A Reading by HarlanCorner Floor Cushions & Poufs
A multicolor pinstripe corner floor cushion, and what keeps it in its corner
A letter about a warm corner, a busy stripe, and the plain question every floor cushion owner asks sooner or later: what keeps the thing from walking off?
SaveThe quick answer
A corner floor cushion stays put through grip and weight, not ties: a non-slip fabric sewn under the seat keeps it from sliding on a rug or wood floor. Set the zipper along the back edge, toward the wall, so it never shows. Freestanding pouf pieces need no connector, because their weight holds them.
High Point ·
My friend,
A busy stripe in a quiet corner
Fifty-some years in upholstery shops, and I still stop at a stripe like this one. Terracotta, teal, mustard and cream, drawn so fine that from the doorway they melt into one warm color, like a sunset through a screen door. Walk closer and the lines come apart again. A reading corner is seen both ways, from across the room and from two feet off, and this cloth works at both distances.
The seat is a boxed corner floor cushion with self piping. The piping is cut from the same stripe, so the edge holds its shape without drawing a line of its own. Two flanged backrest pillows in the same cloth lean on the walls. One cloth, three pieces, no quarrels.
Everything else was chosen to keep quiet. One botanical print on the taupe wall. One round oak side table at seat height, so the mug and the book have somewhere to go besides the floor. One fiddle-leaf fig, whose big leaves pick up the teal threads. A cream wool rug under it all, plain and textured, to rest the eye below a pattern this busy.
Now the question I hear most about corners. A floor cushion on a wool rug gets leaned on, shoved back, dragged forward with a heel. Ties need something to tie to, and a corner has only walls. What keeps it honest is underneath: a non-slip base across the bottom. The whole business of grip is laid out in stopping a cushion sliding.
The zipper goes along the back edge, toward the wall. A seam is a promise, and a zipper is a promise best kept out of sight.
What sits in your corner now, and does it stay put when you lean back?
Five marks on a warm corner
Five pins, from the print on the wall down to the rug that calms the stripe.
- Botanical print
A single muted print keeps the wall quiet above a busy stripe.
- Multicolour pinstripe
Many thin stripes blend from a distance into one warm, sunset-like tone.
- Mug and book
A side table at seat height makes the corner a proper coffee-and-reading spot.
- Fiddle-leaf fig
Big green leaves pick up the teal threads in the stripe.
- Cream wool rug
A plain textured rug rests the eye below a pattern this busy.
- Botanical printA single muted print keeps the wall quiet above a busy stripe.
- Multicolour pinstripeMany thin stripes blend from a distance into one warm, sunset-like tone.
- Mug and bookA side table at seat height makes the corner a proper coffee-and-reading spot.
- Fiddle-leaf figBig green leaves pick up the teal threads in the stripe.
- Cream wool rugA plain textured rug rests the eye below a pattern this busy.
Three ways to hold a floor cushion down
Not every fastening suits every seat. Here is how the three honest ones compare.
| Non-slip base | Ties | Weight alone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Works on | Rugs and wood floors | Chairs, benches and swings with a frame | Heavy pouf sofas and ottomans |
| Right for a corner? | Yes | No; there is nothing to tie to | Yes, for big, heavy pieces |
| Watch for | Take it off before the cover goes in the wash | Mark tie positions on your drawing | No connector between pieces |
The 72-inch sofa with 16 inches to sit on
A buyer in the US wanted a slim floor sofa for a tight spot. The first number was about 60 x 28 in. Then the tape came out again, and it became 72 x 28 in (183 x 71 cm).
The workshop agreed, and said the one thing that mattered: at 28 in deep, once the backrest takes its share, only about 16 in (41 cm) is left in front of it for sitting. The buyer was content with that. It was for company now and then, not for every evening.
Seat depth is total depth minus the backrest. I have seen folks learn that on delivery day. Better to learn it at the cutting table, where it costs nothing but a pencil line.
- Sizes
- 72 x 28 in (183 x 71 cm); about 16 in (41 cm) of seat in front of the backrest
The lesson: Seat depth equals total depth minus backrest thickness, so a shallow floor sofa needs a thin back.
Buyer questions
- A common question
Is there velcro or anything under the floor sofa to stop it sliding?
The workshop's answerYes. The seat cushions have a special non-slip fabric on the underside, the grippy kind buyers call velcro, which keeps them from sliding on the floor.
- A common question
Can each piece of my modular floor sofa be a different color?
The workshop's answerYes. Place the order and write the color for each piece in the order note. One buyer chose a yellow seat cushion and a pink one, with blue and brick L-shaped backrests.
- A common question
How big are the two-seater pouf sofa and its ottoman, and do they connect?
The workshop's answerThe two-seater is about 3 ft long including the arms, and the ottoman is 25 x 35 in (64 x 89 cm). There is no connector; the pieces are heavy and stay where you put them.
What went into the corner
| Cushion | Corner floor cushion, boxed, with two flanged backrest pillows |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Multicolor pinstripe cotton: terracotta, teal, mustard and cream |
| Piping | Self piping, cut from the stripe |
| Grip | Non-slip fabric across the base |
| Zipper | Along the back edge, facing the wall |
| Ties | None; a corner has nothing to tie to |
| Room | Reading nook with a wool rug and a seat-height side table |
| Best for | Slow mornings, one reader, one mug |
Have it made
Have this made — ask Harlan’s workshop
The best cushions I have known began with somebody asking one more question. Ask yours here. — Harlan
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.
A corner floor cushion has nothing to tie to but two walls, so the grip goes underneath: a non-slip fabric across the whole base.
Harlan
Questions buyers ask next
Do corner floor cushions come with ties?
Ties need a frame to knot around, like chair spindles or bench legs, and a floor corner has none. For floor seating the usual answer is a non-slip fabric on the base, helped by the weight of the cushion itself.
Where should the zipper go on a floor cushion that sits in a corner?
Along the back edge, facing the wall. It stays out of sight and away from your legs, and you can still unzip the cover for washing without pulling the whole corner apart.
Can a striped seat have striped backrest pillows too?
Yes, when they share one cloth. Here the seat and both flanged backrest pillows are the same multicolor pinstripe, so they read as one piece. Two different stripes at the same scale is where a corner starts to look busy.
How deep should a floor seat be if it has a backrest?
Count the backrest out of the depth. A 28 in deep floor sofa leaves only about 16 in to sit on once the back cushion is in place, which suits occasional seating. For daily lounging, go deeper or pick a thinner back.
Sit well. — Harlan
P.S. Before you order, sit in the corner on whatever you have now and lean back hard. Whatever moves first is the thing that needs holding down.
Other corners, other stripes and checks
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
