---
title: "Hemnes Daybed Cover in Red Stripe with Crimson Back Cushions"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/readings/hemnes-daybed-crimson-backs-striped-seat/"
section: "Readings"
author: "Hana Lindqvist, The Quiet Geometer of Seattle"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/hana/"
published: "2026-07-23"
updated: "2026-09-24"
keywords: "hemnes daybed cover, daybed cushion, daybed cover, ikea hemnes daybed cushion, bolster pillow, custom cushion covers"
---

# A striped Hemnes daybed cover with crimson backs, read from the inside out

*A white Hemnes daybed. A red stripe on the seat, plain crimson at the back. The cover is only the skin. What sits inside decides how it sits.*

> **The quick answer:** A Hemnes daybed cover changes the surface, not the support: the firmness of the seat comes from the mattress inside it. Measure that mattress on all three sides before ordering. One buyer's 9.5 in (24 cm) thick mattress needed a cover of 31.5 x 79 x 9.5 in (80 x 200 x 24 cm), and two stacked mattresses take one combined cover, not two.

![White Hemnes daybed with plain crimson back cushions over a red and cream striped mattress cover and striped bolsters](https://cushionguide.com/media/ikea-hemnes-daybed-covers/hemnes-daybed-crimson-backs-striped-seat-1600.webp "Here the back cushions switch to a plain crimson while the mattress and bolsters keep the red stripe. Mixing two fabrics gives the set more depth without adding a new color.")

## Pinned by Hana: five marks on the daybed

Five pins, from the plain crimson backs to the wicker basket by the window.

1. **Plain crimson back cushion**: Solid crimson backs calm the stripe and give the eye somewhere to rest.
2. **Striped mattress**: The stripe stays on the seat, where pattern hides everyday wear best.
3. **Striped bolster**: Bolsters in the stripe link the plain backs to the patterned seat.
4. **Right-hand bolster**: Pattern at both arms keeps the two-fabric set symmetrical.
5. **Throw and basket**: Neutral textiles by the window stop the red from dominating the room.

## Where the firmness lives

The cover is what you see. The mattress is what you feel.

On a Hemnes daybed the seat is a mattress. Here a red and cream striped cover wraps it with a box edge, and the self piping stays in the same stripe, so the outline is quiet. The cover makes the seat neither softer nor firmer. That was decided when the mattress was chosen. If the seat feels wrong, change what is inside; the [foam firmness finder](https://cushionguide.com/studio/foam-firmness-finder/) is a place to start.

The crimson back cushions are separate pieces with their own fill. Tall, plain and upright against the white rail, they read like the back of an upholstered sofa. They hold a shoulder, not a whole body, so they can be softer than the seat. The [back cushion fill pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/back-cushion-fill-shredded-foam-vs-wedge/) compares the choices, and [daybed back cushions](https://cushionguide.com/guides/daybed-back-cushions-sofa-look/) covers the sofa look.

The two striped [bolster pillows](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/bolster-pillows/) sit at the arms. They carry the pattern from the seat up toward the plain backs and give an elbow somewhere to rest. The stripe stays at sitting height, where pattern hides everyday wear best.

The room lowers the volume. A cream fringed throw folded on a wooden bench. A wicker basket. Linen curtains in soft daylight. Neutral textiles near the window keep the red from taking over the guest room.

What is under your cover now: one mattress, or two?

Two fabrics.
One red family.
Only the surface changes.

## The cover that needed one more number

A buyer in the US ordered corduroy covers for a daybed. After the purchase, the shop asked for the mattress thickness. The answer was 9.5 in (24 cm).

The first covers did not fit. The buyer sent photos. The shop went back through the measurements and confirmed the size the mattress actually needed: 31.5 x 79 x 9.5 in (80 x 200 x 24 cm). New covers were made to that size and shipped.

Thickness alone was not enough. A cover is a box, and a box has three sides. Length, width and thickness, all measured on the mattress, before anything is cut.

## Three numbers, taken on the mattress

1. **Length**: Run the tape end to end across the top of the mattress. In the order above it was 79 in (200 cm). Measure the mattress, not the frame around it.
2. **Width**: Measure front to back across the middle of the top. The real order read 31.5 in (80 cm).
3. **Thickness**: Measure straight down the side, top face to bottom face: 9.5 in (24 cm) here. If two mattresses are stacked, measure them together as one number.
4. **Send all three**: Write them in one line, length x width x thickness. The [Hemnes cover measuring pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/ikea-hemnes-daybed-cover-measuring/) shows where the tape goes, and more builds live under [Hemnes daybed covers](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/ikea-hemnes-daybed-covers/).

