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A Reading by HarlanOttoman & Footstool Cushions

A navy palm-print ottoman cushion that turns a rattan cube into a real seat

A footstool becomes a chair the day somebody gives it a proper cushion. This one got a box cushion cut to the inch, and a terrace full of good company.

The quick answer

An ottoman cushion turns a rattan cube into real extra seating when it is a box cushion cut exactly to the top, with no overhang. This navy and white palm print has navy piping that repeats the darkest leaf, while honey rattan, terracotta pots and olive leaves warm the cool blue. Measure the top and order to that size.

Read by

The Elder of High PointPublished 4 min read

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A footstool, promoted

A rattan cube is a footstool until somebody gives it a proper cushion. Then it is a seat, and on a small terrace one more seat is worth more than one more pot of flowers.

This ottoman cushion is a box cushion cut exactly to the top of the cube, not a hair over. That is the first thing I look at. An overhang on a cube looks borrowed, like a hat a size too big. Cut to the edge, cushion and rattan read as one piece of furniture that was always meant to be.

Navy piping runs around the square. It picks up the darkest leaf in the palm print and gives a busy pattern a firm border, the way a plain frame settles a lively painting. A seam is a promise, and a piped seam on a print is a promise you can see from across the terrace.

Now the company it keeps. Honey rattan warms the cool blue from underneath. The olive trees in terracotta pots are silver-green and soft, which quiets a strong print without competing. Pink and white geraniums add one small, friendly color, no more. Terracotta tile and an iron railing ground it all in plain, sturdy things. My friend, every one of those props can stand a hot midday sun, and so can the outdoor fabric on that cube.

To copy it, measure the top of your cube or wicker ottoman edge to edge and order a box cushion to that size. More ideas for the rest of the space live in patio and porch cushions. What on your balcony could become a seat by Saturday?

Pinned by Harlan, around the cube

Five pins, from the square box cushion and its navy welt to the geraniums at the edge of the frame.

Pinned: Square navy and white palm-print box cushion with navy piping on a natural rattan ottoman on a sunny tiled terrace
  1. Square box cushion

    The cushion is cut exactly to the top of the cube, with no overhang.

  2. Navy piping

    Navy welt outlines the square and repeats the darkest leaf tone.

  3. Rattan cube

    Honey rattan warms the cool blue print.

  4. Olive tree pot

    Silvery olive leaves soften the strong pattern.

  5. Geraniums

    Pink and white geraniums add a small, friendly color accent.

  1. Square box cushionThe cushion is cut exactly to the top of the cube, with no overhang.
  2. Navy pipingNavy welt outlines the square and repeats the darkest leaf tone.
  3. Rattan cubeHoney rattan warms the cool blue print.
  4. Olive tree potSilvery olive leaves soften the strong pattern.
  5. GeraniumsPink and white geraniums add a small, friendly color accent.

What stayed off this terrace, and why

  • A second print: one pattern on the cube is plenty beside a leafy view
  • An overhang: the cushion stops at the rattan's edge
  • White piping: it would draw a thin line the print does not need
  • Throw pillows on the cube: a seat has to stay clear to sit on
  • Big-leaf plants next to a leaf print: the olive's small leaves keep the peace
A real project

The chair hiding inside a floor sofa

A buyer in the US asked whether a chair version of the modular floor sofa existed. The workshop offered an ottoman with a backrest whose layers are connected, so it lies flat as a footrest or folds back into a chair.

The listing had no color selector, so the buyer wrote brick in a message and again in the order note, and brick corduroy is what got cut. That is the old way, and it is still the right way: when a form has no box for what you want, write it down twice. More in the personalization note, and on floor pieces in modular floor sofas.

Seats, backs and the ottoman on its own

  1. A common question

    Does the swing cushion listing include back cushions, and is one long backrest cheaper than several?

    The workshop's answer

    The outdoor bench listing covers the seat only; back cushions are quoted separately. For a 71 5/8 in (182 cm) swing, four back cushions 17 7/8 in (45.5 cm) wide and 21 5/8 in (55 cm) tall cost the same as one full-length backrest.

  2. A common question

    Could you make both seat and back cushions for my chairs, and what do you need from me?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes, in any size. Send the measurements plus a photo of the chairs or the reference model, so the fit comes out right the first time.

  3. A common question

    Can I buy just the ottoman, without the sofa?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes, the ottoman is sold on its own. Bought together with the corner sofa, the pair was offered at a reduced combined price, so as an add-on the ottoman cost about half its price alone.

On the cutting table

CushionSquare box cushion, cut exactly to the cube top
FabricOutdoor print, navy and white palm leaf
PipingContrast navy, matching the darkest leaf
OverhangNone
BaseNatural honey rattan cube
SettingSunny tiled terrace with an iron railing
PropsOlive trees in terracotta pots, pink and white geraniums
MeasureTop of the cube, edge to edge, both ways
Best forSmall balconies that need one more seat

Order this cushion

Have it made

Have this made — ask Harlan’s workshop

The best cushions I have known began with somebody asking one more question. Ask yours here. — 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.

Fabric · Foam · Pipingwhat the workshop will confirm with you

Fabric
Outdoor print, navy and white palm leaf
Foam
The core: its density and thickness set the feel.
Piping
Contrast navy, matching the darkest leaf
Only for this request: no marketing calls or texts. Outside the US, add the country code.
In inches: length × depth × thickness, plus any angles or cut corners.

* Required. A member of the workshop team will call you to talk it through; nothing is charged and nothing is made until you have agreed on every detail with them.

We use these details only to answer this request and make your cushion: your name and contact details, the cushion details and photos you send, the page you came from and the ad or link that brought you, if any. The workshop that makes the cushions receives them. We don't sell them or share them for advertising, and we delete requests after 24 months. Privacy notice for requests.

Nothing is made or charged until you approve the details.

Want to pick the shape and add photos? Use the full quote form

A box cushion cut exactly to the top of a rattan cube, with no overhang, turns a footstool into a seat that looks like it was always meant to be one.

Harlan
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Questions buyers ask next

Should a cushion on a cube ottoman overhang the edge?

On a cube, no. Cut to the exact top, the cushion and base read as one piece of furniture. An overhang looks borrowed, and on a small terrace it catches knees and bags as people walk past.

What piping color suits a palm-print cushion?

Take the darkest tone in the print. Navy piping on a navy and white palm leaf frames the square firmly and repeats the pattern's own color, instead of bringing in a new one.

Can a floor sofa piece work as a chair?

Yes. An ottoman with a connected backrest can lie flat as a footrest or fold back into a chair. When a listing has no color selector, write your color in a message and again in the order note.

Which plants suit a strongly patterned outdoor cushion?

Soft, silvery foliage like olive quiets a bold print without competing, and one small flower color, such as geraniums, adds cheer. Keep big-leaf plants away from a leaf print, or the two will argue.

Sit well. — Harlan