---
title: "Bolster Pillow Pair in Eggplant Velvet for a Daybed Corner"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/readings/eggplant-velvet-bolster-pair-daybed-corner/"
section: "Readings"
author: "Harlan Pruitt, The Elder of High Point"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/harlan/"
published: "2026-01-30"
updated: "2026-09-24"
keywords: "bolster pillow, daybed cushion, ikea hemnes daybed cushion, custom throw pillows, made to measure cushion"
---

# Eggplant velvet bolster pillows in a daybed corner, and how their color moves with the light

*Two rolls of aubergine pushed into a corner, and a color that changes its mind three times a day. Let's read it slow.*

> **The quick answer:** Eggplant velvet bolster pillows change color with the light: gray daylight shows the true tone and a darker shadow line along each roll, warm lamplight pulls the red forward, and screens often show them darker than they are. Judge a swatch by a window beside white paper, then under your own lamps. A standard bolster is about 8 in (20 cm) across.

![Two eggplant purple velvet bolsters with self piping side by side on a linen daybed cushion against white beadboard](https://cushionguide.com/media/bolster-pillows/eggplant-velvet-bolster-pair-daybed-corner-1600.webp "Aubergine velvet in a pair, pushed into the corner of the daybed where the back and arm meet.")

## Velvet remembers the window

Two rolls of eggplant velvet, pushed into the corner where the daybed's back meets its arm. That's how a daybed really gets used, my friend. One bolster holds your back, the other takes your elbow, and you read till the light goes.

Eggplant is a clever color for the job. It's dark enough to anchor a white beadboard frame, yet it carries enough red to stay warm. The beadboard plays its part too: next to all that white, the shadowed side of each roll reads close to black.

Look along the top of each bolster and you'll see a darker line running its length. That's the pile turning away from the window. Velvet remembers which way it was brushed, and it tells you in light and shade. The ends are self-piped, a cord covered in the same eggplant, so the pair stays one thing instead of two.

Underneath, a pale linen mattress cushion keeps the purple from sitting heavy. Nothing else is in the frame, and nothing else is needed. For sizes, start with [bolster pillows](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/bolster-pillows/); for the cloth, the [velvet](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/velvet/) shelf. Which light do you do most of your sitting in?

## Five pins on the pair

Five places where the light shows you what the velvet is doing.

1. **Front velvet end cap**: Self piping keeps the pair unified; a contrast cord would split them visually.
2. **Rear end cap**: The second roll tucks into the corner where back and arm meet.
3. **Pile shadow line**: Velvet shows a darker line along each roll where the pile turns away from the light.
4. **Linen mattress cushion**: A pale linen base keeps the dark purple from feeling heavy.
5. **Beadboard back**: White boards behind make the aubergine read almost black in the shadows.

## One eggplant, three lights

1. **Gray daylight**: The light in this photograph. It shows the truest tone and the pile's shadow line at its clearest. Hold your swatch by a window, next to a sheet of white paper.
2. **Evening lamps**: Warm bulbs pull the red in eggplant forward, and the rolls lean toward plum. Check the swatch again under the lamps you actually read by.
3. **Your screen**: A screen gives off light; cloth only reflects it, and phones correct color on their own. Chart swatches and close-ups can look darker than the fabric, so ask for daylight photos of a finished piece in your code. As [Élodie](https://cushionguide.com/masters/elodie/) says, "Daylight never lies; your screen sometimes does."

## Bolsters cut from the piping stripe

One buyer wrote in about bench seating: two seat cushions, about 19.75 x 35 in (50 x 89 cm) and 19.75 x 66.5 in (50 x 169 cm), 3 in (7.5 cm) thick, in a solid red with black-and-white stripe piping. With them came two long bolsters, 7 x 65 in (18 x 165 cm) and 7 x 47.25 in (18 x 120 cm).

Then a second thought, and a good one: could the bolsters be made entirely in the stripe? The workshop said yes. The stripe that outlined the seats rolled up into the bolsters, and the whole set spoke in one voice without getting loud. If you want bolsters to belong, cut them from the piping, not the body.

## Spare covers, a torn seam and matching bolsters

**A common question:** Can I buy a spare set of slipcovers, to change the color or swap in while the others are in the wash?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. Covers are sold separately, either with the sofa or later through a custom link, and two or three sets ordered together were quoted for less per set. Spare covers are made in the standard sizes, so they fit the foam you already have.

