A Reading by HarlanCorner Floor Cushions & Poufs
A charcoal corduroy quarter-round corner floor cushion under a fairy-light canopy
Harlan reads the shape before the color: a quarter circle with a boxed, ribbed front wall, cut to fill the corner so the canopy can fall to the floor on both sides.
SaveThe quick answer
A quarter-round corner floor cushion is cut as a quarter circle, so it fills the whole corner instead of leaving gaps the way a square pad would. Size it by the radius, measured from the corner to where a canopy hem or your seating edge lands. A box edge keeps the curved front standing upright; one buyer's 50 in pads used 6.5 in foam.
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 Harlan in the canopy corner
Five pins, from the quarter-round top and its ribbed curved wall to the moon pillow, the jute rug and the teddy bear.
- Quarter-round top
The pad uses the whole corner so the canopy can fall to the floor on both walls.
- Curved corduroy wall
Ribs running up the curved front make the depth easy to read.
- Mustard moon pillow
Star, cloud and moon tell a night-sky story that matches the lights.
- Round jute rug
Natural fiber in front warms the charcoal and cool floor.
- Teddy bear
Props at floor level show the scale of the pad for a small child.
- Quarter-round topThe pad uses the whole corner so the canopy can fall to the floor on both walls.
- Curved corduroy wallRibs running up the curved front make the depth easy to read.
- Mustard moon pillowStar, cloud and moon tell a night-sky story that matches the lights.
- Round jute rugNatural fiber in front warms the charcoal and cool floor.
- Teddy bearProps at floor level show the scale of the pad for a small child.
Why a quarter circle, and not a square
A square pad in a corner leaves two gaps and one hard point. A quarter circle leaves nothing. It fills the corner wall to wall, and the canopy can fall to the floor on both sides and frame a real den rather than a single seat.
I have cut a good many corner pads, my friend, and the shape always tells you where folks will sit. On a quarter-round they sit on the curve, facing out, backs toward the walls. So the curve is the face of the cushion, and it has to hold its line.
That is the box edge's work. The front wall of this corner floor cushion is boxed, and the ribs of the charcoal corduroy run up the curve, so the depth reads at a glance. A seam that follows a curve asks more of the hand than one that follows a straight edge. A seam is a promise, and a curved one is a promise made slowly.
Charcoal grounds the cream canopy and pale walls. The star, cloud and moon pillows tell a night-sky story that matches the fairy lights. The round jute rug in front warms the cool stone-gray floor. The blocks, the open picture book and the teddy bear sit at floor level to show you the scale: a pad for a small child, and a grown-up reading beside them.
How far from the corner does your canopy hem land?
Four edges for a corner pad, weighed at the bench
| Edge | On a quarter circle | My verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Box edge | A straight side wall stands up all the way around the curve and shows off the ribs | The right choice here |
| Knife edge | Top and bottom meet in one seam, so the curve thins to a lip | Better for a throw pillow than a floor pad |
| Rounded corners | Softens the point where the two straight sides meet in the corner | Worth asking for if your walls are not square |
| Angled corners | A straight, clipped front instead of a curve | Reads as a bench seat, not a den |
Three pink quarter-circles, and a ruffle we could not sew
A buyer in the US wrote to the workshop wanting three large quarter-round corner floor cushions for a girls' play and reading corner, all in pinks, with a ruffle on one. The workshop does not make ruffles, and it said so plainly. What it offered instead was a double layer in contrasting fabrics, a way to bring a second color to the cushion without a gathered trim.
In the end she chose three plain cushions, each 50 in (127 cm) in radius, with 6.5 in (16.5 cm) foam, in a soft fabric: pink, sour cherry and dried rose. Then she came back for a fourth, in fuchsia. Plain served her well.
For sizing your own, the quarter-circle corner cushion pattern walks through the radius, and corner reading nook floor cushions shows more dens like hers.
- Sizes
- 50 in (127 cm) radius, 6.5 in (16.5 cm) foam, three cushions and later a fourth
The lesson: When a ruffle is not possible, a double layer in contrasting colors brings two tones to the cushion.
Buyer questions: nine cord colors, mixed pieces and an 8 in seat
- A common question
What colors does the corduroy teddy sofa come in? Could you make it in black or maroon?
The workshop's answerThe listing offers nine corduroy colors. Black corduroy and maroon are not among them.
- A common question
Can I mix colors on the different pieces of the sofa?
The workshop's answerYes. Place the order and write the colors in the order note, for example one backrest in brick, one in water green, and both bottom cushions in cream white.
- A common question
Can you make an extra-thick floor seat, somewhere around 8 to 10 inches?
The workshop's answerYes. The workshop quoted a 56 x 20 in seat at both 8 in and 6 in thick, and agreed a 20 x 52 x 8 in floor-sofa seat with a backrest and two armrests. Floor-cushion sets are 4 in (10 cm) thick as standard; 6 in (15 cm) is an upgrade at extra cost.
On the cutting table: the canopy den
| Cushion | Quarter-round corner floor cushion |
|---|---|
| Shape | Quarter circle, sized by the radius from the corner |
| Fabric | Charcoal gray corduroy, ribs running up the curved front |
| Edge | Box edge, no piping |
| Pillows | Cream star, gray cloud, mustard crescent moon |
| Setting | White-walled corner, cream canopy with fairy lights, round jute rug |
| Variant from a past order | 50 in (127 cm) radius, 6.5 in (16.5 cm) foam, in pinks |
| Best for | Nursery dens, play corners and reading corners under a canopy |
Have it made
Have this made — ask Harlan’s workshop
The best cushions I have known began with somebody asking one more question. Ask yours here. — Harlan
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 quarter-round corner floor cushion is sized by one number: the radius from the corner to where the canopy hem lands on the floor.
Harlan
Questions buyers ask next
How big should a quarter-round corner floor cushion be?
Measure from the corner out along each wall to where a canopy hem or your seating edge will land; that distance is the radius. One buyer's play and reading corner used a 50 in (127 cm) radius with 6.5 in (16.5 cm) foam.
Is a box edge or a knife edge better on a corner floor cushion?
A box edge. Its straight side wall stands up around the curve and gives the pad real depth to sit on. A knife edge thins to a single seam, which suits throw pillows better than floor seating.
Which way should corduroy ribs run on a curved floor cushion?
In this corner the ribs run up the curved front wall, which makes the cushion's depth easy to read from across the room. If rib direction matters to you, ask about it before the fabric is cut.
Can a floor cushion have a ruffle?
The workshop does not make ruffles. It offers a double layer in contrasting fabrics instead, which brings a second color to the cushion. One buyer who asked settled on plain pads and came back for a fourth.
Sit well. — Harlan
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