---
title: "Sunbed Cushion Color Story: Herringbone Stripe on a Lawn"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/readings/herringbone-stripe-sun-lounger-cushion-garden-lawn/"
section: "Readings"
author: "Callum Reid, The Weather Man of Casco Bay"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/callum/"
published: "2026-07-16"
updated: "2026-07-16"
keywords: "sunbed cushion, chaise lounge cushion, outdoor cushions, custom size cushion"
---

# Reading the colors of a herringbone stripe sunbed cushion

*Five bright colors on one pad should be too many. A dark hedge, a teak frame and late sun say otherwise, and each one does a specific job.*

> **The quick answer:** A multicolored sunbed cushion looks cheerful rather than loud when something dark sits behind it, like the clipped yew hedge here, and warm teak pulls its coral and mustard forward. Build it as one long pad that bends at the lounger's hinge, with a strap near the top, and measure both sections plus the exact hinge point before ordering.

![Teak sun lounger with a teal, coral and mustard herringbone stripe cushion on a lawn by a yew hedge, a person reclining](https://cushionguide.com/media/chaise-and-sunbed-cushions/herringbone-stripe-sun-lounger-cushion-garden-lawn-1600.webp "A colorful herringbone stripe cushion folds with the teak lounger, ready for a long afternoon with a book.")

## Five bright colors, one dark hedge

Teal, coral, mustard, lilac and navy on one sunbed cushion sounds like a lot. Against a clipped yew hedge, it's exactly enough.

The hedge does the heavy lifting. It's the darkest thing in the frame, nearly black-green, and dark behind bright makes bright look brighter. Set the same herringbone stripe against white stucco and it would shout. Against yew it reads cheerful and settled, and the topiary ball repeats the green in a rounder shape.

The teak frame does the second job. Warm brown wood pulls the coral and mustard forward and lets the teal and navy sit back. A cold gray aluminum frame would tip the balance the other way. So hold the swatch against your own frame, friend, not against your screen.

Then the light. Late-afternoon sun, low and gold, warms the lilac toward pink and makes the lawn glow. A small side table holds a book and an iced tea at arm's reach, and the reader in linen trousers and suede sandals sets the pace: slow. A busy stripe also forgives sunscreen and grass better than a pale solid would.

One weather note. This outdoor fabric is water-repellent, not waterproof. Water-repellent is a promise; waterproof is a contract. Enjoy the lounger on the lawn and store the pad under cover. More in [chaise and sunbed cushions](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/chaise-and-sunbed-cushions/) and [water-repellent vs waterproof cushions](https://cushionguide.com/guides/water-repellent-vs-waterproof-cushions/).

## Anatomy of a folding lounger pad

1. Back section. It tilts with the backrest, so the stripe runs straight up the raised back.
2. Hinge line. One long pad bends here, so measure the exact hinge point and the fold lands on it.
3. Seat section. It stays flat and firm under the sitter's weight.
4. Top strap. It holds the pad to the frame when you sit up and lean forward.
5. Self piping. The same stripe on the edge, which the workshop recommends outdoors to reinforce the edges.

## Pinned by Callum: strap, sections and shade

Five pins across the lounger, from the strap at the top to the yew hedge that makes the stripe glow.

1. **Back section**: The back part tilts with the lounger, so the stripe runs straight up the raised back.
2. **Seat section**: The seat part stays flat and firm under the person's weight.
3. **Top strap**: A strap near the top holds the cushion to the frame when you sit up.
4. **Book and iced tea**: A small table at arm's reach makes the lounger a place to stay.
5. **Yew hedge**: The dark hedge makes the bright stripes look even more cheerful.

## New covers for an outdoor sofa's old foam

A buyer in the US had good foam and tired covers on an outdoor sofa. They wanted a boxed, zippered seat cover at 64 3/4 x 31 x 4 in (164.5 x 79 x 10 cm) plus three back covers, in off-white, ivory or oatmeal, and asked for Sunbrella-grade fabric.

The shop was straight with them. It doesn't carry Sunbrella. Its outdoor fabrics are polyester with water-repellent, UV-resistant finishes. It recommended self piping to reinforce the edges, and it builds with double-stitched seams and hidden zippers. It offers ties, not hook-and-loop tape. Production was about 1 week, plus 2 to 4 business days in transit, and before the final quote it asked for photos of the sofa and the back cushion sizes.

If you only need covers, give the foam's exact size and ask what the fabric is made of, not just whose name is on it. [Cushion covers for existing foam](https://cushionguide.com/guides/cushion-covers-for-existing-foam/) walks through the rest, and [chaise and sunbed cushion sizes](https://cushionguide.com/guides/chaise-lounge-sunbed-cushion-size/) covers the hinge.