**A common question:** A cover arrived torn. Will you replace it, and is there a warranty?

**The workshop's answer:** Often, yes: in past cases a torn or open seam was put right with a new cover or a remake, and any warranty question is the workshop's to answer. Photograph the tear the day the box opens, my friend, and the packaging too, because the carrier asks for proof that the damage happened in transit. Message the workshop with those photos and keep its reply.

**A common question:** Do you make bolster pillows to match a bench cushion, and in what sizes?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. Bolsters are long cylinder pillows made in the same fabric as the cushion. Two examples: a pair 8 in (20 cm) across and 26 in (66 cm) long in corduroy, and a single bolster 18 in (46 cm) across and 50 in (127 cm) long in linen with matching piping. There's also a dedicated bolster listing.

> Make a pair of bolsters entirely in the piping fabric of the seat cushions, and the set ties together without adding one more color.
>
> — Harlan

> **Tailor's margin:** Judge a velvet swatch three times: by a window at noon, under your evening lamps, and beside white paper. The phone screen gets no vote.

## The bolsters, by the numbers

|   |   |
|---|---|
| Pillows | Two round bolsters in the daybed's back corner |
| Fabric | Eggplant velvet, short tight pile |
| Piping | Self piping ringing each end |
| Standard diameter | About 8 in (20 cm); 10 in (25 cm) for a bigger seat |
| Length | The seat depth, or about 4 in (10 cm) shorter |
| Filling | Filled insert in its own inner cover |
| Care | Zippered velvet cover; 86°F (30°C) gentle wash, air-dry |
| Best for | Daybeds, window seats and reading corners against a wall |

## Questions buyers ask next

### What size bolster fits a daybed corner?

The standard round bolster is about 8 in (20 cm) across, or 10 in (25 cm) for a bigger seat. Its length usually matches the seat depth or runs about 4 in (10 cm) shorter, and any diameter or length can be ordered. See [bolster sizes](https://cushionguide.com/guides/bolster-pillow-size-diameter/).

### Why does a velvet bolster look two-toned?

Velvet has a directional pile. Where the pile faces the light it looks lighter, and where it turns away it looks darker, so a single roll can show a shadow line along its length. That's how the cloth behaves, not a flaw.

### Can a bolster ordered later match my daybed cushion exactly?

An exact match isn't guaranteed. Dye batches can differ slightly between separate orders, and velvet sheen shifts the tone further. Order matching pieces together when you can; the [screen versus daylight Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/cushion-color-screen-vs-daylight/) explains how to judge color.

## Related at the atelier

- [Bolster Pillow in Black Velvet on a White Beadboard Daybed](https://cushionguide.com/readings/black-velvet-bolster-white-beadboard-daybed-arm/): A black velvet bolster pillow gets its shape from sheen: the pile swallows light in the middle and catches it only along the crown.
- [Bolster Pillow in Turquoise Velvet for a Narrow Daybed](https://cushionguide.com/readings/turquoise-velvet-bolster-white-daybed-rail/): A bolster pillow makes a narrow daybed feel generous when it lies just inside the arm with no overhang past the seat front.
- [Bolster Pillows in Forest Green Velvet for a Black Iron Daybed](https://cushionguide.com/readings/forest-green-velvet-bolsters-black-iron-daybed/): On an open metal daybed, use a pair of firm bolster pillows cut to the inside width of the end frame, so they act as the armrests the frame lacks.
- [Can I get bolster pillows with piping or contrast piping?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/bolster-pillow-contrast-piping/): Yes, bolster pillows can have piping in the same fabric as the body or contrast piping in a second fabric, and a bolster can also be made entirely in a contrast or stripe fabric.
- [Bolster pillow sizes: choosing diameter and length for a seat or daybed](https://cushionguide.com/guides/bolster-pillow-size-diameter/): A standard bolster pillow is 8 in (20 cm) in diameter, with a length that matches the seat depth or runs about 4 in (10 cm) shorter.
- [What diameter should a bolster pillow be?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/bolster-pillow-diameter-size-guide/): A bolster pillow should be 8 in (20 cm) in diameter for most seats; that is the workshop standard and the size the craftsmen say looks best on a bolster about 20 in (50 cm) long.
- [Cushion fabric pilling: why it happens and how to handle it](https://cushionguide.com/guides/cushion-fabric-pilling/)

*Sit well. — Harlan*

---

Written by Harlan Pruitt (https://cushionguide.com/masters/harlan/) for CushionGuide (https://cushionguide.com/about/). The site explains made-to-measure cushions and the partner workshop makes them; measurements are in inches first. This Markdown mirrors the page at https://cushionguide.com/readings/eggplant-velvet-bolster-pair-daybed-corner/