A Reading by HarlanCorner Floor Cushions & Poufs
A navy corduroy corner floor cushion under a fairy-light canopy, and a letter about ordering it right
Navy is a brave color for a child's corner. A letter on why it works here, and on the few lines in an order note that save a second round of messages.
SaveThe quick answer
To order a corner floor cushion right the first time, send the fabric code rather than a color name, ask about colors missing from the drop-down, and write any must-arrive-after date in the order note. Corduroy corner pieces are made without piping by design. Order palm-sized swatches first when the room's other colors matter.
High Point ·
My friend,
I have a photograph on the bench in front of me, and I keep coming back to it. A child's corner: an ivory tulle canopy strung with fairy lights, a round ivory rug with blue linework, a crescent moon and a bear framed on the wall. And on the floor, filling the corner, a corner floor cushion in deep navy wide-wale corduroy.
Navy is the boldest thing in the room, and whoever styled it knew that. Everything above the cushion is kept pale. The cream star pillow, the blush flower in the middle, the denim blue cloud between them: the cloud is the step down, a mid-blue that eases the jump from navy to pink so the flower can be the one sweet note. The teddy and the wooden blocks tell you who owns the place. The open picture book tells you what it is for.
Look at the side band, the part small feet kick all day. Deep navy hides that wear and still looks smart in daylight. And notice there is no piping. Corduroy pieces are made without it by design; the wale draws the edge on its own, the way a good plank shows its grain.
Buy the cushion once, cry once. That is what the rest of this letter is about: getting the order right before the fabric is ever cut. So take a tape to your own corner first: how far does each wall run before the cushion should stop?
Pinned by Harlan
Five pins, from the navy side band to the moon print that repeats it.
- Navy wide-wale gusset
Deep navy hides wear on the part children kick and still looks smart in daylight.
- Blue cloud pillow
A mid-blue on navy keeps the contrast gentle so the pink flower can stand out.
- Blush flower in the center
Pink against navy is the one sweet note, placed where the canopy frames it.
- Moon print above
The navy in the art repeats the cushion color at eye level.
- Geometric round rug
Blue linework on an ivory rug eases the jump from a dark cushion to a pale floor.
- Navy wide-wale gussetDeep navy hides wear on the part children kick and still looks smart in daylight.
- Blue cloud pillowA mid-blue on navy keeps the contrast gentle so the pink flower can stand out.
- Blush flower in the centerPink against navy is the one sweet note, placed where the canopy frames it.
- Moon print aboveThe navy in the art repeats the cushion color at eye level.
- Geometric round rugBlue linework on an ivory rug eases the jump from a dark cushion to a pale floor.
What I would write in the order note
Six lines. Each one saves a message.
- The fabric code from the chart, not the word navy. Neighboring numbers can differ only in tone.
- Any color you don't see in the drop-down. Ask for it; the full chart is bigger than the menu.
- The two straight sides of the corner, measured along each wall, in inches. The corner floor cushion sizes pattern shows how.
- Left or right, for any L-shaped or corner piece.
- A must-arrive-after date, if nobody can take in a large parcel before then.
- A phone number for the courier.
A student, a move-in date and a couch held back on purpose
A university student in the US, furnishing a first apartment on a tight budget, bought a corner teddy sofa in light green corduroy through a special discounted option. There was one condition: it could not arrive until after a set date, when the building manager would be there to receive it.
The workshop held the shipment until then and sent it by UPS. The improved chrome support bars followed separately, in their own parcel. The last message says the student was in love with the couch. One line in the order kept a big delivery from landing at an empty door.
- Sizes
- Corner teddy sofa
- Fabric
- Light green corduroy
The lesson: Holding dispatch to match a move-in window keeps a large delivery from being refused or stranded.
Buyer questions: missing colors, left or right, and delivery
- A common question
When the sofa ships to the US, will anything extra be due on delivery?
The workshop's answerNot for this buyer: the workshop said the quoted price was the delivered price on a US delivery. Ask for the same confirmation in writing with your own quote.
- A common question
The color I want, cream, red wine or brown, isn't in the drop-down. Do you have it?
The workshop's answerOften, yes. The drop-down doesn't show every fabric in stock. For this buyer the workshop sent its full chart with the cream on it, and added red wine as an option so it could be selected at checkout.
- A common question
Is the L-shaped floor sectional modular, and can the chaise side go on the left or the right?
The workshop's answerYes. The sectional is modular, and the L can be set up on either the left or the right side.
Write the fabric code on a cushion order, never just the color name. Neighboring numbers on a chart can differ only in tone.
Harlan
On the cutting table
| Cushion | Corner floor cushion, box edge, filling the corner of a child's room |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Navy wide-wale corduroy |
| Piping | None; corduroy pieces are made without piping |
| Sized by | The two straight sides along the walls |
| Pillows | Cream star, blush flower, denim blue cloud |
| Cover | Zippered and removable |
| Use | Indoors only; corduroy has no UV or water resistance |
| Best for | Reading corners and story time in kids' rooms |
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.
Questions buyers ask next
Why don't corduroy cushions have piping?
Corduroy pieces are made without piping by design. The ribbed wale already gives the edge a clear line of its own. Velvet, linen-look and cotton cushions can take matching or contrast piping instead.
Can a corduroy floor cushion go outdoors?
No. Corduroy is an indoor fabric with no UV or water resistance. Under a closed roof the regular fabrics are fine, but open-air seating should be made in the outdoor range.
How big can a quarter-round corner floor cushion be?
Quarter-round corner cushions are sized by their two straight sides, with a standard maximum of 48 in (122 cm). A 48 in corner has a curved front of about 75.4 in (191.5 cm).
How do I order fabric swatches before choosing a color?
Choose the swatch option and write the codes you want in the note. Swatches are palm-sized, about 4 to 6 in (10 to 15 cm) square, and arrive untagged but in exactly the codes you asked for, so keep your list.
Sit well. — Harlan
P.S. When a cushion is dark, echo its color once higher up the wall, the way the moon print does here. It will look planned instead of dropped in.
The same corner in sage, ivory, chocolate, slate and charcoal cord
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