A Reading by MaggieBanquette & Kitchen Nook Cushions
Coral hibiscus banquette cushions, and the blue-gray nook behind them
A breakfast corner in coral hibiscus, and a real nook in blue-gray behind it. The question, the choices and the result, straight from my notebook.
SaveThe quick answer
An L-shaped banquette is best made as two box cushions, one per run, meeting in the corner, each measured on its own for length and depth at the standard 4 in thickness. With a loud print, choose solid piping in its strongest color and solid pillows, and decide the fabric from a physical swatch in daylight rather than a chart on screen.
The question: two runs and a blue that kept changing
A buyer in the US wrote in about a corner nook: two bench runs, one 85 in long and one 62.5 in, both 23.25 in deep, cushions 4 in high. The brief was one word. Blue.
Then the charts got involved. Swatch 20 looked green on one chart, and swatch 31 turned out to be gray. After some back and forth the buyer settled on 20, a blue-gray linen mix. I'd have said the same, dear: choose from the cloth, not the screen.
The last wrinkle was the price, and it ended well. Itemized cushion by cushion, it came to more than the first written quote. The shop honored that first quote, express shipping included.
- Sizes
- 85 x 23.25 x 4 in and 62.5 x 23.25 x 4 in (216 x 59 x 10 cm and 159 x 59 x 10 cm)
The lesson: Keep the first written quote. The same swatch number can look very different across charts and screens.
The nook, in numbers
The buyer's two runs, straight from the order, with centimeters for the cutting table.
| Piece | Length | Depth | Thickness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long run | 85 in (216 cm) | 23.25 in (59 cm) | 4 in (10 cm) |
| Short run | 62.5 in (159 cm) | 23.25 in (59 cm) | 4 in (10 cm) |
Two box cushions meeting in the corner of the L. Which run owns the corner is settled before cutting.
The choices, ticked off in order
Two cushions, not one L
Each run is its own box cushion, meeting in the corner. Decide which run owns the corner before anything is cut.
Thickness: 4 in
The standard. The workshop also makes 3, 6 and 6.5 in when the table height asks for it.
Color from the cloth
A swatch number can read green on one chart and gray-blue on the next. Decide by a window, swatch in hand.
Piping that holds the line
On a print, take the piping from its strongest solid color. On plain linen, self piping keeps it calm.
The result, read from the photograph
The photograph is the nook's louder cousin: coral hibiscus and palm leaves on an L-shaped banquette, white beadboard above, a round marble bistro table in the crook of the L. Same bones: two runs, box cushions, one corner.
The print is loud, so everything else whispers. White beadboard and a white banquette box, then only natural fibers: cane bistro chairs, a rattan dome pendant hung low to mark the dining corner, a jute rug over terracotta tile. Coral and cream tulips on the marble repeat the print at the center of the table.
The piping does the heavy lifting. A straight welt is a kind of honesty, and a solid coral cord, the strongest color in the flowers, draws a clean line around each run. Without it, a busy print goes soft at the edges. The pillows are solid coral, cream and sage, each lifted from the print. That is the formula for kitchen nook cushions: one patterned seat, solid pillows in its colors, natural fibers everywhere else. Which run in your nook would own the corner? The corner joint Pattern helps you decide, and more shapes live under banquette cushions.
Pinned by Maggie: the bistro corner
Five notes in the margin of a breakfast corner.
- Coral piping
Solid coral piping picks the strongest flower color and keeps a busy print tailored.
- Right banquette run
Each run is its own box cushion, meeting in the corner of the L.
- Rattan pendant
Hung low over the table, it defines the dining corner.
- Tulips on marble
Coral and cream tulips repeat the print's palette at the center.
- Cane bistro chairs
Natural cane keeps everything around the print quiet.
- Coral pipingSolid coral piping picks the strongest flower color and keeps a busy print tailored.
- Right banquette runEach run is its own box cushion, meeting in the corner of the L.
- Rattan pendantHung low over the table, it defines the dining corner.
- Tulips on marbleCoral and cream tulips repeat the print's palette at the center.
- Cane bistro chairsNatural cane keeps everything around the print quiet.
Buyer questions
- A common question
How thick are banquette cushions, and can I pick another thickness?
The workshop's answerThe standard for bench and floor cushions is 4 in (10 cm). Custom orders are also made 3, 6 and 6.5 in thick; write the thickness you want in your request.
- A common question
How long does a custom cushion take to make and reach me?
The workshop's answerSimple bench cushions are the quickest to make; more custom pieces and patterned fabric take longer, and express delivery to the US adds its own days. Ask for order-to-door time in writing with the quote, and leave a margin.
- A common question
My cushion measures shorter than I ordered and the bolster looks flat. Is something wrong?
The workshop's answerProbably not. Cushions are vacuum-packed, so they arrive compressed and can measure short. Give the foam 48 to 72 hours, sometimes 3 to 4 days, then measure again. If it is still off, send a photo of it being measured.
The same swatch number can look green on one chart and gray-blue on another, so choose a banquette fabric from the cloth in daylight.
Maggie
On the cutting table: the hibiscus L-shaped banquette
| Cushions | L-shaped banquette, two box cushions |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Coral hibiscus and palm print |
| Piping | Contrast, solid coral |
| Thickness | 4 in (10 cm) standard; 3, 6, 6.5 in made |
| Pillows | Solid coral, cream and sage |
| Best for | Breakfast nooks, kitchen corners |
Have it made
Have this made — ask Maggie’s workshop
Numbers first, fabric second, piping last. Jot down what you have, and the workshop will go down the list with you, item by item. — 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.
Questions buyers ask next
Do both runs of an L-shaped banquette need the same depth?
Not necessarily. Both runs in the blue-gray nook happened to be 23.25 in deep, but a wall or window frame can make one run narrower. Measure each depth on its own.
Can a patterned banquette cushion have contrast piping?
Yes. Take the piping from the strongest solid color in the print, as coral is here. The cord draws a clean line around each run and keeps a busy pattern looking tailored rather than soft.
What pillows suit a printed banquette?
Solids lifted from the print. Two or three of its colors, like coral, cream and sage, tie the pillows to the seat without starting a second pattern that competes with the first.
Stitch straight — Maggie
More photographs to read
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