SaveA Reading by MaggieBench Cushions
A bright tropical custom bench cushion on an oak drawer bench, from the kitchen and up close
From the kitchen bar this oak bench is one navy stripe with sparks of coral. Walk over and it turns into hibiscus, palms and yellow blooms. A good cushion works at both distances; I have made a few that only worked at one.
Terrazzo, a terracotta kilim and a tropical cushion bring holiday color to an open-plan kitchen corner.
The quick answer
A bold print custom bench cushion works from across the room when its background color is strong enough to read as one band, and up close when each pillow picks out one flower. Here a navy tropical print on a long, low oak drawer bench shows as a navy stripe from the kitchen, while coral, teal and mustard pillows each match one bloom.
The ten-foot view: one band of navy
Stand at the stove and squint. You don't see flowers; you see a long navy band sitting on honey oak, three dots of color on top, and a warm block of terracotta underneath. That is the ten-foot view, and it's the one you live with most days.
Three things make it work. The navy ground of the print is dark enough to read as a single color at a distance. The box edge gives the front a full upright face, so the band has height, not just a top. And the self piping draws a crisp line along the top edge without adding a new color, the line your eye follows from the kitchen.
Underneath, the terracotta kilim anchors the bench on a speckled terrazzo floor that would otherwise let it float, and the black bar stools give the eye a second dark note at about the same height.
Five pins at arm's length
Up close, each pin shows a detail you only notice once you've crossed the room.
- Bright tropical cushion
A long, low bench gets a strong band of color that you can see from the kitchen.
- Coral velvet pillow
Coral matches the red hibiscus blooms.
- Teal ruffled pillow
Teal matches the palm leaves.
- Mustard boucle lumbar
Mustard matches the yellow flowers and adds a nubbly texture.
- Terracotta kilim
The kilim's warm reds anchor the bench on the speckled floor.
- Bright tropical cushionA long, low bench gets a strong band of color that you can see from the kitchen.
- Coral velvet pillowCoral matches the red hibiscus blooms.
- Teal ruffled pillowTeal matches the palm leaves.
- Mustard boucle lumbarMustard matches the yellow flowers and adds a nubbly texture.
- Terracotta kilimThe kilim's warm reds anchor the bench on the speckled floor.
The close-up: one pillow per flower
Now walk over. The coral velvet pillow matches the red hibiscus, the teal ruffled pillow matches the palm leaves, and the mustard boucle lumbar matches the yellow flowers, lined up back to front. From the kitchen they were three dots; at arm's length they are three textures, velvet, ruffle and nubbly boucle, and that's the reward for walking over.
The white subway tile and oak cabinets keep the background quiet, and the kettle and toaster tell you it's a working kitchen, not a set. Stand where you'll see your own bench most often. What does it look like from there?
For pillow pairing, the Pattern on matching throw and lumbar pillows goes further; for cloth, start with cotton fabrics and ticking, and for shapes, the bench cushions and living room cushions.
A bench walled in on three sides, and a whisker of clearance
The close-up matters in measuring too. One buyer wrote in about an entryway bench enclosed on three sides. They had measured it with a laser at 24.3 x 76.8 in (61.7 x 195.1 cm) and worried that a cushion even slightly too large wouldn't drop in between the sides.
The workshop said to order 24.2 x 76.8 in (61.5 x 195 cm), a whisker under, and explained that handmade cushions vary slightly and every piece is checked before it ships. Measure the bench, not the cushion you used to have, and for enclosed benches round down a hair. The Pattern on custom cushion size tolerance has the rest.
Two bench questions
- A common question
Part of my bench is a small corner section that doesn't lift. Do I need a third cushion?
The workshop's answerThe workshop can make all three sections, the small one included. Say whether your numbers are in inches or centimeters, and send the length, depth and thickness of each section, ideally with a photo or a simple drawing.
- A common question
Can I order only the backrest cushions for my banquette?
The workshop's answerYes, backrest-only orders are fine. One buyer ordered seven plain, non-tufted back pillows in charcoal gray linen with matching piping, all 14 in (36 cm) tall and 3 in (7.5 cm) thick: three 21 in (53 cm) wide, three 26 in (66 cm) and one 27 in (69 cm).
On the cutting table: the drawer bench cushion
| Cushion | A long, low box cushion for an oak-veneer drawer bench |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Cotton canvas tropical print, navy ground with pink, orange and teal |
| Piping | Self piping from the print |
| Edge | Box edge, for a full front face of color |
| Pillows | Coral velvet, teal ruffle, mustard boucle lumbar |
| Floor | Terracotta kilim over terrazzo |
| Enclosed benches | Order a hair under the gap so the cushion drops in |
| Best for | Open-plan kitchen corners seen from across the room |
Have it made
Have this made — ask Maggie’s workshop
I once cut a lovely cushion two inches short, and I have not forgotten it. That is why the workshop goes over your measurements with you on the phone. — 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.
A print bench cushion works from across the room when its background color is strong enough to read as one band, like navy under bright flowers.
Maggie
Questions buyers ask next
How many throw pillows suit a long, low bench cushion?
Three is a good start: one per main color in the print, lined up back to front, with the lumbar pillow in front. More than that begins to hide the cushion itself, and the ten-foot band breaks up.
Does a busy tropical print need contrast piping?
Usually not. Self piping cut from the print keeps the edge crisp without a new color. Contrast piping draws a line you'll see from across the room, so choose it only when that line is the whole idea; see the piping Pattern.
Why put a kilim under a bench with a bold cushion?
A rug anchors a long bench on a busy or speckled floor. Here a terracotta kilim repeats the warm reds in the print, so from the kitchen the bench looks grounded rather than floating over the terrazzo.
Stitch straight — Maggie
More photographs to read
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