---
title: "Hemnes Daybed Cover in Cream Velvet, Set Up for Long Sitting"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/readings/hemnes-daybed-side-view-cream-velvet-rust-piping/"
section: "Readings"
author: "Hana Lindqvist, The Quiet Geometer of Seattle"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/hana/"
published: "2026-02-19"
updated: "2026-02-23"
keywords: "hemnes daybed cover, ikea hemnes daybed cushion, daybed cover, bolster pillow, custom cushion covers"
---

# 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.*

> **The 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.

![Side angle of a white Hemnes daybed with cream velvet mattress, back cushions and round bolsters edged in burnt-orange piping](https://cushionguide.com/media/ikea-hemnes-daybed-covers/hemnes-daybed-side-view-cream-velvet-rust-piping-1600.webp "From the side, the rounded bolster ends and continuous piping show how closely the covers fit the frame.")

## 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](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/ikea-hemnes-daybed-covers/) set in [velvet](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/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.

1. **Round bolster end**: One welt frames the circular end panel, matching the mattress piping.
2. **Unbroken mattress welt**: The piping runs end to end without a join showing on the front.
3. **Upright back cushions**: They stand between the end rails, so their length must fit inside the frame.
4. **Weeping fig**: A tall plant at the head end balances the long low daybed.
5. **Grass print gallery**: Warm-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](https://cushionguide.com/guides/daybed-back-cushions-sofa-look/).

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.

## 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 answer:** The 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 answer:** Yes. 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 answer:** Yes. 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 |

> 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

> **Tailor's margin:** Measure a daybed's inside length between the end rails. Back cushions stand inside the frame, so their combined length must fit there.

## 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.

## Related at the atelier

- [Hemnes Daybed Cover in Forest Green Velvet for a Narrow Office](https://cushionguide.com/readings/forest-green-velvet-hemnes-daybed-home-office/): An IKEA Hemnes daybed cover makes a small office feel generous when it recedes: one deep velvet, self piping, no contrast trim.
- [Hemnes Daybed Cover in Cream Velvet with Rust Piping](https://cushionguide.com/readings/rust-piped-cream-velvet-hemnes-oak-side-table-tree/): Rust piping on a cream velvet Hemnes daybed cover works when warm wood or clay nearby repeats the rust.
- [Hemnes Daybed Cover in Cream Velvet: Seating Guests Well](https://cushionguide.com/readings/cream-velvet-hemnes-daybed-burnt-orange-trim-vintage-runner/): A Hemnes daybed cover seats guests well when it is a full set: one fitted mattress cover, two back pillows and two bolsters.
- [What comes in the Hemnes daybed cover set, and is the mattress included?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/daybed-cover-set-whats-included/): The IKEA Hemnes daybed cover set includes one zippered mattress cover made to your mattress size, two filled backrest pillows and two filled bolster armrests, with piping at no extra charge.
- [Can I buy only the back cushions for my Hemnes daybed, or skip the bolsters?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/daybed-backrests-only-or-without-bolsters/): Hemnes daybed back cushions can be ordered without the rest of the set: two backrests with covers and inserts, a mattress cover plus two filled backrests, or the two round backrests alone.
- [Can I choose my own fabric, colors and piping for the Hemnes daybed set?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/daybed-cover-set-fabric-color-piping/): Yes, a Hemnes daybed cover set can be made in velvet or linen as well as the default corduroy, with the cover and piping in any colors from the fabric charts.
- [How to measure an IKEA Hemnes daybed: two stacked mattresses, one cover](https://cushionguide.com/guides/ikea-hemnes-daybed-cover-measuring/)
- [How to make a daybed look like a sofa with back cushions and bolsters](https://cushionguide.com/guides/daybed-back-cushions-sofa-look/)

*— 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-side-view-cream-velvet-rust-piping/