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A Reading by HarlanBench Cushions

A cranberry velvet library bench cushion, and what holds it in place

Cranberry velvet on a painted built-in, leather and linen pillows, a brass sconce at reading height. A handsome seat. Now let us talk about what keeps it there.

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The Elder of High PointPublished 5 min read

Cranberry red velvet bench cushion on a painted built-in beneath bookshelves, with cognac leather and linen pillowsSave
A cranberry velvet cushion, leather pillows and a brass sconce turn a painted built-in into a proper library seat.

The quick answer

A velvet bench cushion on a flat built-in seat stays put best with a non-slip base, a grip fabric across the underside rather than an adhesive. Ties are for chairs and slatted frames that give them something to wrap around. The zipper goes on the back edge, facing the wall, and a very long seat is easier to live with in two pieces.

One 33 x 66 in half, cut open

Cross-section through the depth, drawn for 4 in (10.2 cm) on 33 in, 66 in long. Thickness exaggerated for legibility.1. Velvet cover: Cranberry velvet on the top and the band, zippered and removable, piped at the top and bottom edges.; 2. Piping: A fabric-covered cord sewn into the seams. It sits on the seam line, so it does not change the size.; 3. Fiber wrap: Polyester fiber (Dacron) batting around the foam: it fills the cover out and softens the edges.; 4. Foam core: 32-density high-density foam (about 2.0 lb/ft³), the same the workshop puts in couches. Drawn here at 4 in; state your own thickness on the order.; 5. Zipper: On the back edge, facing the wall, wrapping the back corners so the foam can go in. Nobody in the room sees it.; 6. Non-slip base: A grip fabric across the whole underside, not an adhesive. It holds on a painted top, and it makes the cushion one-sided.1Velvet cover3Fiber wrap2Piping5Zipper6Non-slip base4Foam core4 in10.2 cm33 in deep · 83.8 cm
Cross-section through the depth, drawn for 4 in (10.2 cm) on 33 in, 66 in long. Thickness exaggerated for legibility.

  1. Velvet cover. Cranberry velvet on the top and the band, zippered and removable, piped at the top and bottom edges.

  2. Piping. A fabric-covered cord sewn into the seams. It sits on the seam line, so it does not change the size.

  3. Fiber wrap. Polyester fiber (Dacron) batting around the foam: it fills the cover out and softens the edges.

  4. Foam core. 32-density high-density foam (about 2.0 lb/ft³), the same the workshop puts in couches. Drawn here at 4 in; state your own thickness on the order.

  5. Zipper. On the back edge, facing the wall, wrapping the back corners so the foam can go in. Nobody in the room sees it.

  6. Non-slip base. A grip fabric across the whole underside, not an adhesive. It holds on a painted top, and it makes the cushion one-sided.

A built-in that looks upholstered

A library bench asks to be sat in for hours, and this one was dressed for it. The seat is cranberry velvet, the pillows are cognac leather and oatmeal linen, and under it all lies a red Persian rug. Warm on warm on warm, built in layers like a good coat of varnish.

The cushion is deep and fills the bench from the wall to the curtain, so the painted base reads like the plinth of an upholstered loveseat. A thick, self-piped box edge does that. A thin pad would have left it looking like a shelf with a blanket on it.

Look at the light. The brass sconce hangs at seat height for reading after dark, and a brass lamp glows on the shelf above. Between the two, the velvet shines along the front edge where the pile catches it. The pale linen pillows sit at the ends so the corners do not feel heavy, and the leather sits next to the velvet for that club-chair richness. The rug repeats the red down at floor level and ties the corner together.

If you copy it, alternate the pillows from the ends inward, linen and then leather, so the color builds toward the middle. And settle the fastening before you settle the color. How does your seat meet the wall: solid sides, open slats, or a bare painted top?

Pinned by Harlan

Five pins, from the sconce down to the rug.

Pinned: Cranberry red velvet bench cushion on a painted built-in beneath bookshelves, with cognac leather and linen pillows
  1. Brass sconce

    A wall light at seat height makes the bench usable for reading after dark.

  2. Cognac leather pillow

    Leather next to velvet gives the red a club-chair richness.

  3. Oatmeal linen pillow

    Pale linen pillows at each end stop the corners feeling heavy.

  4. Deep velvet box edge

    A thick, self-piped edge makes the built-in look upholstered, like a proper loveseat.

  5. Persian rug

    The rug's red repeats the cushion at floor level and ties the corner together.

