---
title: "Lumbar Pillow in Burgundy with Self Piping on a Plank Bed"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/readings/burgundy-piped-lumbar-forest-green-plank-headboard/"
section: "Readings"
author: "Élodie Marchand, The Colorist of New Orleans"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/elodie/"
published: "2026-04-28"
updated: "2026-09-24"
keywords: "lumbar pillow, custom throw pillows, custom cushion covers, made to measure cushion, cushion cover"
---

# A burgundy piped lumbar pillow with forest green shams, and how it will look after a year of real life

*Low autumn sun, reclaimed planks and two deep, earthy colors. Lovely on the first morning; the real test is the three-hundredth, with coffee, a dog and a pillow fight.*

> **The quick answer:** A burgundy lumbar pillow with self piping ages well on a lived-in bed, because the deep color hides small marks and the matching welt keeps a crisp outline without a pale edge to soil. Order it with a zippered cover, wash the cover at 86°F (30°C) on a gentle cycle, air dry it, and iron on low if needed.

![Burgundy lumbar pillow with self piping and forest green piped shams against a reclaimed wood plank headboard](https://cushionguide.com/media/lumbar-pillows/burgundy-piped-lumbar-forest-green-plank-headboard-1600.webp "Piped burgundy and forest green cushions bring a cabin feel to a reclaimed plank bed.")

## Buyer questions, before the reading: a crash pad cover, washing and returns

**A common question:** Can you make a large removable, washable cover for a sensory crash pad?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. One 61 x 61 x 10 in (155 x 155 x 25 cm) machine-washable cover was made with a long zipper so it comes off easily. The workshop needs a fabric code, for example from the linen chart in oatmeal or warm beige, and whether you want piping, and in which code.

**A common question:** How should I wash the covers?

**The workshop's answer:** Unzip and remove the cover, machine wash it at 86°F (30°C) on a cold or gentle cycle, and let it air dry; no tumble dryer. Iron on low if needed. The same care applies to every fabric the workshop offers, whether you bought a full cushion or a cover only.

**A common question:** Can I return a custom-size cushion or cover?

**The workshop's answer:** Custom orders can't be returned unless they are faulty. For other returns, the buyer pays the return shipping, and the refund is processed once the package arrives and has been checked.

## Two deep colors in one low sun

Here is the photograph, my friends, and it is a warm one. A reclaimed plank headboard in silvered gray and honey, the grain showing. Low autumn sun raking in from the side. A stoneware jug of dried oak leaves on the nightstand. And down the middle of the bed, a burgundy [lumbar pillow](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/lumbar-pillows/) with self piping, a burgundy square behind it, and two forest green euro shams on either side, all on white linen.

Burgundy and forest green are both deep and earthy, cousins of the weathered wood and those russet leaves. On colored bedding they would sink. White is what keeps them readable. The eye sits down first, and here it sits on a column of burgundy running straight down the center.

Now look at the edge. The piping is the same burgundy as the body, so it traces the outline without raising its voice. In strong side light every seam throws a shadow, and a self-piped [knife edge](https://cushionguide.com/glossary/#knife-edge) turns that shadow into one crisp line. The green shams carry the same tailored edge, which is why five pillows look like one decision. Both colors come from the workshop's [linen-look fabrics](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/linen-look-fabrics/), and the [bedroom cushions](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/bedroom-cushions/) show other beds dressed the same way.

A cream welt might have been prettier on the first morning. On a pillow that gets hugged, thrown and slept against, it would show every hand. Which color does your household test hardest, the white or the dark?

## Pinned by Élodie: a burgundy column between two greens

Five pins trace the burgundy lumbar, its self-piped edge, the square behind it, a forest green sham and the jug of oak leaves that set the palette.

1. **Burgundy piped lumbar**: Burgundy and forest green are both deep, earthy colors that suit weathered planks.
2. **Self piping edge**: Piping in the body color traces the outline and keeps the shape crisp in strong side light.
3. **Burgundy square**: The square repeats the lumbar so burgundy forms the center column.
4. **Forest green sham**: Piped green shams on the flanks carry the same tailored edge as the lumbar.
5. **Jug of dried leaves**: Dried oak leaves repeat the burgundy-brown range on the nightstand.

## The daily-life test, line by line

| The test | What you will see | What keeps it looking right |
|---|---|---|
| A coffee drip | Deep burgundy hides a small mark far better than ivory | Unzip the cover and wash it at 86°F (30°C) on a gentle cycle |
| A dog on the bed | Light hair shows on the dark pillows, dark hair on the white bedding | Brush the pillows between washes |
| Kids and pillow fights | A knife-edge lumbar has no box wall to crush out of shape | A zippered cover, so the insert can come out |
| Low sun across the bed | Side light shows every seam and wrinkle | Self piping for a crisp outline; iron on low if needed |
| Laundry day | Heat is hard on a tailored cover | Air dry only, no tumble dryer |

## A peach cover for foam that was already there

One buyer wrote in with the foam already in hand, 4 in (10 cm) thick, for a single trapezoid bay cushion. They wanted only the cover: zippered, box-shaped, self-piped, in a soft peach or coral outdoor-grade fabric.

