A Reading by HanaIKEA Hemnes Daybed Covers & Cushions
Cream velvet Hemnes daybed covers with rust welts, seen from the side
A daybed is deep enough to sleep on. That is the problem when you want to sit on it for three hours.
SaveThe quick answer
For long sitting on a Hemnes daybed, the back cushions matter more than the mattress cover: they bring the backrest forward so you can sit back with your knees still near the edge. A bolster at each side rail becomes an armrest. Before ordering covers, measure the mattress length, width and thickness, plus the inside length between the end rails.
The mattress cover, cut open at the front edge
Cream velvet cover. Cream velvet with a soft pile. Zippered, so it comes off the mattress for washing.
Burnt-orange piping. A contrast welt on the top and bottom seams. It runs the whole front with no join showing.
Side band. The strip between top and bottom panels. It must equal the mattress thickness, or the cover sags or will not close.
Your mattress. The cover goes over the mattress already on the daybed. One buyer's measured 31.5 x 79 x 9.5 in (80 x 200 x 24 cm).
Zipper. Set into the back band, the side that faces the wall.
Base panel. The underside that rests on the daybed, cut to the same length and width as the top.
Down the length of the daybed
From the side, you see the fit.
The burnt-orange welt runs the whole front of the mattress without a join. At the near end, a round bolster shows its face: one ring of piping around a circle of cream velvet. The back cushions stand upright against the rear rail, inside the end rails.
The cover is cream velvet, 105 on the chart, piped in 112. Velvet has a pile. In warm daylight it catches light on the top and goes a shade deeper down the sides, so the box reads solid, not flat.
This is a full IKEA Hemnes daybed cover set in velvet: mattress cover, back cushions, a bolster at each side rail. It is built for sitting as much as for sleeping.
Five pins from the bolster to the fig
Five pins along the daybed, from the round bolster end to the weeping fig at the head.
- Round bolster end
One welt frames the circular end panel, matching the mattress piping.
- Unbroken mattress welt
The piping runs end to end without a join showing on the front.
- Upright back cushions
They stand between the end rails, so their length must fit inside the frame.
- Weeping fig
A tall plant at the head end balances the long low daybed.
- Grass print gallery
Warm-toned prints repeat the piping's brown on the wall.
- Round bolster endOne welt frames the circular end panel, matching the mattress piping.
- Unbroken mattress weltThe piping runs end to end without a join showing on the front.
- Upright back cushionsThey stand between the end rails, so their length must fit inside the frame.
- Weeping figA tall plant at the head end balances the long low daybed.
- Grass print galleryWarm-toned prints repeat the piping's brown on the wall.
Three hours on a seat as deep as a bed
A daybed mattress is as deep as a bed. That is more than a back wants.
Sit against the rear rail and your knees stop short of the edge. Sit at the edge and nothing touches your back. The back cushions fix this. Standing along the rail, they move the backrest forward into the seat.
For reading, turn sideways. The bolster at the side rail becomes an arm. Lean into it, legs along the mattress, a book on your knee.
For working, face out. Back to the cushions, feet on the rug. The fluted walnut side table holds a cup and two books within reach.
Height is a feeling. The daybed is long and low, so the weeping fig in its seagrass basket stands at the head end and gives the room one tall line. The dried-grass prints in oak frames repeat the piping's warm brown on the wall, and the terracotta and sage rug carries it to the floor. More in styling a daybed like a sofa.
A deep seat invites you in. A back cushion lets you stay. A bolster lets you turn.
Nine and a half inches, and the other two numbers
A buyer in the US ordered daybed covers in corduroy. After the order, the workshop asked for the mattress thickness. The buyer answered: 9.5 in (24 cm).
The first covers did not fit. The buyer sent photos. From them the workshop confirmed the full size, 31.5 x 79 x 9.5 in (80 x 200 x 24 cm), made new covers and shipped them.
One number had been checked. Two had been assumed.
Measure the length. Measure the width. Measure the thickness, and send all three together.
The lesson: Get length, width and thickness before cutting, not only the thickness.
Buyer questions: summer guests, a twin bed, bolsters swapped
- A common question
What fabric should I choose for a daybed that guests sleep on in hot summers? Nothing scratchy, nothing plush.
The workshop's answerThe workshop suggested its soft fabric range: smooth and breathable, so it doesn't feel scratchy or hot. That buyer's daybed cushion was 24 x 79 in (61 x 201 cm), and the piping could match the body or contrast with it.
- A common question
Can I turn a twin bed into a daybed with backrests and end pillows, but no seat cushion?
The workshop's answerYes. One order was two backrests at 18 x 36 in (46 x 91 cm) plus two armrests, with no seat cushion at all. For reference, a full daybed set has been made for a twin XL, which is 38 in (97 cm) wide and 80 in (203 cm) long.
- A common question
In the Hemnes set, can I have rectangular pillows instead of the round bolsters?
The workshop's answerYes. Order the full set with two extra rectangular pillows in place of the bolsters, or order the back pillows and the mattress cover separately. The inserts are foam with adjustable firmness, and linen and other fabric families can replace the standard color charts.
On the cutting table: the side-view daybed
| Piece | IKEA Hemnes daybed cover set: mattress cover, back cushions, two round bolsters |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Cream velvet, 105 |
| Piping | Contrast burnt orange, 112, on the mattress, back cushions and bolster ends |
| Edge | Box edge with a side band |
| Back cushions | Upright against the rear rail, inside the end rails |
| Inserts | Foam, with adjustable firmness |
| Swap | Rectangular pillows can replace the round bolsters |
| To measure | Mattress length, width, thickness; inside length between the end rails |
| Best for | Reading, working and lingering in a living room |
Have it made
Have this made — ask Hana’s workshop
Measure once, slowly. Write the numbers here. The workshop will go over them with you. — Hana
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.
Daybed back cushions matter more than the mattress for long sitting: standing against the rear rail, they bring the backrest forward to meet the sitter.
Hana
Questions buyers ask next
Why do back cushions make a daybed comfortable to sit on?
A daybed mattress is as deep as a bed, deeper than any sofa seat. Upright back cushions against the rear rail bring the backrest forward, so a seated person can lean back with the knees still near the front edge.
What should I measure before ordering Hemnes daybed covers?
Three numbers for the mattress, sent together: length, width and thickness. Then the inside length between the end rails, because the back cushions stand inside the frame. One set ordered on thickness alone did not fit and had to be made again.
Does contrast piping work on a cream velvet daybed?
Yes. A burnt-orange welt on cream gives the box edge a line to follow, and on a long mattress it shows at once whether the cover sits straight. Take the piping color from something already in the room, such as prints, wood or a rug.
— Hana
The same daybed from other angles, and other stripes
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