A Reading by NateBay Window Cushions
A Mustard Bay Window Seat Cushion and the Mistakes It Didn't Make
A letter from Nate about three arches, one trapezoid, and the gap you buy when you assume both ends of a bay are the same.
SaveThe quick answer
A bay window cushion fits when it is cut as a true trapezoid: a long front, a shorter back against the wall, and two angled ends measured one at a time. The common mistakes are measuring only the front, copying one end to the other, hiding the angle with matching piping, and ordering a smoothly curved bay from photos.
Detroit ·
Partner,
A letter about three arches and one trapezoid
You asked what can go wrong with a bay seat. Here is a bay where nothing did, and I will walk you through why.
Three arched windows set the shape. Below them sits an oak paneled storage seat, and on top a mustard dotted chenille cushion cut as a true trapezoid: long front edge, shorter back against the wall, two angled ends meeting the side walls. Late golden sun pushes the mustard toward ochre.
The terracotta velvet piping is doing engineering work. It repeats the terracotta floor tiles, so seat and floor read as one scheme, and it traces the angled ends so the odd shape looks deliberate. A plain seam would hide the cut. Contrast piping shows it, which also means it shows you at once if an end is off. The piping Pattern compares all three options.
Props, quickly. Olive branches in a ceramic jug cool the warm palette with silver leaves. Dried lavender, an open book and a terracotta mug keep everything in the same sun-warmed family. Linen cafe curtains on slim rods stop short of the seat, so no fabric pools on the cushion. A worn vintage rug softens the tile. For textured, patterned wovens in the same spirit, see jacquard and damask. Tolerance is kindness to your future self, and this seat was measured by someone who believed it.
Five pins under three arches
Five pins, from the angled end to the arched glass, show where this bay seat got the geometry right.
- Mustard trapezoid top
The long front, shorter back and angled ends follow the bay exactly.
- Angled end
Contrast piping shows off the angle so the unusual shape looks deliberate.
- Terracotta velvet piping
The cord repeats the floor tiles and ties seat to floor.
- Olive branch jug
Silvery olive leaves cool the warm palette slightly.
- Arched windows
Three arches define the bay and the trapezoid it demands.
- Mustard trapezoid topThe long front, shorter back and angled ends follow the bay exactly.
- Angled endContrast piping shows off the angle so the unusual shape looks deliberate.
- Terracotta velvet pipingThe cord repeats the floor tiles and ties seat to floor.
- Olive branch jugSilvery olive leaves cool the warm palette slightly.
- Arched windowsThree arches define the bay and the trapezoid it demands.
Five mistakes this bay seat didn't make
- Calling the front the length. A bay seat has a long front and a shorter back, and both go on the drawing.
- Copying one angled end to the other. Measure each end to the nearest 1/4 in (6 mm) and label left and right.
- Letting self piping swallow the angle. A contrast welt, here terracotta, makes the cut read as intentional.
- Guessing a smooth curve from photos. Faceted bays template well; a true curve needs a template taken on site.
- Letting curtains land on the seat. Short cafe curtains on slim rods keep fabric off the cushion.
The round bay we turned down
A buyer sent the workshop photos of a round bay window and asked for a cushion. The workshop studied them and said no. The curve was too pronounced to reproduce accurately from a distance, and the risk of a poor fit was too high. They offered to help with straight-edged shapes instead.
I agree with that call. A faceted bay is a list of straight lines and honest angles, and you can write every one of them down. A smooth curve bends along every inch. If yours is round, make a full-size paper template of the seat or bring in a local maker who can trace it in place. The chord and rise Pattern and curved and bow window seats cover the options.
For a faceted bay, the bay window calculator and the bay window cushions hub are the next stop. So tell me: is your bay faceted, or truly round?
Buyer questions: color codes, covered corners and an 84-inch tufted seat
- A common question
I need pet-friendly colors that go with an oatmeal and charcoal gray scheme. Which codes should I pick?
The workshop's answerG-47 is the oatmeal, a warm cream, and G-48 is one shade deeper beige. G-61 is a true deep charcoal gray, while G-62 is darker, an almost-black anthracite. For oatmeal and charcoal, the pairing is G-47 with G-61.
- A common question
Can extra padded fabric be added to the cushion to cover the hard corners of our bench? We have a crawling baby.
The workshop's answerYes, extra fabric can be attached to the cushion to cover a bench corner. The workshop asks for a wide-angle photo to decide which edge it goes on relative to the zipper side, and the corner's thickness, for example 1.75 in (4.4 cm), to know how far down it should reach.
- A common question
Can you make a custom tufted velvet cushion 84 x 24 inches? And what about 26 x 72?
The workshop's answerYes. An 84 in long by 24 in deep (213 x 61 cm) tufted cushion in high-quality velvet was quoted on request, and other sizes such as 26 x 72 in (66 x 183 cm) can be made too.
On the cutting table: the mustard bay seat
| Piece | Trapezoid bay window seat cushion |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Mustard dotted chenille |
| Piping | Contrast terracotta velvet |
| Edge | Box edge |
| Shape | Long front, shorter back, two angled ends |
| Base | Oak paneled storage seat |
| Light | Late golden sun through three arches |
| Floor | Terracotta tiles and a worn vintage rug |
| Not from photos | Smoothly curved bays; template them on site |
Have it made
Have this made — ask Nate’s workshop
Precision starts on the phone. Give the workshop your measurements and they will read them back to you, edge by edge. — 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.
A bay window cushion has two angled ends, and they are rarely twins. Measure the left, measure the right, and write both on the drawing.
Nate
Questions buyers ask next
Can a round bay window seat cushion be ordered from photos alone?
Not reliably. When a curve is pronounced, the workshop has declined photo-based orders because the fit risk was too high. A full-size paper template of the seat, or a local maker who can trace it in place, is the safer route.
What makes a faceted bay easier to fit than a curved one?
A faceted bay is made of straight sections meeting at angles, so it can be described by a list of lengths: back, front and each angled end. A curve changes direction along every inch and needs a traced template.
Which edge of a trapezoid bay cushion sits against the wall?
The shorter one. In a bay, the back edge against the wall is shorter than the front edge, and the two angled ends meet the side walls. Label back and front on your drawing so the pattern is not flipped.
± 1/4 in — Nate
More photographs to read
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
Save
