A Reading by HarlanCorner Floor Cushions & Poufs
A mustard and forest green corner floor cushion, and what a study nook can borrow from the porch
A letter from the workbench about a warm corner: mustard to sit on, forest green to lean against, and a few habits worth learning from cushions that live outdoors.
SaveThe quick answer
A corner floor cushion reads warm and rich when its two colors share the same depth: here a mustard seat catches the light while forest green backrest pillows sit back against the wall. From outdoor cushions, borrow a forgiving seat color and a zipped cover; from indoor ones, borrow a linen-look weave and quiet self piping.
High Point ·
My friend,
A letter about a corner somebody got right
I have been looking at a photograph of a corner that somebody got right. A greige wall, a framed botanical print, a row of black-and-white photographs, a walnut cabinet hung on the wall. And down on the floor, a corner floor cushion: a mustard seat with two forest green backrest pillows standing behind it.
Those two colors quarrel on a paint chart. On a floor, they settle down together. Mustard and forest green are different hues, but they sit at the same depth, both earthy mid-tones, so the pair looks rich instead of busy. The seat takes the lighter color because a seat catches the light. The backrest takes the darker one because it leans on the wall and ought to step back.
The edge is self piping, cut from the same cloth, the way I'd have done it. The weave is a linen-look fabric, which gives a plain color a little grain, the way an old oak floor has grain.
What to take from the porch, and what to leave out there
Here is the part of this letter I most want you to keep. Cushions that live outdoors have taught the trade some good habits, and an indoor corner can borrow them.
From the porch, take the forgiving seat. Mustard hides everyday marks far better than cream, the same way a darker outdoor seat hides sand. Take the zipped cover, so the cloth can come off for washing. And take plain construction where folks sit hard: a plain foam-filled cushion is simpler to keep and costs less than a tufted one.
From the parlor, take texture and polish. A linen-look weave, a quiet piped edge, walnut and oak, and a black mushroom lamp at shoulder height. Outdoor cloth is made to stand rain. Your study wants something that feels kind under a bare hand at ten o'clock at night. More warm corners are gathered in living room cushions. What color is the corner you've been meaning to fix?
Pinned by Harlan, from the print to the fig
Five pins, from the botanical print above the seat to the fiddle-leaf fig that ties the room back to the green pillows.
- Botanical print
A green print above the seat repeats the forest green backrest.
- Mushroom lamp
A black dome lamp on walnut adds mid-century polish at shoulder height.
- Forest green backrest
Deep green pillows behind a mustard seat is a classic autumn pairing.
- Mustard seat
Mustard lifts the corner and hides everyday marks better than cream.
- Fiddle-leaf fig
A tall fig adds living green that links to the pillows.
- Botanical printA green print above the seat repeats the forest green backrest.
- Mushroom lampA black dome lamp on walnut adds mid-century polish at shoulder height.
- Forest green backrestDeep green pillows behind a mustard seat is a classic autumn pairing.
- Mustard seatMustard lifts the corner and hides everyday marks better than cream.
- Fiddle-leaf figA tall fig adds living green that links to the pillows.
The big floor cushion: tufted or plain
One buyer wrote in about a bespoke floor cushion, about 63 x 35 1/2 in (160 x 90 cm), and asked the fair question: what is the difference between tufted and plain?
The workshop quoted both and sent photographs of the non-tufted style, so they could judge it with their own eyes. Tufting is handwork, and that labor shows in the price. The plain version is foam-filled, costs less, and can take a zipped cover that comes off for cleaning.
Neither answer is wrong. Buy the cushion once, cry once: decide which one you would rather live with before any cloth is cut. The pros and cons sit side by side in tufted versus plain cushions.
Corner and floor-sofa questions
- A common question
Can I swap the four regular support bars on my floor sofa for two regular ones and a single long bar?
The workshop's answerNo. Only the regular bars are made, and the workshop finds they work well.
- A common question
Could the quarter-tufted corner floor cushion be made smaller, say 28 x 28 inches?
The workshop's answerYes. A 28 x 28 in (71 x 71 cm) quarter-tufted corner cushion has been quoted and made to order, so send your measurements and the workshop will price that size.
On the cutting table, in the study
| Cushion | Corner floor cushion, box edge, with backrest pillows |
|---|---|
| Seat | Mustard linen-look weave |
| Backrest | Two forest green flanged pillows |
| Piping | Self piping |
| Color rule | Two colors of the same depth; the lighter on the seat |
| Tufting | Optional; plain versions cost less and take zipped covers |
| Smaller sizes | Quarter-tufted corner cushions made at 28 x 28 in (71 x 71 cm) |
| Room partners | Walnut, oak and black accents |
| Best for | Study nooks, reading corners, living room floors |
Have it made
Have this made — ask Harlan’s workshop
Old upholsterers will tell you the real cutting happens in the conversation, long before the shears come out. Tell the workshop what you sit on, and they will talk it through with you. — 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.
Pair two colors of the same depth on a corner floor cushion and give the lighter one to the seat; mustard with forest green is the classic.
Harlan
Questions buyers ask next
What size can a corner floor cushion be?
Sizes are made to measure. Quarter-tufted corner cushions have been made at 28 x 28 in (71 x 71 cm), and bespoke floor cushions run to about 63 x 35 1/2 in (160 x 90 cm). Measure the floor space and leave room to step around it.
Why do mustard and forest green look good together?
They are different hues at the same depth, both earthy mid-tones, so they contrast without clashing. Walnut, oak and black accents suit both, which is why the pairing feels at home in mid-century and study-style rooms.
Is a tufted floor cushion worth the extra cost?
Tufting adds hand labor and gives a buttoned, upholstered look. A plain foam-filled floor cushion costs less and can have a zipped cover that comes off for washing. Choose by how you will clean it and how hard it will be used.
Which color goes on the seat of a two-color floor cushion?
Usually the lighter one, because the seat catches the light and the backrest leans against the wall. Pick two colors of similar depth, so even the lighter seat hides everyday marks, as mustard does compared with cream.
Sit well. — Harlan
