A Reading by MaggieBench Cushions
A custom bench cushion in mauve hexagon jacquard, up close, and the patterns it can live with
Maggie leans in on a boxed jacquard edge, raised cream lines and self piping, then sets out the rules for putting stripes, plains and texture beside a geometric.
The quick answer
To mix patterns around a hexagon jacquard bench cushion, let the geometric be the medium-scale pattern, pair it with a finer stripe or a plain, and bring in texture through linen, stoneware or chenille instead of a second bold print. Keep to one color family, and use self piping so the pattern runs unbroken down the boxed side.
SavePinned by Maggie
Start low on the patterned side band, move to the sharp piped corner, then climb to the raised cream lines and the one sprig of eucalyptus.
- Patterned side band
The hexagon carries on down the boxed side, so the cushion looks cut from one block.
- Piped corner
Self piping gives the boxed corner a sharp, even ridge.
- Raised chenille lines
The cream lines stand above the ground, something you feel as much as see.
- Eucalyptus stems
Blue-green leaves are the only color against mauve and cream.
- Patterned side bandThe hexagon carries on down the boxed side, so the cushion looks cut from one block.
- Piped cornerSelf piping gives the boxed corner a sharp, even ridge.
- Raised chenille linesThe cream lines stand above the ground, something you feel as much as see.
- Eucalyptus stemsBlue-green leaves are the only color against mauve and cream.
What a close-up tells you that a room shot won't
Right, then. This is a construction photo, and I like it better than most room shots. A box cushion in mauve-taupe and cream hexagon jacquard sits on pale oak, and the camera is close enough to show how it was made.
Three things to check, in this order: - The side band. The hexagons carry on down the boxed side, so the cushion looks cut from one block, not a lid on a box. - The piping. Self piping in the same jacquard, so the corner reads as a clean ridge instead of a colored outline. A contrast cord here would frame a pattern that is already a grid. - The surface. Those cream lines are raised chenille, standing above the ground. You feel them as much as see them, and that texture is half the pattern.
The styling knows its job. Cream-jacketed books, a stoneware vase and a small bowl, an oatmeal linen throw, all in one neutral family. Eucalyptus is the only color that isn't mauve or cream, and its blue-green makes the mauve look warmer.
When you shop for a patterned box cushion, ask for a photo of the side band. I once let a floral out of my shop with its side band running upside down. Once, dear. The top tells you the color; the side tells you the finish. More woven patterns live on the jacquard and damask shelf, and box edge versus knife edge explains why the side band exists at all. What is the busiest pattern already in your room?
Mixing a geometric with stripes, plains and texture
- Give each pattern its own scale: the hexagon is medium, so pair it with a fine stripe or a large, loose one.
- Keep one color family: mauve, cream and oatmeal here, so a cream-and-taupe stripe would join without a fight.
- Let plains do the resting: linen, stoneware and book jackets give the eye somewhere to stop.
- Count texture as pattern: raised chenille, linen slub and glazed clay add interest without a second print.
- Use one accent color once: the eucalyptus is the only green, and that restraint is why it lands.
Have it made
Have this made — ask Maggie’s workshop
Have the tape measure handy when they call. Old cushions shrink and sag; the seat underneath does not. — Maggie
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.
Stitch straight — Maggie