## On the cutting table: the lawn lounger

|   |   |
|---|---|
| Product | Sunbed cushion, one long pad that folds at the hinge |
| Fabric | Herringbone stripe in an outdoor weave |
| Colors | Teal, coral, mustard, lilac, navy |
| Piping | Self piping cut from the same stripe |
| Edge | Box |
| Fastening | Strap near the top, ties at the frame |
| Frame | Teak lounger on wheels |
| Measure | Seat, back and the exact hinge point |
| Best for | Lawns and patios by day, stored under cover in wet weather |

## Buyer questions: snow, a camper bed and IKEA covers

**A common question:** Our summers are very hot and our winters bring snow. Do you carry Sunbrella, a fast-drying mesh bottom or quick-dry foam?

**The workshop's answer:** No to all three. The outdoor fabric is UV-resistant and water-repellent, there's no mesh bottom, and the foam isn't a quick-dry outdoor foam. The cushions work very well on a covered porch or stored over winter, but the shop says plainly they aren't right to leave uncovered in rain and snow.

**A common question:** Can you make a corduroy cover for the foam mattress in my camper van?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. A corduroy cover for a cold-foam mattress measuring 27 1/2 x 78 3/4 x 4 in (70 x 200 x 10 cm) was quoted to order.

**A common question:** Can you make new covers for my IKEA DUVHOLMEN outdoor lounge cushions?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes, covers only, sized to the original inserts, for example 48 7/8 x 24 3/8 x 4 3/4 in (124 x 62 x 12 cm) seats and 24 3/8 x 17 3/8 x 5 1/2 in (62 x 44 x 14 cm) backs. A solid piping in the stripe's exact dark green would be hard to match, so the shop suggested piping cut from the same striped fabric.

> A bright stripe looks cheerful against a dark hedge and loud against a white wall, so hold the sunbed cushion swatch against the backdrop, not the screen.
>
> — Callum

> **Tailor's margin:** Before ordering a sunbed cushion, measure the seat, the back and the exact hinge point, so the fold lands where the lounger bends.

## Questions buyers ask next

### Why do bright stripes suit a teak sun lounger?

Warm brown teak pulls coral and mustard forward and lets teal and navy settle back. The same stripe on a cold gray aluminum frame reads cooler, so check swatches against your own frame in daylight.

### Should a lounger with a hinged backrest get one pad or two?

One long pad that bends at the hinge keeps back and seat moving together when the backrest is raised. Mark the hinge position on your measurements so the fold falls in the right place.

### What does self piping do on a striped outdoor cushion?

It trims the edge in the same fabric as the body, so a busy stripe keeps one clean outline. The workshop recommends it on outdoor cushions because it reinforces the edges.

### Can outdoor cushions fasten with hook-and-loop tape instead of ties?

The workshop offers ties for outdoor cushions, not hook-and-loop tape. On a lounger, a strap near the top does most of the holding when you sit up and lean forward.

## Related at the atelier

- [Chaise Lounge Cushion by a Pool: Where to Spend, Where to Save](https://cushionguide.com/readings/white-chaise-lounge-cushion-desert-family-pool/): On a pool chaise lounge cushion, spend on what the weather attacks: water-repellent outdoor fabric, foam that drains fast, straps or ties, and zipped covers you can wash.
- [Sunbed Cushion and Twin Bolsters: How to Keep Them in Place](https://cushionguide.com/readings/charcoal-striped-garden-daybed-cushion-twin-bolsters/): A sunbed cushion stays put through fit and fastening: order it to the frame's exact inside size, add corner ties or a non-slip underside in the personalization note, and put bolster zippers at the…
- [Sunbed Cushion Makeover: Chevron Back, Teal Seat on a Beach Deck](https://cushionguide.com/readings/teal-chevron-band-lounger-cushion-beach-house-deck/): A two-fabric sunbed cushion can remake a plain deck: put the lighter pattern on the backrest and a darker solid on the seat, where wet, sandy legs land.
- [Measuring a chaise lounge or sunbed cushion, hinge point included](https://cushionguide.com/guides/chaise-lounge-sunbed-cushion-size/): Measure a chaise lounge cushion by its overall length and width, then foot to hinge, so the cushion bends with the frame.
- [Custom cushions for Icelandic homes, summer houses and hot tub decks](https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-iceland/): Custom cushions in Iceland have to handle wind first, then wet: on decks and beside a hot tub, use water-repellent outdoor fabric, quick-drying construction, ties at the back corners and cushions…
- [Lanai cushions for Hawaii homes, windward and leeward](https://cushionguide.com/places/hawaii-cushions/): Hawaii lanai cushions need outdoor-rated, UV-resistant, water-repellent fabric on anything the lanai exposes, because island sun stays strong even in December.
- [Can indoor cushions go on a covered or screened porch?](https://cushionguide.com/guides/indoor-cushions-covered-porch/)

*Fair winds — Callum*

---

Written by Callum Reid (https://cushionguide.com/masters/callum/) 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/herringbone-stripe-sun-lounger-cushion-garden-lawn/