A Reading by RosaWindow Seat Cushions
A cinnamon corduroy window seat cushion, and the messages that got it right
Pull up a chair. Most good cushions start as a good conversation, and this window seat comes with a few honest ones.
SaveThe quick answer
For a window seat cushion that sits well under a wood window board, match the fabric to the wood's warm undertone, one or two shades darker. Here cinnamon corduroy pairs with an oak board over a white paneled base. When you order, say where the seat lives: under a roof, standard fabric is fine; where rain reaches, choose water-repellent outdoor fabric.
Buyer questions
- A common question
How do I know my trapezoid measurements are right before you cut?
The workshop's answerCheck that the slanted sides are longer than the straight depth. One buyer listed a 57 7/8 in top, 89 3/4 in bottom, 17 in depth and a 17 in slanted side (147, 228, 43 and 43 cm). The workshop spotted the depth written twice: both sides measured 22 7/8 in (58 cm), so the true depth was about 16 3/8 in (41.5 cm). Measure each angled edge corner to corner.
- A common question
Is 2 in the thinnest you make? My bench wants something slimmer.
The workshop's answer2 in (5 cm) is the thinnest standard, but thinner is possible. At 3/4 in (2 cm) or 1 in (2.5 cm) the cushion is made without piping; at about 1 1/4 in (3 cm) piping still fits. The workshop can send photos of ¾ in (2 cm) and 2 in (5 cm) cushions side by side.
- A common question
A color in your photos isn't on the chart. Can I still get it?
The workshop's answerUsually, yes. Some fabrics came off the catalog to keep it simple but are still in stock, and their codes are printed on the product images. The workshop can send close-up phone photos of any color and add a missing one to the order options.
Now, the reading
A conversation about two cream cushions under a roof
A buyer wrote to the workshop about two cream cushions for a covered outdoor seating area: 67 x 9 3/4 in (170 x 25 cm) and 86 5/8 x 28 3/8 in (220 x 72 cm).
The buyer: It's under a roof. Do I need outdoor fabric?
The workshop: Our standard fabric works under cover, but it isn't waterproof. Unless you need rain protection, the soft fabric is lovely. Here's the water-repellent outdoor chart, just in case.
The buyer: I'll take the water-repellent one, in cream.
Later came a second message: could we copy a set of existing chair covers with eyelets and buttons? That couldn't be made that way, and the workshop said so plainly. A straight no beats a cushion that disappoints.
The rule I'd tape to your fridge, neighbor: where rain can reach, choose water-repellent outdoor fabric; under a real roof, a regular fabric will do. More in indoor cushions on a covered porch.
Pinned by Rosa: five spots along the sill
Five pins, from the oak window board down to the cinnamon cord and out to the dried grasses in the corner.
- Cinnamon cord seat
Matched to the warm undertone of the oak board above.
- Oak window board
Natural wood was the color reference for the cushion.
- Taupe linen pillow
Identical pair keeps the far end symmetrical and calm.
- Potted plant
A small green on the sill breaks up the warm palette.
- Dried grasses
Height at the back corner draws the eye along the seat.
- Cinnamon cord seatMatched to the warm undertone of the oak board above.
- Oak window boardNatural wood was the color reference for the cushion.
- Taupe linen pillowIdentical pair keeps the far end symmetrical and calm.
- Potted plantA small green on the sill breaks up the warm palette.
- Dried grassesHeight at the back corner draws the eye along the seat.
Why the cushion took its color from the oak
A wood window board over a painted base makes the choice easy. Cinnamon corduroy matches the warm undertone of the oak above, so the soft seat and the joinery read as a pair. Take the color from the wood, one or two shades darker, and you can hardly miss.
The cushion is thick, about a fist high, with a box border the same depth all the way round and self piping in the same cord. That makes a tailored block, the kind of window seat cushion that looks built in. The ribs catch the side light from the garden window, so the color moves a little through the day; the nap should run the same way on every piece.
Two identical taupe linen pillows hold the far end, symmetrical and calm. A small plant in a stone pot breaks up all that warmth with a bit of green. Dried grasses in a ceramic vase add height at the back corner and walk your eye along the seat. Stacked books, a wooden tealight cup and a corner of jute rug say somebody actually reads here.
More seats like this are in window seat cushions and living room cushions. The cloth is in corduroy, and corduroy wale and nap direction explains the ribs. What wood sits above your window seat?
Five notes before you order a window seat cushion
Say where it lives
Indoors, under a real roof, or where rain can reach. That one line decides which fabric chart you see.
Name the color by code
Off-chart colors in the photos may still be in stock. Ask for a close-up phone photo before you commit.
Check the angled sides
On a trapezoid, the slanted sides are always longer than the depth. Measure each one corner to corner, or use the trapezoid cushion calculator.
State thickness and piping together
2 in (5 cm) is the thinnest standard. Thinner is possible, but below about 1 1/4 in (3 cm) the piping has to go.
Send photos of anything to copy
Ask whether details like eyelets or buttons can be made before you plan the room around them.
On the cutting table: the cinnamon window seat
| Piece | Box-edge window seat cushion |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Cinnamon rust corduroy |
| Piping | Self piping in the same cord |
| Border | Thick box edge, even depth all round |
| Color reference | The oak window board above |
| Pillows | Matched pair in taupe linen |
| Thinnest standard | 2 in (5 cm); piping possible down to about 1 1/4 in (3 cm) |
| Best for | Living-room window seats and reading nooks |
Have it made
Have this made — ask Rosa’s workshop
Every good cushion I know started with a long porch chat. This is the short version: leave your number and the workshop will call. — 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.
Take a window seat cushion's color from the wood, not the paint: one or two shades darker than the oak board above it.
Rosa
Questions buyers ask next
Can a window seat cushion go on a covered porch?
Yes. Under a solid roof a standard fabric works, though it isn't waterproof. Wherever rain can blow in or drip through, choose a water-repellent outdoor fabric instead and keep the soft cloths for the house.
What color cushion suits an oak window seat?
Find the wood's warm undertone and go one or two shades darker: cinnamon, rust or a toasted caramel. Matching the wood exactly can make the seat vanish into the joinery.
Why use two identical pillows on a long window seat?
A matched pair keeps one end of a long seat calm and symmetrical, which lets the cushion color and the view do the talking. Mixed pillows suit a shorter seat with less going on.
Porch light's on — Rosa
More photographs to read
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