  1. Brass sconceA wall light at seat height makes the bench usable for reading after dark.
  2. Cognac leather pillowLeather next to velvet gives the red a club-chair richness.
  3. Oatmeal linen pillowPale linen pillows at each end stop the corners feeling heavy.
  4. Deep velvet box edgeA thick, self-piped edge makes the built-in look upholstered, like a proper loveseat.
  5. Persian rugThe rug's red repeats the cushion at floor level and ties the corner together.

Which grip for which seat

Here is how the workshop decides, surface by surface.

Seat or backWhat holds itWhy
Flat built-in or window seatNon-slip baseNothing to tie to; a grip fabric holds on painted wood
Chair or slatted benchTiesA tie can wrap a rail, a slat or a spindle
Back cushion against a flat wallNon-slip gripIt leans, and the grip keeps its foot from creeping
Back cushion against slatsTiesThe slats give the ties something to hold
Any cushion, any seatZipper on the back edgeFacing the wall, out of sight

Hook-and-loop tape and snaps are generally not fitted. A non-slip base also means an odd shape must be drawn as seen from above, or it may arrive mirror-imaged.

A real project

Eleven feet of velvet, in two halves

A buyer in the US asked for one tufted velvet seat 33 x 132 in (84 x 335 cm), with a back cushion 30 in (76 cm) high, in color 11. Eleven feet of velvet in a single piece.

The workshop proposed two 33 x 66 in (84 x 168 cm) pieces instead. I will tell you why that is wise. Two halves are easier to make, carry, lift and close, and fabric comes on a roll about 55 in (140 cm) wide, which limits how long a one-piece panel can run. The buyer agreed, then asked for armrests on both ends of each piece: four in total. Each half became a seat of its own.

A seam is a promise, my friend, and a split in the right place is a promise too. It tells the next owner the cushion was built to be handled.

Sizes
33 x 132 in (84 x 335 cm) total, made as two pieces of 33 x 66 in (84 x 168 cm); back 30 in (76 cm) high
Fabric
Velvet, color 11

The lesson: Very long tufted seating is better made as modular halves, each finished with its own armrests.

What buyers asked about this kind of seat

  1. A common question

    My bay window sketch is hard to read. How should I send the measurements?

    The workshop's answer

    Type every side length in your message as well as sending the sketch. One buyer ordered the Angled Top bay style and wrote each lettered side out: A 4.3, B 4.3, C 78.5, D 48, E 24, F 24 and G 23 in.

  2. A common question

    Will your foam hold up on a couch or other everyday seating, or is there a stronger one?

    The workshop's answer

    The workshop uses 32-density foam for every kind of seating, couches included. Couches are its main line of work, and the same foam has held up in them for years across thousands of orders.

  3. A common question

    Is there a non-slip base, so the cushion doesn't slide around?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. It is a small add-on per cushion, and the underside is then made with an anti-slip material that keeps the cushion in place on a window seat or bench.

One buyer asked for a single tufted velvet seat 132 in long. The workshop proposed two 33 x 66 in halves instead, and each half got armrests at both ends.

Harlan
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On the cutting table

CushionDeep box-edge bench cushion, wall to curtain
FabricCranberry red velvet
PipingSelf piping, top and bottom edges
Foam32-density high-density foam
GripNon-slip base, a small add-on per cushion
ZipperBack edge, toward the wall
Long seatsSplit into halves, such as two 33 x 66 in (84 x 168 cm)
Best forReading nooks and library built-ins

Order this cushion

Have it made

Have this made — ask Harlan’s workshop

Old upholsterers will tell you the real cutting happens in the conversation, long before the shears come out. Tell the workshop what you sit on, and they will talk it through with you. — 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.

Fabric · Foam · Pipingwhat the workshop will confirm with you

Fabric
Cranberry red velvet
Foam
32-density high-density foam
Piping
Self piping, top and bottom edges
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

Where does the zipper go on a bench cushion?

On the back edge, facing the wall, as hidden as possible, wrapping round the back corners so the foam can go in. On a built-in nobody sees it; on a freestanding bench, turn that edge to the wall.

Is a non-slip base sticky?

No. It is a grip fabric sewn across the underside, not an adhesive and not a rubber mat. It holds on painted wood and smooth tops, and it makes the cushion one-sided, so it cannot be flipped.

When should a long bench cushion be split into two pieces?

A split is usually suggested somewhere past 79 to 90 in (200 to 230 cm), because fabric comes about 55 in wide and long pieces are hard to handle. Place the split at the middle or at a natural break. See one piece or two.

Can a velvet bench cushion have ties?

Yes, where the frame has something to wrap, such as a spindle, a rail or a slat. On a built-in library bench with solid sides and a painted top, a non-slip base is the neater choice.

Sit well. — Harlan

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