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A Reading by CallumOutdoor & Water-Repellent Cushions

Coral and navy striped outdoor bench cushions in a whitewashed courtyard, and what to borrow indoors

Three striped box cushions stacked on terracotta in hard, dry light. Outdoor cloth has lessons for your kitchen. Your kitchen has a few for the patio.

Read by

The Weather Man of Casco BayPublished Updated 4 min read

Three cream box cushions with navy, coral and mustard stripes stacked on terracotta tiles in a courtyard with rosemarySave
One bold coral stripe between two navy ones keeps this courtyard stack lively but balanced.

The quick answer

Outdoor bench cushions in woven, water-repellent, UV-resistant stripes also work indoors, where they wipe clean and resist fading; expect a firmer hand, like a good sun lounger cushion. Indoor fabrics go outside only under a roof. Borrow one habit from each side: outdoor cloth for sun and spills, indoor care for storage and washing.

One striped outdoor cushion, cut open

Cross-section through the depth, drawn for 4 in (10 cm) on 17¾ in, to proportion.1. Outdoor stripe: Woven polyester with water-repellent and UV-resistant finishes. It feels like cloth, not plastic, and firmer than indoor fabric.; 2. Self piping: Cut from the same stripe, top and bottom seams.; 3. Fiber wrap: Polyester fiber over the foam, softening the edge.; 4. Foam slab: Standard 32-density foam, about 2.0 lb/ft³. Not a quick-dry foam, so the cushion comes in before long rain.; 5. Zipper: On the back edge or the underside, so the cover comes off for cleaning.; 6. Base: Plain fabric. The standard build has no mesh drainage bottom.1Outdoor stripe3Fiber wrap2Self piping5Zipper6Base4Foam slab32 kg/m³ foam4 in10 cm17¾ in deep · 45 cm
Cross-section through the depth, drawn for 4 in (10 cm) on 17¾ in, to proportion.

  1. Outdoor stripe. Woven polyester with water-repellent and UV-resistant finishes. It feels like cloth, not plastic, and firmer than indoor fabric.

  2. Self piping. Cut from the same stripe, top and bottom seams.

  3. Fiber wrap. Polyester fiber over the foam, softening the edge.

  4. Foam slab. Standard 32-density foam, about 2.0 lb/ft³. Not a quick-dry foam, so the cushion comes in before long rain.

  5. Zipper. On the back edge or the underside, so the cover comes off for cleaning.

  6. Base. Plain fabric. The standard build has no mesh drainage bottom.

Reading the stack in dry light

Terracotta tiles, a whitewashed wall, and box cushions stacked like cargo on a dock. Rosemary and lavender on one side, gravel on the other. Bright, dry daylight. Weather you'd order if you could, friend.

Look at the order of the pile. The top cushion is navy and mustard, the calmest stripe. The middle one carries coral, the warmest colorway. The bottom has wide-spaced navy stripes that give the stack its weight. Bold in the middle, calm on both sides. That sandwich keeps three stripes from shouting at once.

The setting does half the color work. Clay tiles pull the coral forward. The chalky wall repeats the cream ground of the fabric. Gray-green herbs cool it all down.

The cushions are thick with gently rounded corners and self piping. That profile suits a low masonry bench, where a hard square edge would look borrowed from a sofa. Copy the idea for a set of three seats: one bold stripe, two calmer ones.

Pinned by Callum

Five pins, from the calm top stripe down to the terracotta.

Pinned: Three cream box cushions with navy, coral and mustard stripes stacked on terracotta tiles in a courtyard with rosemary
  1. Navy and mustard top

    A calmer stripe on top keeps the stack from looking busy.

  2. Coral middle cushion

    The brightest colorway sits in the middle, framed by two navy-led stripes.

  3. Wide navy stripe

    Wider-spaced navy stripes at the base give the pile visual weight.

  4. Whitewashed wall

    The chalky white wall repeats the cream ground of the fabric.

  5. Terracotta tiles

    Clay tiles draw out the coral stripe in the middle cushion.

  1. Navy and mustard topA calmer stripe on top keeps the stack from looking busy.
  2. Coral middle cushionThe brightest colorway sits in the middle, framed by two navy-led stripes.
  3. Wide navy stripeWider-spaced navy stripes at the base give the pile visual weight.
  4. Whitewashed wallThe chalky white wall repeats the cream ground of the fabric.
  5. Terracotta tilesClay tiles draw out the coral stripe in the middle cushion.

