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Gray box cushion with white pinstripes on a white shaker storage chest against pink and oxblood walls, pastel rug belowSave
  1. Gray chalk stripe

    A neutral stripe calms the pink walls and the pastel rug.

  2. Self-piped front edge

    Matching piping keeps the edge soft where small legs swing against it.

  3. Elephant print

    Hanging the art over the chest centers the whole corner.

  4. White dome floor lamp

    A slim lamp at the end gives light without taking floor space.

  5. Pastel stripe rug

    The rug's bands echo the cushion stripes in softer colors.

Plate Storage chest cushion · gray chalk-stripe linen · self piping

A tailored gray stripe steadies playful pink walls and a pastel rainbow rug.

A Reading by MaggieBench Cushions

A gray pinstripe custom bench cushion on a toy chest, and the order message behind it

Pink walls, an oxblood corner, a rainbow rug, and one gray striped cushion keeping everybody civil. The photograph first, then the order message, which is where I learned my lessons.

Read by

The Piping Queen of NewportPublished Updated 4 min read

The quick answer

To get a custom bench cushion right the first time, send one message with the exact fabric code, the measurements of the bench itself, the thickness, the stripe direction and the piping. If your size isn't listed, ask for it to be added as an option; a small 18.5 x 11.5 x 4 in seat was ordered exactly that way.

Pinned by Maggie: five things on the chest

Five pins, from the stripe on the lid to the rug on the floor.

The numbers match the pins on the plate.

  1. Gray chalk stripeA neutral stripe calms the pink walls and the pastel rug.
  2. Self-piped front edgeMatching piping keeps the edge soft where small legs swing against it.
  3. Elephant printHanging the art over the chest centers the whole corner.
  4. White dome floor lampA slim lamp at the end gives light without taking floor space.
  5. Pastel stripe rugThe rug's bands echo the cushion stripes in softer colors.

Why the stripe is gray when everything else is pink

This corner has color to spare: a two-tone pink wall, an oxblood corner, a pastel rainbow rug. So the cushion takes the sensible part. A charcoal-gray ground with narrow chalk-white stripes calms the pinks the way a good aunt calms a birthday party.

The stripes run front to back across the chest. That echoes the bands in the rug and makes a long box look shallower than it is. The front edge is self-piped in the same stripe, so the line stays soft where small legs swing against it. The yellow elephant print hangs square over the chest and centers the corner; the slim white dome lamp at the end lights it without taking floor space.

The cushion is moderate in thickness, and on a toy chest that's the practical part. A lid has to lift, and nobody under ten has two hands free. More chests and lids live under bench cushions and kids' room cushions; the cloth is on the linen and cotton-linen shelf. What does your chest lid measure, hinge to front?

Five lines for the order message

  1. Name the fabric by its code

    Copy the code exactly as the chart shows it. A code is a fact; “gray stripe” is a guess. Add a second-choice code in case the first is ever discontinued.

  2. Measure the chest, not the old cushion

    Measure the bench, not the cushion you used to have. Length and depth of the lid, and anything that sticks up, like a hinge or a lip.

  3. Give the thickness and the reason

    Say the lid opens. Thickness is confirmed with you before production, so hand over the why along with the number.

  4. Say which way the stripes run

    Front to back or end to end. Stripe direction can be specified, so specify it.

  5. Decide the piping

    Self piping, cut from the same cloth, keeps the edge quiet; contrast piping draws a line around the cushion. Write down which.

A real project

Eighteen and a half inches, and not on the menu

A buyer wrote in needing a small seat cushion: 18.5 x 11.5 in (47 x 29 cm), 4 in (10 cm) thick, in linen code L-02 with matching piping. Nothing on the size menu came close.

So the buyer asked, which is the whole trick. The workshop confirmed the foam was included, checked the exact measurement back, and added that size to the listing as an option. One message, every detail in it, no guessing on either side.

I once lost a week to a window seat because my own note said “about 40 inches.” I don't write “about” anymore.

Buyer questions: lost codes, soft backs, wedges

  1. A common question

    What happens if the fabric I picked is discontinued after I order?

    The workshop's answer

    The workshop contacts you right away, explains what happened and sends alternative color charts (in one case, pet-friendly ones). You choose a new code, the order is updated, and production starts.

  2. A common question

    Will the back cushion be softer than the seat?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. By default the backrest is filled softer than the seat. If you'd rather have both equally firm, say so and they'll be made the same.

  3. A common question

    I don't have the original back cushions anymore. Can you make a wedge-shaped one or two for my bench?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. Send a reference photo or a diagram of the wedge with its dimensions, and the workshop quotes it together with the seat cushion.

On the cutting table

CushionBox bench cushion on a white shaker storage chest
FabricCharcoal-gray linen, narrow chalk-white stripes
Stripe directionFront to back, echoing the rug
PipingSelf, cut from the same stripe
ThicknessModerate, so the lid lifts easily
Odd sizesAsk for your exact size, e.g. 18.5 x 11.5 x 4 in (47 x 29 x 10 cm)
BackrestsSofter than the seat by default; same firmness on request
Best forToy chests, blanket chests, lidded window boxes

Order this cushion

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.

Fabric · Foam · Pipingwhat the workshop will confirm with you

Fabric
Charcoal-gray linen, narrow chalk-white stripes
Foam
Same firmness on request
Piping
Self, cut from the same stripe
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

A custom bench cushion order needs five things in one message: the fabric code, the bench measurements, the thickness, the stripe direction and the piping.

Maggie
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Questions buyers ask next

Can I order a bench cushion smaller than every size on the listing?

Yes. Message the exact size before ordering. For an 18.5 x 11.5 in (47 x 29 cm) seat, 4 in (10 cm) thick, the workshop confirmed the foam, checked the measurement and added that size to the listing as an option.

Which way should the stripes run on a storage chest cushion?

Usually front to back, as here: the stripes echo a striped rug and make a long chest look shallower. Stripe direction can be specified, so write it in the order note instead of leaving it to chance.

Why put a gray stripe in a colorful kids' room?

When the walls and rug already carry the color, a neutral stripe gives the eye a rest and ties to the rug's bands without adding another hue. Self piping keeps the edge quiet so the stripe does the work.

Stitch straight — Maggie

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