SaveA Reading by MaggieBanquette & Kitchen Nook Cushions
Coral stripe seat, plain coral backs: a masonry bench built for lingering
Maggie reads a whitewashed built-in bench on a tiled terrace, where a striped seat and soft loose backs turn cold stone into an afternoon nobody wants to leave.
A Mediterranean built-in bench with a coral stripe seat and plain coral back cushions under pink bougainvillea.
The quick answer
For long sitting on a built-in masonry bench, run one seat cushion the full length of the ledge and lean two or three loose back cushions against the wall; no frame is needed. Choose a wipe-clean, water-repellent fabric, and put the pattern on the seat when the wall behind is plain, as with this coral stripe.
Stone does not give, so the cushions must
A masonry bench is the most honest seat outdoors. It will not wobble, rot or rust. It also will not give a quarter inch, so every bit of comfort comes from what you put on it.
This banquette cushion set wears a coral and white stripe seat with two plain coral back cushions. The stripe goes on the seat because the whitewashed wall behind is plain and calm. Coral piping outlines the seat against the whitewash. The fabric comes from a water-repellent chart, the kind that wipes clean after lunch.
For long sitting, look at the backs. They simply lean against the wall with no frame at all, soft enough to sink into and loose enough to shift when you turn to talk. The seat runs the whole length of the ledge, so nobody perches on a bare stone edge. That is what turns an outdoor bench into a place for a second pot of coffee.
The coral was not picked from a fan deck. It came off the terracotta floor tiles and the pink bougainvillea overhead, and the leaf shadows on the white wall soften the whole picture in the late sun. There are no extra pillows and no throw. The bench looks as if it grew out of the terrace. How long would you stay out on a bench like this?
Pinned by Maggie: stripe, back and bloom
Five pins move from the coral stripe seat up to the bougainvillea and down to the tiles, tracing where the color came from.
- Coral stripe seat
The pattern goes on the seat because the white wall behind is plain.
- Plain coral back
Soft back cushions lean on the wall with no frame needed.
- Coral piped edge
Piping in coral outlines the stripe against the whitewash.
- Pink bougainvillea
The flowers echo the warm pink in the fabric.
- Terracotta tiles
The floor tiles set the coral color of the whole scheme.
- Coral stripe seatThe pattern goes on the seat because the white wall behind is plain.
- Plain coral backSoft back cushions lean on the wall with no frame needed.
- Coral piped edgePiping in coral outlines the stripe against the whitewash.
- Pink bougainvilleaThe flowers echo the warm pink in the fabric.
- Terracotta tilesThe floor tiles set the coral color of the whole scheme.
Seat versus back, job by job
| Detail | Seat cushion | Back cushions |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Coral and white stripe | Plain coral |
| Why | A plain wall can carry the pattern | Calm behind the head |
| Fit | Full length of the masonry ledge | Two or three loose pieces, flush or with a small gap |
| Fixing | Sits on the ledge | Leans on the wall, no frame |
| Fabric | Water-repellent, wipe-clean | Same chart, a second code |
Three cushions for a family that spills
A family wrote to the workshop about a kitchen banquette and a household of messy kids. They needed three piped cushions: 50 x 18.5 x 2 in (127 x 47 x 5 cm), 59 x 18.5 x 2 in (150 x 47 x 5 cm) and a small 21 x 11.5 x 2 in (53 x 29 x 5 cm).
What they asked for first was not thickness. It was a fabric that forgives. The shop quoted all three and sent its premium chart, a water-resistant fabric that wipes clean, with other charts on offer if none of the colors suited.
I agree with that order of priorities, dear. Where meals and children happen, wipe-clean matters more than an extra inch of foam. On a terrace bench meant for long afternoons, give comfort its due as well; our banquette thickness Pattern sets the depth against the table height.
On the cutting table: the terrace bench
| Product | Built-in bench seat with loose back cushions |
|---|---|
| Seat fabric | Coral and white stripe, water-repellent |
| Back fabric | Plain coral from the same chart |
| Piping | Coral piping on the striped seat |
| Edge | Box edge |
| Backs | Lean on the wall, no frame |
| Care | Wipe clean |
| Best for | Patios, terraces and outdoor dining benches |
Have it made
Have this made — ask Maggie’s workshop
I once cut a lovely cushion two inches short, and I have not forgotten it. That is why the workshop goes over your measurements with you on the phone. — 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.
Buyer questions: one checkout, flush pieces, L shapes
- A common question
My breakfast nook needs two rectangles and one angled corner cushion. Do I place three orders?
The workshop's answerNo. Add each cushion to the cart in its own size and check out once for all three. Write the fabric codes and the shapes in the personalization note.
- A common question
I want several cushions sitting flush against each other on one long bench. How do I size them?
The workshop's answerMeasure each section and send the exact width, depth and thickness of every cushion. For two backrests along one bench, just divide the total length by two. If you'd like a small gap between pieces, write the sizes slightly smaller.
- A common question
Can you make L-shaped cushions to my own measurements?
The workshop's answerYes. For benches the workshop suggests making the L in two pieces and asks for the bench width. One custom order paired two L-shaped backrests, 55 x 39⅜ in (140 x 100 cm) and 39⅜ x 55 in (100 x 140 cm), with two corduroy covers for 78¾ x 55 x 11¾ in (200 x 140 x 30 cm) mattresses.
On a whitewashed masonry bench, put the stripe on the seat and the plain color on the back cushions. A plain wall can carry one pattern, not two.
Maggie
Questions buyers ask next
Do loose back cushions stay upright against a masonry wall without a frame?
Soft back cushions lean on the wall under their own weight, and a seat cushion that runs the full ledge keeps their bases from sliding forward. If yours tend to tip, a wedge shape or firmer fill helps them stand.
Can the seat and the backs on a terrace bench come from one outdoor chart?
Yes, in two codes: pattern on one, plain on the other. Write the code for each piece in the order note so the stripe lands on the seat and the solid color on the back cushions.
Is a 2 in cushion thick enough for a banquette seat?
For a kitchen banquette used at meals, one family chose 2 in (5 cm) and put their priority on wipe-clean fabric. For long lounging on stone you may want more; check the thickness against your table height before ordering.
How do I choose a cushion color for a tiled patio bench?
Take it from something fixed. Here the coral came from terracotta floor tiles and pink bougainvillea, so the bench looks planted rather than placed. Walls, tiles and plants outlast furniture, so start with them.
Stitch straight — Maggie
