buyers ask next
How do I measure a curved bench for a cushion?
Draw the seat on paper, measure the depth and the front and back curves, and mark exactly where the arc begins and ends. Those end points are what people forget, and they decide whether a one-piece cushion lies flat.
Should an outdoor cushion sit over the edge of a wicker seat?
Slightly, yes. A pad that sits just over the woven edge hides the rim and keeps bare legs off rough wicker. Keep the overhang small so the edge stays supported when someone perches on the front.
How do I keep outdoor cushions from blowing away?
Ask for long ties sewn to the sides or back and tie them to the frame. A thicker cushion helps too, since it is heavier; one beach-house buyer moved from 4 in (10 cm) to 6 in (15 cm) with four ties on each.
Do bright outdoor cushions need throw pillows?
Not always. A saturated seat color against green plants, like brick red beside ferns, looks finished on its own, and fewer pillows means less to carry in when the weather turns.
Fair winds — Callum
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