SaveA Reading by NateBench Cushions
A mustard palm-leaf cushion on an oak hallway bench, set up for the long sit as well as the boot pull
A hallway bench runs in two modes, fast and slow. I read this one for the slow mode, palette first, numbers second.
Swatch strip measured from the photograph
- chestnut#7f564730%
- deep walnut#3e2d2222%
- taupe#837a6c20%
- sand#b5aa9915%
- linen#cfccc613%
The quick answer
For a custom bench cushion by the front door, choose a dark-ground print that hides wear and a durable non-velvet fabric such as soft-touch poly-cotton. Decide early between tufting and a removable zip cover, because a tufted cover can't be taken off. Add two pillows at the wall end so the bench works for longer sitting, not just pulling on boots.
Swatch strip: seven colors from one front hall
- Mustard leaf#C9982BThe loudest ink in the print, repeated in the pillow at the wall end.
- Black ground#1F1E1CThe background that hides scuffs by a front door.
- Charcoal#45474AThe second pillow, grounding the corner under the coats.
- Sage door#9DAE8CSits well beside mustard and ties the door to the seat.
- Tile red#A9442FThe busy checkerboard, and the reason the cushion stays dark.
- Tile cream#EDE3CCThe pale half of the checkerboard floor.
- Bench oak#B5864FHoney tone between the red floor and the mustard seat.
Pinned by Nate: five coordinates on the hallway bench
Five pins, left to right, from the mustard pillow to the sage front door.
- Palm leaf print cushion
The black-ground print hides everyday wear, which matters next to a front door.
- Mustard pillow
Mustard is the strongest color in the leaves, repeated at the start of the bench.
- Charcoal pillow
Charcoal matches the dark ground and keeps the corner grounded.
- Wellies under bench
The open space below the far end becomes boot parking.
- Sage front door
Sage and mustard sit well together and link the door to the seat.
- Palm leaf print cushionThe black-ground print hides everyday wear, which matters next to a front door.
- Mustard pillowMustard is the strongest color in the leaves, repeated at the start of the bench.
- Charcoal pillowCharcoal matches the dark ground and keeps the corner grounded.
- Wellies under benchThe open space below the far end becomes boot parking.
- Sage front doorSage and mustard sit well together and link the door to the seat.
Built for the long sit, not just the boot pull
A hallway bench runs in two modes. Fast: sit, pull a boot, stand. Slow: waiting for a kid who can't find the other shoe, untangling a leash, taking a call by the door. Design for the slow mode and the fast one takes care of itself.
This custom bench cushion is set up for the slow mode. It is a box cushion in a cotton canvas print, mustard and gray palm leaves on a black ground, with self piping, on an oak storage bench. The bench sits against the wall so the terracotta runner stays clear. The far end is open underneath, and the wellies park there.
The two pillows are the comfort engineering. Mustard and charcoal are the two strongest inks in the print, and they stack at the wall end under the black hook rail and the coats. That gives the bench a backrest it doesn't otherwise have. Sitting for ten minutes with nothing behind you is a posture test nobody signed up for.
Then the colorway. A black-ground print hides everyday wear, and by a front door that outranks every other spec. Sage on the paneled door sits well beside mustard, so door and seat read as one decision. The red and cream checkerboard is already loud; a light cushion would have been one more loud thing.
The small stuff, a canvas tote on a hook, a fried egg art print, a house-shaped wall shelf, a brass letterbox, says a family lives here. None of it touches the seat, which is correct.
One number to check before ordering: final seat height equals bench height plus cushion thickness. Run it through the seat height calculator, then size the cushion in the bench cushion builder. The Atlas has more mudroom and entryway bench cushions and bench cushions, and cotton prints sit near striped cotton and ticking in the Swatch Library. How long does your family actually sit on the hallway bench, partner?
A 64-inch mustard bench, tufted on purpose
A buyer got in touch about a daily-use entry bench: a tufted cushion about 64 x 17.75 in (162.4 x 45 cm), mustard yellow, in a durable fabric that was not velvet, with no handles.
The workshop recommended its soft-touch poly-cotton, a durable, easy-clean best seller, and flagged the one trade-off that matters: tufted covers cannot be removed. A zippered cover is possible, but not with tufting. The buyer weighed it, chose tufted, and ordered from the 17.75 x 63.75 in (45 x 162 cm) option.
In order: - Fabric for the traffic: durable poly-cotton over velvet. - Tufted or zip-off. Not both. - Nearest listed size, exact size in the note.
Measure twice; the fabric remembers. More in tufted vs plain cushions.
Buyer questions: box sizes, banquette quotes and real cowhide
- A common question
How big is the box a large cushion ships in?
The workshop's answerSmaller than most people expect. A 111.5 x 34 in (283 x 86 cm) cushion shipped compressed in a white package of about 24 x 20 x 8 in (60 x 50 x 20 cm).
- A common question
Can you give me pricing on custom banquette cushions?
The workshop's answerYes. Send the sizes first; the shop replies with a quote and a custom purchase link.
- A common question
Could you make my window seat cushions in real cowhide, not a printed hide?
The workshop's answerYes. The shop agreed to make two foam-filled seat cushions at 17.5 x 19.5 x 3 in (44 x 50 x 7.5 cm) in natural tri-color cowhide. It can use a hide you supply or source one itself.
On the cutting table: the hallway bench
| Cushion | Box bench cushion on an oak storage bench |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Cotton canvas print (P-18): mustard and gray palm leaves on black |
| Piping | Self piping in the same print |
| Back support | Mustard and charcoal pillows at the wall end |
| Under the bench | Open at the far end for boots |
| Hard-use option | Soft-touch poly-cotton, durable and easy to clean |
| Tufted or zip | Tufted covers can't be removed; zip covers come untufted |
| Best for | Entryway and mudroom benches used every day |
Have it made
Have this made — ask Nate’s workshop
Send the numbers in inches: length × depth × thickness, plus any angle. The workshop checks them with you, because foam has no undo button. — Nate
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.
For an entryway bench cushion, choose tufted or a zip-off cover. A tufted cover can't be removed, and a zippered one can't be tufted.
Nate
Questions buyers ask next
Is velvet a good choice for a busy entryway bench cushion?
For heavy daily use, the workshop steered one buyer away from velvet toward its soft-touch poly-cotton, a durable, easy-clean best seller. By a front door, a tough cloth that cleans easily earns its keep.
Can a tufted bench cushion have a removable cover?
No. Tufting ties the cover to the foam, so a tufted cover can't come off for washing. If you want a zippered, removable cover, order the cushion without tufting.
Why add pillows to a hallway bench?
Two pillows at the wall end give a backrest for longer sits: waiting, taking a call, lacing boots. Pull their colors from the strongest inks in the cushion print so the bench reads as one piece.
How do I work out the right thickness for an entryway bench cushion?
Start from seat height. The bench frame height plus the cushion thickness gives the final seat. Decide the height you want to sit at, subtract the frame height, and the difference is your thickness.
± 1/4 in — Nate
More photographs to read
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