Their numbers were careful. Front 95 in (241 cm), back against the wall 50 in (127 cm), depth 23 in (58 cm), and the two angled sides 32.5 in and 32 in (83 and 81 cm). The workshop quoted a turnaround of 10-14 days at most.

Notice the half inch between those two sides. In older bays they are rarely identical, so measure each one on its own. The same care belongs to a lumbar cover: a cover made to come off is a cover you can keep clean. For covers over foam you already own, see [cushion covers for existing foam](https://cushionguide.com/guides/cushion-covers-for-existing-foam/), and for laundry day, [how to wash cushion covers](https://cushionguide.com/guides/how-to-wash-cushion-covers/).

## On the cutting table: the plank-bed lumbar

|   |   |
|---|---|
| Product | Lumbar pillow with a matching square and two euro shams |
| Edge | Knife edge |
| Piping | Self piping in burgundy; green shams piped in their own color |
| Fabric | Linen-look in burgundy and forest green |
| Closure | Zippered cover recommended, so it comes off for washing |
| Wash | 86°F (30°C), gentle cycle, air dry, no tumble dryer |
| Iron | Low, if needed |
| Best for | Rustic and cabin bedrooms with white bedding |

> A lumbar pillow piped in its own color keeps a crisp outline in low side light, with no pale welt to show every hand that hugs it.
>
> — Élodie

> **Tailor's margin:** Wash lumbar pillow covers at 86°F (30°C) on a gentle cycle, air dry them, and skip the tumble dryer. Iron on low only if needed.

## Questions buyers ask next

### Do dark lumbar pillows hide wear better than light ones?

Usually, yes. Deep shades like burgundy and forest green hide small marks and everyday handling better than ivory or blush. Pair them with white or cream bedding so the dark colors still read clearly in low light.

### Should a lumbar pillow have self piping or contrast piping?

Self piping gives a quiet, tailored outline that stays crisp in side light and never looks soiled at the edge. Contrast piping draws a sharper line and suits calm solids in bright rooms. On a rustic bed with deep colors, self piping is the gentler choice.

### What colors go with a reclaimed wood headboard?

Deep, earthy colors such as burgundy, forest green, rust or ink navy sit well against weathered planks. Balance them with white or cream bedding, and repeat one of the colors in a small object nearby, like dried leaves in a jug.

## Related at the atelier

- [Lumbar Pillow in Sage with Crimson Shams on a Walnut Bed](https://cushionguide.com/readings/sage-lumbar-crimson-shams-walnut-headboard/): To put red and green on a bed without a holiday look, gray one color down and place the softer one in front.
- [Lumbar Pillow in Forest Green on Ivory Shams: Where to Spend](https://cushionguide.com/readings/forest-green-lumbar-pillow-oak-bed-ivory-shams/): Spend on the lumbar pillow that carries the color and save on the layers behind it.
- [Cornflower Blue Lumbar Pillow With Black Ticking in an Attic](https://cushionguide.com/readings/cornflower-blue-lumbar-black-ticking-beadboard-attic/): A cornflower blue lumbar pillow reads from across a room as one calm block of color, while black-and-cream ticking only shows its fine stripe up close.
- [Matching throw pillows and lumbars to a seat cushion, color by color](https://cushionguide.com/guides/matching-throw-pillows-lumbar-pillows/): Matching throw pillows work best as a trio: one pillow in the seat cushion's own fabric, one that repeats the piping color, and one quiet texture.
- [Bistro chairs, café stools and the small seats that carry a room's color](https://cushionguide.com/concepts/bistro-chair-and-bar-stool-cushions/): Bistro chair cushions are sized from the seat itself, not the chair's overall dimensions: measure the front and back width, both side edges and the depth to the front edge, or the diameter for a…
- [One daybed, three jobs: a cushion set for sofa days and guest nights](https://cushionguide.com/concepts/daybed-sofa-cushion-sets/): A daybed cushion set that works as a sofa is a fitted mattress cover, two back cushions about 20 in (50 cm) tall and a bolster at each arm.
- [What to measure for a custom daybed mattress cover](https://cushionguide.com/guides/daybed-mattress-cover-measurements/)

*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/burgundy-piped-lumbar-forest-green-plank-headboard/