## On the cutting table: stripe below, crimson above

|   |   |
|---|---|
| Product | IKEA Hemnes daybed mattress cover with back cushions and bolsters |
| Fabric | Red and cream [striped cotton](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/striped-cotton-and-ticking/) on seat and bolsters; plain crimson on the backs |
| Edge | Box edge |
| Piping | Self piping in each fabric |
| Reference cover | 31.5 x 79 x 9.5 in (80 x 200 x 24 cm), from a real order |
| Support | The mattress inside; the cover adds no firmness |
| Stacked mattresses | One combined cover over both |
| Best for | Guest rooms and [bedroom](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/bedroom-cushions/) daybeds that sit as a sofa by day |

## Buyer questions: two mattresses, a toddler loveseat, shipping

**A common question:** We use two mattresses stacked on our Hemnes daybed. Do I order two covers or one?

**The workshop's answer:** One. Measure the total thickness of both mattresses together and order a single cover to that size. When a stacked set was made as two separate covers, they were too tight; the fix was one cover at 31.5 x 79 x 9.5 in (80 x 200 x 24 cm).

**A common question:** Could you make a seat, back cushions and side bolsters to turn my toddler's floor bed into a little loveseat?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. For a 53.5 x 29.5 in (136 x 75 cm) bed platform, both a five-piece set (seat, two back cushions, two side bolsters) and a two-piece set (seat plus one long back bolster) fit comfortably. The five-piece set looks fuller and costs more. Only the cushion measurements are needed, not the frame height.

**A common question:** Is there a shipping charge on a daybed cushion?

**The workshop's answer:** It depends on the listing. The daybed slipcover shipped with no extra fee, and a made-to-measure daybed cushion carried a shipping charge. Check the listing, and ask for the shipping cost in the quote.

> A Hemnes daybed cover needs three numbers, not one. A 9.5 in (24 cm) thickness alone did not fit; 31.5 x 79 x 9.5 in did.
>
> — Hana

> **Tailor's margin:** Two stacked mattresses sit as one. Measure them together and order one cover; two separate covers came out too tight.

## Questions buyers ask next

### Does a new cover make a Hemnes daybed firmer?

No. The cover sets the look and the feel of the surface; the firmness comes from the mattress inside. If the seat sits too soft or too hard, the mattress or insert is what needs to change, not the fabric around it.

### Why are the back cushions plain when the seat is striped?

Plain crimson on the tall backs gives the eye somewhere to rest, while the stripe stays on the seat and bolsters at sitting height, where pattern hides everyday wear. Both fabrics sit in the same red family, so only the surface changes.

### Should daybed bolsters match the seat or the back cushions?

On a two-fabric daybed, put the bolsters in the pattern. They sit between the patterned seat and the plain backs and link the two, and matching bolsters at both arms keep the set symmetrical.

### Can back cushions be softer than a daybed seat?

Yes. Back cushions are separate pieces with their own fill and only support shoulders and the upper back, so a softer fill is common. The seat mattress carries your full weight and sets how the daybed sits.

## Related at the atelier

- [Hemnes Daybed Cover in Red and Cream Stripe for Guests](https://cushionguide.com/readings/red-cream-striped-hemnes-daybed-guest-room/): A Hemnes daybed cover set seats guests well when the mattress, back cushions and bolsters share one fabric and the backs give an upright edge to lean on.
- [Hemnes Daybed Cover in Red Ticking Stripe: How the Set Stays Put](https://cushionguide.com/readings/red-cream-stripe-hemnes-set-stacked-shaggy-rug/): A Hemnes daybed cover set stays in place mostly by fit: the zippered mattress cover is made to the mattress's exact length, width and thickness, the backrests lean on the back rail, and the bolsters…
- [Hemnes Daybed Cover in Navy Ticking Stripe with Self Piping](https://cushionguide.com/readings/navy-ticking-stripe-hemnes-daybed-oak-floor/): On a striped Hemnes daybed cover, choose self piping: the welt is cut from the same ticking, so the stripe carries the line and no contrast cord cuts across it.
- [How to measure an IKEA Hemnes daybed: two stacked mattresses, one cover](https://cushionguide.com/guides/ikea-hemnes-daybed-cover-measuring/): An IKEA Hemnes daybed cover should be one fitted, zippered cover made to the mattresses' length and width plus their combined stacked height.
- [How tall are the daybed backrest cushions, and do I have to size them myself?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/daybed-backrest-bolster-size-height/): For a daybed cover set you give only the mattress size; the backrests and bolster armrests are made in proportion to it automatically.
- [Should I choose contrast piping or matching piping on my cushion?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/contrast-vs-matching-cushion-piping/): Contrast piping and matching piping both work; choose by how much you want the cushion's edge to show.
- [How to make a daybed look like a sofa with back cushions and bolsters](https://cushionguide.com/guides/daybed-back-cushions-sofa-look/)
- [What to measure for a custom daybed mattress cover](https://cushionguide.com/guides/daybed-mattress-cover-measurements/)

*— Hana*

---

Written by Hana Lindqvist (https://cushionguide.com/masters/hana/) 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/hemnes-daybed-crimson-backs-striped-seat/