A Reading by RosaWindow Seat Cushions
A navy awning stripe window seat cushion, and the message that gets it right the first time
Most remakes start with a message that left one thing out. Here is a navy stripe to look at while we write a better one.
SaveThe quick answer
To order a striped window seat cushion right the first time, send the fabric code, the stripe direction, the exact size and your piping code in one message, and ask for a daylight photo of the code first. Navy stripes can look black on screen, and a fabric's roll width can decide which way the stripe runs.
Buyer questions
- A common question
Can I have button tufting on a piped bench cushion, or are the tops flat?
The workshop's answerStandard bench cushions have a flat top with no tufting. Buttons can be added, and piping can go with tufting, but the buttons are stitched through, so a tufted cover cannot be removed or washed. Plain piped covers come off and wash. The craftsmen set the number of buttons from the cushion size.
- A common question
I gave you a wrong measurement and one cushion is too long. Can I shorten it myself?
The workshop's answerThe foam can be cut, but not well by hand. A local upholsterer can cut the foam and shorten the cover, but ask for a price first, because a new cushion may cost less. In that case the workshop refunded part of the price on a correctly sized reorder, and the old cushion did not have to come back.
- A common question
My bay window seat is an odd shape. Can I send a picture with measurements for a quote?
The workshop's answerYes. Send the shape with every measurement marked on it. One unusual bay window cushion was quoted that way, as one total with delivery included that time; the quote states the shipping cost either way.
Now, the reading
Reading the stripe: navy, white and a little jute
Now the photograph. A white paneled window seat fills a bright corner of sash windows, over honey pine floors, in clear winter light. The window seat cushion is a deep box, about 4 in (10 cm) thick, in a navy and white awning stripe. The stripe keeps going down the front band, so it reads from across the room.
Navy and white is the classic coastal stripe, and left alone it can feel like a boat deck. The woven jute lumbar is what stops that. Natural fiber, set between two crisp white linen pillows, brings the look back indoors. The white keeps the navy fresh; the jute keeps it warm.
The gray fringed throw sits at the far end on purpose. It pulls your eye along the whole seat, so the window looks longer than it is. And the honey pine floor takes the chill off all that navy and white, neighbor, the way a braided rug warms a porch in February.
The fabric belongs with the striped cottons and ticking.
Pinned on the navy stripe
Five pins, from the white pillows to the pine floor, and the job each one does for a bold stripe.
- white linen pillows
Crisp white pillows keep a bold navy stripe fresh rather than nautical-heavy.
- woven jute lumbar
A natural-fiber lumbar between two whites stops the look from feeling like a boat deck.
- gray fringed throw
Placed at the far end, the throw leads the eye along the whole seat.
- navy awning stripe band
On a 4 in box the stripe reads from across the room over the pine floor.
- honey pine floor
Warm pine takes the chill off navy and white.
- white linen pillowsCrisp white pillows keep a bold navy stripe fresh rather than nautical-heavy.
- woven jute lumbarA natural-fiber lumbar between two whites stops the look from feeling like a boat deck.
- gray fringed throwPlaced at the far end, the throw leads the eye along the whole seat.
- navy awning stripe bandOn a 4 in box the stripe reads from across the room over the pine floor.
- honey pine floorWarm pine takes the chill off navy and white.
The beige stripe that went brown in the room
A buyer ordered two pieces from the workshop: a window seat cushion 2 in (5 cm) thick and a bench cushion about 35 1/2 x 14 1/2 in (90 x 37 cm), both piped. Before production she switched the fabric from a pink stripe to a beige stripe, N01, and the cushions arrived in time for her party.
Then came two surprises. That striped fabric comes only 55 in (140 cm) wide, so the stripes ran horizontally on the cushions, which she had not pictured. And the beige looked browner in her room than it had on her screen. Both covers were remade in pink stripe N19.
Nobody did anything wrong, exactly. The message just left two questions unasked: which way will the stripe run, and what does this code look like in daylight?
- Sizes
- Window seat cushion 2 in (5 cm) thick; bench cushion about 35 1/2 x 14 1/2 in (90 x 37 cm)
- Fabric
- Beige stripe N01, remade in pink stripe N19
The lesson: With a striped fabric, confirm the stripe direction and see a daylight photo of the code before production.
Five lines to put in your order message
Copy these into your order note and you will have answered the questions a remake usually asks too late.
- The fabric code and the piping code, both from the charts. A code is exact; a color name is a guess.
- Which way the stripe runs, front to back or along the length. On long pieces the roll width can decide it, so ask. The stripe direction guide shows both.
- A daylight photo of the code before production. Navy can read as black on screen, and beige can turn brown in a room.
- The exact size, with a photo of the seat and the tape in the shot. For an odd shape, mark every edge on the picture.
- Flat or tufted. Tufted covers are stitched through and cannot come off to wash; plain piped covers can.
Before a striped cushion is cut, confirm which way the stripe will run: a fabric roll only 55 in wide can decide it for you.
Rosa
The navy seat, written up for the order
| Cushion | Window seat cushion, box edge, about 4 in (10 cm) thick |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Navy and white awning stripe cotton |
| Stripe | Runs down the front band as well as across the top |
| Piping | Self piping |
| Pillows | Two white linen squares and a woven jute lumbar |
| Throw | Gray, fringed, at the far end |
| Floor and base | Honey pine boards, white paneled box |
| Best for | Corner window seats in coastal and Hamptons-style rooms |
Have it made
Have this made — ask Rosa’s workshop
Swings sway, rockers rock, dogs circle three times. Tell the workshop what your seat goes through, and they will plan for it. — Rosa
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.
Questions buyers ask next
Should the stripes on a window seat cushion run front to back or along the seat?
Front to back reads as a classic awning stripe from across the room; along the length makes a long seat look longer. Say which you want in your message, because a fabric's roll width can limit the direction on long pieces.
How can I tell navy from black before I order?
Ask for close-up photos of both codes taken in daylight, side by side. Screens often push dark navy toward black, and seeing the two codes together in one photo makes the difference plain.
Can I change my fabric after placing a custom order?
Before production, yes: one buyer switched from a pink stripe to a beige stripe with a message. Once cutting starts, a change means a new cover, so settle the code, the stripe direction and a daylight photo first.
How thick should a window seat cushion be for a stripe to show on the front?
A box cushion about 4 in (10 cm) thick gives the stripe enough front band to read from across the room. Thinner cushions show mostly the top, so the stripe does less of the work.
Porch light's on — Rosa
More striped window seats to read
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