What to borrow from each side of the door

TraitOutdoor cushionIndoor cushion
FabricWoven polyester, water-repellent, UV-resistantLinen-look, velvet, corduroy, cotton stripes
HandFirmer, like a good lounger cushionSofter, made for daily sitting
RainSheds a shower; comes in for long wet spellsUnder a roof only
SunResists fadingCan fade in strong, prolonged sun
Also worksSunrooms and busy kitchen benchesCovered porches
Off-seasonStored indoorsStays in
A real project

Seventeen pieces, two fabrics, covers only

A buyer wrote in with a whole garden to dress. Four seat pads at 18 x 18 x 2 3/8 in (46 x 46 x 6 cm). Three bench pads at 21 5/8 x 18 1/2 x 2 3/8 in (55 x 47 x 6 cm). Two lounger pads, 75 1/2 x 23 5/8 x 2 in and 74 3/4 x 19 3/4 x 2 in (192 x 60 x 5 and 190 x 50 x 5 cm). Eight cushions at 19 1/4 x 17 in (49 x 43 cm). Two outdoor fabrics.

The workshop priced it as a bundle. Then the buyer mentioned the foam was still good. Covers only brought the quote down by about a quarter.

Foam doesn't care what the weather did to the fabric. Check it before you buy the whole cushion again.

Sizes
46 x 46 x 6, 55 x 47 x 6, 192 x 60 x 5, 74¾ x 19¾ x 2 and 19¼ x 17 in (190 x 50 x 5 and 49 x 43 cm)
Fabric
Two outdoor fabrics

The lesson: If existing foam is good, covers-only can save roughly a quarter of the cost.

Buyer questions: feel, ties and snow

  1. A common question

    Does your outdoor fabric feel plasticky, like cheap waterproof cushions?

    The workshop's answer

    No. The outdoor fabrics aren't the plastic, coated kind; they feel like proper cloth, not a tarp. They are less soft than indoor upholstery fabrics, closer to a good sun lounger cushion, which is worth knowing if you plan to sit on them indoors every day.

  2. A common question

    Can you add ties to an outdoor bench cushion and decide which way the stripes run?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. One order was a 59 x 19 3/4 x 4 in cushion with piping and two ties on the back, plus two 29 1/2 x 20 x 3 in cushions, all in one outdoor fabric. The stripes ran along the 59 in length on the first and along the 20 in width on the other two, as the buyer asked.

  3. A common question

    Our summers are hot and our winters bring snow. Do you offer a fast-drying mesh bottom or quick-dry foam?

    The workshop's answer

    No. The outdoor fabric is UV-resistant and water-repellent, but there is no mesh drainage bottom and the foam isn't a quick-dry outdoor foam. These cushions do very well on a covered porch or brought in for winter; they aren't meant to sit uncovered through rain and snow.

If you'll sit on outdoor fabric indoors every day, expect a firmer hand, closer to a good sun lounger cushion than to velvet or linen-look.

Callum
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The stack, specified for weather

CushionsThree striped box cushions, gently rounded corners
FabricWoven outdoor stripe, water-repellent and UV-resistant
ColorwaysNavy and mustard; coral and navy; wide navy
PipingSelf
Thickness3 to 4 in (7.5 to 10 cm) for outdoor benches
Foam32-density standard; not quick-dry, no mesh bottom
Off-seasonStore indoors
Also worksSunrooms and kitchen benches
Best forLow masonry benches, courtyards, covered porches

Order this cushion

Have it made

Have this made — ask Callum’s workshop

Sun, rain, salt. Say which of them your cushion will meet, and the workshop will plan around it. — Callum

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.

Fabric · Foam · Pipingwhat the workshop will confirm with you

Fabric
Woven outdoor stripe, water-repellent and UV-resistant
Foam
32-density standard; not quick-dry, no mesh bottom
Piping
Self
Only for this request: no marketing calls or texts. Outside the US, add the country code.
In inches: length × depth × thickness, plus any angles or cut corners.

* Required. A member of the workshop team will call you to talk it through; nothing is charged and nothing is made until you have agreed on every detail with them.

We use these details only to answer this request and make your cushion: your name and contact details, the cushion details and photos you send, the page you came from and the ad or link that brought you, if any. The workshop that makes the cushions receives them. We don't sell them or share them for advertising, and we delete requests after 24 months. Privacy notice for requests.

Nothing is made or charged until you approve the details.

Want to pick the shape and add photos? Use the full quote form

Questions buyers ask next

Can outdoor cushions be used inside the house?

Yes. The outdoor fabrics work indoors too, and they suit sunrooms and busy kitchen benches where sun and spills are daily. Expect a firmer, slightly crisper hand than velvet or linen-look.

Are these outdoor cushions waterproof?

No. The fabric is water-repellent, not waterproof: it sheds a passing shower, but it isn't built to sit out through days of rain. Water-repellent is a promise; waterproof is a contract. Store the cushions indoors in the off-season.

How thick should an outdoor bench cushion be?

3 to 4 in (7.5 to 10 cm) is the usual advice for outdoor benches, and outdoor quotes assume 4 in (10 cm). Thinner pads, like the 2 in lounger pads in one garden order, suit loungers and chairs.

Fair winds — Callum

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