SaveA Reading by MaggieBench Cushions
A graffiti print entryway bench cushion, and how to keep it where it belongs
Maggie reads a street-art cushion on a white storage bench by the front door, then settles the fastening question: ties, a non-slip base, and the zipper on the right side.
A street-art print wakes up an all-white entry, and a hot pink pillow picks out its brightest color.
The quick answer
An entryway bench cushion stays put best with a non-slip base, because the front door is where people drop, swing bags and pull on boots. Ties only work where there is a frame to tie around, and nothing holds a cushion on a lid being lifted. Put the zipper on the back edge, toward the wall, and choose a busy print that hides scuffs.
Energy at the front door: one loud bench cushion
An all-white hall needs one loud thing, and here it is: a street-art print in magenta, lime and cyan, with gray and black shapes running through it, on a white storage bench under a pine peg rail. Nothing else in the room has color. It doesn't need any.
The styling is smart about it. A charcoal pillow repeats the gray shapes in the print; a hot pink oblong picks out its brightest accent. Both look chosen, not grabbed. A backpack, a tan leather tote and an umbrella hang on the pegs right above the seat, ready on the way out. Boots and sneakers live on a white rack beside the bench, not on the cushion. A white globe pendant, a gray rug on herringbone parquet and a leafy plant finish the job.
In a hallway used by teenagers, a bold, lively print is practical as well as cheerful. It hides scuffs, dropped bags and the odd muddy knee far better than a pale solid would.
But color is not the main question at a front door. Movement is. People drop onto an entry bench, drag bags across it and sit to pull on boots, and every one of those pushes the cushion toward the edge. So how do you keep it where it belongs?
A straight welt is a kind of honesty, and the self piping here outlines the print and keeps the edge looking tidy after a winter of boot changes. The rest is fastening, set out below. Start with the entryway bench cushion collection, the pattern on stopping a bench cushion sliding and the one on storage bench cushions with a hinged lid.
Pinned by Maggie: the entryway bench drop zone
Pins go where the traffic goes: the print on the seat, the two pillows, the pegs overhead and the rack that keeps boots off the cushion.
- Graffiti print cushion
A street-art print brings energy to an entry with no other color.
- Charcoal pillow
Charcoal repeats the gray shapes in the print.
- Hot pink lumbar
Pink picks out the brightest accent in the pattern.
- Peg rail with bags
Bags hang right above the seat, ready to grab on the way out.
- Shoe rack
Shoes stay beside the bench, not on the cushion.
- Graffiti print cushionA street-art print brings energy to an entry with no other color.
- Charcoal pillowCharcoal repeats the gray shapes in the print.
- Hot pink lumbarPink picks out the brightest accent in the pattern.
- Peg rail with bagsBags hang right above the seat, ready to grab on the way out.
- Shoe rackShoes stay beside the bench, not on the cushion.
Ties, grip or zipper: the fastening checklist
| Option | Holds the cushion when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Ties | The bench has legs, slats or a rail to tie around | A solid box or hinged lid leaves nothing to tie to |
| Non-slip base | The cushion sits on a flat top in everyday use | It cannot hold a cushion on a lid being lifted |
| Sized inside the lid bevel | The lid has a raised edge for the cushion to nest in | The cushion may still stop the lid opening fully |
| Zipper on the back edge | You want washable covers with the zipper out of sight | A zipper at the front catches boot heels and bag straps |
Seat depth, minus the back
A returning buyer in the US ordered velvet cushions for a U-shaped kitchen dinette that already had backs on the short sides. She first sent a main seat 15.5 in (39 cm) deep, then realized it was too shallow. The fix was to make the new back cushion only 4 in (10 cm) deep, so the seat could be 17.5 in (44.5 cm).
Final sizes: a 65 x 17.5 x 4 in (165 x 44.5 x 10 cm) back, a 65 x 17.5 x 8 in (165 x 44.5 x 20 cm) seat and two 17.5 x 24.5 x 8 in (44.5 x 62 x 20 cm) side seats. Later she described the depth as off by 5 to 6 in (13 to 15 cm), but usable.
My formula, taped above the cutting table: seat depth equals bench depth minus backrest thickness. Check it before anything is cut, and an entry bench with a leaning pillow plays by the same rule. The mudroom bench sketches show more drop zones.
On the cutting table: the entry bench
| Piece | Storage bench cushion, rectangle |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Cotton canvas, graffiti print |
| Colors | Magenta, lime, cyan, gray, black |
| Edge | Box |
| Piping | Self, outlining the print |
| Hold | Non-slip base; ties only where there is a frame to tie to |
| Zipper | Back edge, toward the wall |
| Pillows | Charcoal and hot pink, pulled from the print |
| Best for | Busy entries, mudrooms, teenagers' drop zones |
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.
Front-door questions
- A common question
Which olive or green fabric would go with a walnut bench?
The workshop's answerIn velvet, olive green 123, a muted, earthy olive that suits walnut's warm tones. If you would rather not have velvet, L24 from the linen collection is the recommendation.
- A common question
Your listing starts at 12 inches wide, but I need a cushion 11 inches wide. Is that possible?
The workshop's answerYes. Pick the closest width in the dropdown and write the real size, 11 in (28 cm) wide, in the personalization box; the cushion is cut to the personalized measurements.
- A common question
My package only had a cover in it. Where is the foam?
The workshop's answerEvery order is photographed before it ships, and those photos showed the cushion complete with foam. Vacuum packing presses a cushion so flat it can look like just a cover; it expands back into shape within a few days.
An entryway bench cushion in a busy print hides scuffs and dropped bags; a non-slip base keeps it on the bench, and the zipper faces the wall.
Maggie
Questions buyers ask next
Do ties work on a storage bench with a lift-up lid?
Rarely. A solid box with a hinged lid has nothing to tie around, and ties can get in the way of the hinge. A non-slip base, or a cushion sized to nest inside the lid's raised edge, works better in everyday use.
Which way should the zipper face on an entryway bench cushion?
Toward the wall, along the back edge. It stays out of sight and away from boots and bag straps, and the cover still comes off for washing.
Is a bold print a good idea for a mudroom bench?
Often a better idea than a pale solid. A lively, multicolored print hides scuffs, dropped bags and small marks, and pillows can pick out its colors so the whole corner looks planned.
Why does a new entry bench cushion sometimes arrive looking flat?
Vacuum packing presses the foam very flat for shipping, so a fresh cushion can look like an empty cover. Open it, lay it flat and give it a few days to expand before judging the fit.
Stitch straight — Maggie
