A Reading by CallumChaise Lounge & Sunbed Cushions
A green geometric sunbed cushion, read straight on
Front view, even daylight, a pool on one side and a lawn on the other. The messages come first, then the lounger.
SaveThe quick answer
Order a sunbed cushion from the lounger frame's inside width and length so the seat sits flush, and make the backrest thinner than the seat so reclining stays comfortable. A box edge gives a crisp front and carries the pattern around its side band; a knife edge looks softer. Mark any rounded or angled corners on your drawing.
Buyer questions
- A common question
Does your outdoor fabric feel plastic or rubbery, like cheap waterproof cushions?
The workshop's answerNo. The outdoor fabrics aren't the plastic, coated kind; they feel like proper fabric, not a tarp. They are a little less soft than indoor upholstery, closer to a good sun lounger cushion, which is worth knowing if you plan to use them indoors every day.
- A common question
One of my outdoor cushions arrived shorter than I wanted. Will you remake it?
The workshop's answerThe workshop first checks the piece against the drawing you approved before production. In one case the approved size was 23 in shorter on one piece; the workshop offered to make the correct length if the buyer covered the production cost of the new piece.
- A common question
Can you make cushions for the top bunk in our RV camper?
The workshop's answerYes. One buyer asked for two 71 x 28 in velvet cushions at the pictured 12 in thickness. In the velvet chart, #4 is a dark beige and #13 a lighter beige.
Now, the reading
Straight on, a lounger tells you its size
Most lounger photos are taken from the side. This one looks at the sunbed cushion head-on, and that's the useful view when you're ordering.
The seat sits flush with the white aluminum frame. No lip over the rails, no gap at the edges. That tailored look comes from one habit: give the frame's inside width and length, not the size of the old cushion.
Now the edge. The seat is a box cushion, and its side band, the gusset, carries the green and white geometric pattern all the way round. The backrest is thinner than the seat. That keeps reclining comfortable and stops the head end from looking heavy. Two thicknesses, one pattern, one frame.
The setting runs a test for you. Lawn on one side, bluestone paving on the other, the pool beyond. The fabric reads well against both backgrounds it will live with all summer. Lay your swatch on the grass and on the stone before you decide, friend. What does your lounger frame measure inside the rails? The sunbed measuring Pattern covers the hinge, and finished sets live under chaise and sunbed cushions.
Pinned by Callum: the lounger, head-on
Four points, read from the foot of the lounger.
- Thinner backrest
The backrest is slimmer than the seat, so the head end doesn't look bulky.
- Box gusset
The pattern wraps all the way round the deep seat box.
- White side table
Placed at arm's reach on the pool side.
- Lawn
Seen against grass and stone, the fabric works with both backgrounds.
- Thinner backrestThe backrest is slimmer than the seat, so the head end doesn't look bulky.
- Box gussetThe pattern wraps all the way round the deep seat box.
- White side tablePlaced at arm's reach on the pool side.
- LawnSeen against grass and stone, the fabric works with both backgrounds.
Box, knife, rounded, angled: which edge where
| Edge | How it's sewn | Where it works |
|---|---|---|
| Box edge | A side band between top and bottom | Lounger seats and benches that need a crisp front |
| Knife edge | Top and bottom sewn together, no band | Relaxed window seats and pillows |
| Rounded corners | Box or knife, corners curved | Ottomans and curved frames |
| Angled corners | Corners cut to an angled frame | Window bays and angled benches |
Name the edge in words, and mark any rounded or angled corner on your drawing.
The indigo floor chaise that came out of the bag flat
A buyer wrote to the workshop with a chaise-longue idea for the floor: a linen cushion 43 x 35 x 12 in, with a backrest along the 35 in side, in indigo. Twelve inches is a lot of foam, and it traveled the way cushions do, vacuum-packed.
When it arrived, the buyer asked the fair question: how do I get the shape back? The answer was plain. Open the packages, then wait. Pull the cushion and shake it to help the foam along. Loft comes back with air and time, not force.
- Sizes
- 43 x 35 x 12 in (109 x 89 x 30 cm), backrest on the 35 in side
The lesson: Vacuum-packed cushions need time and a shake to recover full loft.
On a sun lounger, a backrest cushion thinner than the seat keeps reclining comfortable and stops the head end from looking bulky.
Callum
On the cutting table
| Cushion | Lounger set: seat and backrest |
|---|---|
| Edge | Box edge; pattern wraps the side band |
| Backrest | Thinner than the seat |
| Fabric | Outdoor fabric, green and white geometric |
| Piping | Self piping |
| Fit | Flush with the frame's inside size |
| Feel | Real fabric, not coated plastic |
| Best for | Poolside loungers, sunbeds |
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.
Questions buyers ask next
Should a sunbed cushion hang over the lounger frame?
No. Order from the frame's inside width and length so the cushion sits flush with the rails. A flush fit looks tailored; a big overhang looks borrowed, as if the cushion came from another chair.
Can a pattern wrap around the side of a box cushion?
Yes. On a box cushion the side band is cut from the same fabric, so a geometric print runs all the way round, as it does on the seat of this poolside lounger.
How do I help a thick cushion recover after unpacking?
Open the packaging promptly, then give it time. Pulling and shaking the cushion helps the foam draw air back in; thick pieces, like a 12 in floor chaise, need the most patience.
Fair winds — Callum
More photographs to read
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