A Reading by CallumChaise Lounge & Sunbed Cushions
A gray-striped sunbed cushion, taken apart layer by layer for a full pool deck
One lounger is a nap. Six loungers are a party, and a party finds every weak seam. Here is how this cushion is built, and how to multiply it.
SaveThe quick answer
A sunbed cushion for a busy pool deck works best in two sections that break at the lounger's hinge, with stripes running lengthwise and a mid-gray that hides footprints. For several loungers, order each seat and backrest as its own item in its own size, label every piece, and ask about a set price for multi-cushion orders.
The cushion, cut open
Cover fabric. A removable, zippered cover. Machine wash at 86°F (30°C) on a gentle cycle and air dry.
Piping. A fabric-covered cord sewn into the seams. It sits on the seam line, so it does not change the size.
Fiber wrap. Polyester fiber (Dacron) batting around the foam: it fills the cover out and softens the edges.
Foam core. About 2.0 lb/ft³ (32 kg/m³) high-resilience foam, firm to medium-firm, cut to the ordered size.
Zipper. Along the back band, as hidden as possible. The zipper side faces down or toward the wall.
Base panel. The underside of the cover. A non-slip fabric backing can cover the whole of it instead.
One lounger, then six
One lounger is a nap. Six are a party, and a party finds every weak seam, every cushion that slides, every stripe that runs the wrong way.
This sunbed cushion is built for the second case. It breaks into two sections exactly where the teak frame hinges, so the back lifts and the seat stays flat, with no bunching when a guest cranks it up to read. The stripes run the full length. From the pool side that makes the lounger look longer, and it hides the creases a long afternoon leaves behind.
The color is a working color. Dove gray and white sit easy beside honey teak, turquoise water and palm shadow, and on pale travertine a mid-gray forgives wet footprints that would shout on white. The props are hosting props: a rolled white towel that repeats the white stripe, a straw hat, a teak side table for the glass. Put a table between every two loungers and nobody sets a drink on the cushion.
Planning for a crowd, friend? Line the loungers up and give every one the same cushion. Mixed prints look like a yard sale from the diving board. If the pads will live outside, keep to the water-repellent membrane family, and bring them in when a big storm rolls through. Winter storage covers the off-season.
How many loungers does your deck hold on the busiest day of summer?
Pinned by Callum, from the hinge down
Five pins: the raised back, the fold at the hinge, the stripe, and the towel and hat that set the scene.
- Raised backrest section
The back section is cut to the adjustable frame so it lifts without bunching.
- Fold at the hinge
The cushion breaks where the frame hinges, so it follows the lounger as it reclines.
- Gray awning stripe seat
Stripes running lengthwise make the lounger look longer and hide creases.
- Folded white towel
White towelling repeats the white stripe and hints at the pool just behind.
- Straw sun hat
The straw hat adds a warm natural note next to the teak side table.
- Raised backrest sectionThe back section is cut to the adjustable frame so it lifts without bunching.
- Fold at the hingeThe cushion breaks where the frame hinges, so it follows the lounger as it reclines.
- Gray awning stripe seatStripes running lengthwise make the lounger look longer and hide creases.
- Folded white towelWhite towelling repeats the white stripe and hints at the pool just behind.
- Straw sun hatThe straw hat adds a warm natural note next to the teak side table.
The cushion from the top down
The shell
A dove-gray and white awning stripe in a water-repellent membrane fabric. Water-repellent is a promise; waterproof is a contract. This one sheds a splash, so stand it on edge to drain after a downpour.
The stripe
Lengthwise, head to foot. It stretches the lounger visually and hides the soft creases where people sit longest.
The edge
Self piping on a box edge. The cord gives the long pad a clean outline without adding a third color beside the teak.
The break
The cushion folds where the frame hinges, and the back section is cut to the adjustable frame, so it lifts without dragging the seat along.
The underside
Outdoor orders can carry an anti-slip underside, which keeps a reclined back from creeping down the slats when someone leans in.
Labeling every cushion on a sailboat
A boat owner wrote in needing dark green velvet covers for a whole interior: saloon, nav station, corner seat and bedroom berths. Some pieces were shaped, with four-sided bases and backs 5 1/8 in (13 cm) thick at the ends and 8 1/4 in (21 cm) in the middle. Sizes ran like 23 1/4 x 13 3/4 x 4 3/4 in (59 x 35 x 12 cm) and 27 1/2 x 23 1/4 x 4 3/4 in (70 x 59 x 12 cm).
The old foam already had hook tape along the back, so the new covers needed matching loop tape sewn on the bottom, plus zippers. The workshop asked for exact length, width and thickness for every piece, photos, and a sketch of where the hook-and-loop tape sits.
A deck full of loungers is the same job in daylight. Number every cushion, write its size on a sketch, and the new set lands exactly where the old one lived.
Hosting questions
- A common question
Do you have fabrics that can live outdoors?
The workshop's answerYes, many, in a separate outdoor chart. Outdoor orders can include the foam filling, an anti-slip underside and piping in any color from the range. Even floor-sofa mattresses can be made in outdoor fabric.
- A common question
Is the back cushion in the photo included with the seat?
The workshop's answerNo, the listed price covers one cushion. For a set like the photo, add two items to the cart in their own sizes, one seat and one backrest, and write the color code in the personalization box.
- A common question
If I order a whole set of cushions, is there a discount?
The workshop's answerOften, yes: multi-piece orders have been quoted as a set. One order of eight outdoor seats at 20 1/2 x 20 1/2 in (52 x 52 cm) came down as a bundle, and so did seats and backs for three benches, so send every piece in one message.
On the cutting table
| Cushion | Two-section sunbed pad, split at the hinge |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Water-repellent membrane, dove-gray and white awning stripe |
| Code in the photo | HM-24 |
| Stripe | Lengthwise, head to foot |
| Piping | Self piping |
| Edge | Box edge |
| Frame | Reclining teak lounger on travertine |
| Options | Foam filling and anti-slip underside on outdoor orders |
| Best for | Pool decks that seat a crowd |
Have it made
Have this made — ask Callum’s workshop
Sun, rain, salt. Say which of them your cushion will meet, and the workshop will plan around it. — Callum
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.
If a pool deck seats six, give all six loungers the same cushion with stripes running head to foot. Mixed prints read as clutter from the water.
Callum
Questions buyers ask next
Should the stripes on a pool lounger pad run long or across?
Lengthwise, from head to foot. Long stripes make the lounger look longer from the pool side and hide the soft creases that form where people sit, while crosswise stripes chop a long pad into bands.
Can water-repellent sunbed cushions stay out in a summer storm?
They shed splashes and light rain, but water-repellent is not waterproof. After a downpour, stand them on edge to drain, and bring them under cover when a long storm is forecast.
How do I order matching cushions for several loungers?
Order each seat and each backrest as a separate item in its own size, put the color code in the personalization box, and ask about a set price. Label every piece on a sketch so each goes back to the right frame.
What sunbed cushion color hides footprints on a stone deck?
A mid-gray stripe. On pale stone like travertine, white shows every wet step and very dark colors show dried water marks; gray with white sits between the two and still looks fresh.
Fair winds — Callum
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