A Reading by RosaWindow Seat Cushions
A burgundy linen-look window seat cushion, and a corner that wasn't square
A wine-red seat reminded me of a buyer's corner window seat that took three rounds of measuring and came out right, so this one is a letter.
SaveThe quick answer
A window seat cushion in an old house should follow the real walls, not a perfect rectangle: measure both diagonals and let each seat's depth be what the walls give you. In one real corner order, the depths settled at 18.75 in and 19 in, and every piece closed within 1/4 in (6 mm). The burgundy seat here shows the finish.
Savannah ·
Dear neighbor,
What I see from the doorway
Wine red on white drawers, and outside the glass, pink hydrangeas nodding at a clapboard house. Overcast light keeps a deep color rich, not dark.
The cushion is about a quarter of the drawer-front height. That is thick enough to read as upholstery and slim enough that the dark bronze pulls below still matter, echoing the burgundy above. The piping is cut from the same wine weave, so the long front edge stays straight without a second color to argue with the flowers outside.
Two pale pillows lean against the window reveal: a gray one piped in its own fabric, and a cream one with gold embroidered sprigs. They lift the dark seat and repeat the taupe walls. The embroidery is the only pattern in the corner, so it can afford to be delicate. Honey oak boards keep it warm.
What color are your walls? With warm gray or taupe, one saturated window seat cushion and tonal piping will look tailored, not loud. Linen-look fabrics hold it well, but read the old-house measuring Pattern first.
Five places my eye went on the window seat
From the hydrangeas outside down to the bronze drawer pull.
- Burgundy box cushion
Wine-colored linen-look weave with tonal piping, cut to sit flush with the drawer fronts.
- Pale gray pillow
A light, piped linen pillow keeps the dark seat from feeling heavy against the glass.
- Embroidered cream pillow
The gold sprig embroidery is the only pattern in the corner, so it can be delicate.
- Bronze drawer pull
Dark bronze hardware echoes the depth of the burgundy above it.
- Hydrangea garden view
Pink blooms outside are the reason a wine red reads as natural here.
- Burgundy box cushionWine-colored linen-look weave with tonal piping, cut to sit flush with the drawer fronts.
- Pale gray pillowA light, piped linen pillow keeps the dark seat from feeling heavy against the glass.
- Embroidered cream pillowThe gold sprig embroidery is the only pattern in the corner, so it can be delicate.
- Bronze drawer pullDark bronze hardware echoes the depth of the burgundy above it.
- Hydrangea garden viewPink blooms outside are the reason a wine red reads as natural here.
The corner seat in a 120-year-old house
A buyer ordered four window seat pieces and two square pillows for a corner window in a house about 120 years old. One seat wrapped the corner, with a notch for a window column and smaller notches where the trim hung over. The workshop set one flat price for the lot.
Before any fabric was cut, it drew the measurements and found they didn't close. It asked for new ones, and for both diagonals. Three rounds later the buyer found the reason: the inner corner was not a true right angle. They set the depths at 18.75 in and 19 in, the workshop confirmed every piece closed within 1/4 in, and the whole set shipped together.
- Sizes
- About 50.9 x 50.75 in overall, 71.125 in diagonal; depths 18.75 and 19 in; 2 in (5 cm) foam
- Fabric
- Linen with a piping code of its own
The lesson: In old houses, measure both diagonals and let each seat's depth follow the real walls.
The corner window seat order: question, choices, result
- The question: one set around a window column and two trim overhangs.
- The choices: notches drawn in, 2 in (5 cm) foam, linen with its own piping code.
- The check: a drawing that would not close, so both diagonals.
- The result: depths of 18.75 and 19 in, all within 1/4 in, shipped as one set.
On the cutting table: the burgundy window seat cushion
| Cushion | Window seat cushion, box edge, flush with the drawer fronts |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Linen-look weave, burgundy |
| Piping | Self piping, tonal |
| Thickness | About a quarter of the drawer-front height |
| Pillows | Pale gray piped linen; cream with gold embroidered sprigs |
| Base | White shaker drawers, dark bronze bar pulls |
| Best for | A garden-facing window in a traditional living room |
Have it made
Have this made — ask Rosa’s workshop
Tell the workshop who sits there: grandkids, the dog, a cup of coffee at six. The right fabric and foam follow from the people. — Rosa
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.
Ties, thickness and paying for a quote
- A common question
Can you add ties so I can tie the cushion under my bench? How many do I need?
The workshop's answerYes; leave a note with your order. Ties are sewn into the cushion seam. To knot under the base you need one at each corner, four rather than two, so opposite ties can meet underneath. Two ties on the back edge only is the other option.
- A common question
How thick is the cushion, and can I change it?
The workshop's answerThe standard is 4 in (10 cm), as in most of the photos. Thickness can be changed, to 3 in (7.5 cm) or thicker, and the workshop can send photos of a 3 in cushion.
- A common question
You sent me a custom quote. How do I pay for it?
The workshop's answerSelect the size option made for you, labeled with your name and set to the quoted amount, or use the custom order link the workshop sends. Then write the fabric code, the piping choice and the exact size in the note box.
In an old house, measure a window seat's two diagonals; if they differ, the corner is not square, and the cushion should follow the walls.
Rosa
Questions buyers ask next
What does it mean when a drawing closes within 1/4 in?
When the workshop draws your measurements to scale, the outline meets itself with no more than 1/4 in (6 mm) left over. If it doesn't, a number is off or a corner isn't square, so it asks before cutting.
How do I measure a window seat in an older home?
Measure the width at the front and at the back wall, and the depth at both ends and the middle, from the face of the trim. Old walls can run 1/2 in out over a few feet, so note which end is smaller.
Why pair a dark burgundy seat with pale pillows?
A dark seat against a bright window can look heavy. Pale gray and cream pillows leaning on the window reveal lift it and repeat the wall color, so the wine reads as rich instead of dark.
Porch light's on — Rosa
P.S. Send a photo of your window seat with the tape measure in the shot. Pictures settle arguments that numbers start.
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