---
title: "Ottoman Cushion in Navy Palm Print on a Rattan Cube"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/readings/navy-palm-print-box-cushion-rattan-cube-ottoman/"
section: "Readings"
author: "Harlan Pruitt, The Elder of High Point"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/harlan/"
published: "2026-05-06"
updated: "2026-05-06"
keywords: "ottoman cushion, outdoor cushions, patio cushion, custom size cushion"
---

# 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.

![Square navy and white palm-print box cushion with navy piping on a natural rattan ottoman on a sunny tiled terrace](https://cushionguide.com/media/ottoman-cushions/navy-palm-print-box-cushion-rattan-cube-ottoman-1600.webp "A deep box cushion turns a rattan cube into an extra seat on a small sunny terrace.")

## 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](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/ottoman-cushions/) 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](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/outdoor-acrylic/) 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](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/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.

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.

## 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

## 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](https://cushionguide.com/guides/custom-cushion-personalization-note/), and on floor pieces in [modular floor sofas](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/modular-floor-sofas/).

## Seats, backs and the ottoman on its own

**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.

**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.

**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

|   |   |
|---|---|
| Cushion | Square box cushion, cut exactly to the cube top |
| Fabric | Outdoor print, navy and white palm leaf |
| Piping | Contrast navy, matching the darkest leaf |
| Overhang | None |
| Base | Natural honey rattan cube |
| Setting | Sunny tiled terrace with an iron railing |
| Props | Olive trees in terracotta pots, pink and white geraniums |
| Measure | Top of the cube, edge to edge, both ways |
| Best for | Small balconies that need one more seat |

> 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

> **Tailor's margin:** Measure a rattan cube across the top at both edges and through the middle. Woven tops bow a little, and the smallest number is the true one.

## 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.

## Related at the atelier

- [Outdoor Back Cushion Proportion: Amber on a Gray Patio Sofa](https://cushionguide.com/readings/amber-outdoor-back-cushion-gray-garden-sofa/): A patio back cushion should come close to the thickness of the seat cushion below it, because that proportion props the sitter upright the way the sofa was designed.
- [Outdoor Cushions in Blue Palm Print: Navy Piping and Long Ties](https://cushionguide.com/readings/blue-palm-print-box-cushions-white-rattan-terrace-sofa/): Hand-finished outdoor cushions show their quality in three places: piping taken from the darkest tone in the print, ties sewn at the back corners where the chair braces sit, and matching pads that…
- [Outdoor Cushion for a Hammock: Two-Part Rainbow Stripe Pad](https://cushionguide.com/readings/rainbow-stripe-hammock-cushion-cottage-garden/): A hammock pad works best in two parts: a seat section that lies in the hammock's belly and a raised back that props against its curve.
- [Can I buy the corduroy bean bag chair without the ottoman, or just the pouf?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/bean-bag-chair-without-ottoman-pouf-sold-separately/): The corduroy bean bag chair and its round pouf ottoman can each be bought alone, even though they normally come as a set.
- [Does a thicker cushion cost more?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/thicker-cushion-price-difference/): A thicker cushion costs only a little more within the usual 2-5 in (5-13 cm) range, where length and width drive the price and a thin cushion still takes the same fabric, labor and materials.
- [Is the ottoman included with the corner floor sofa, and is it attached?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/corner-floor-sofa-ottoman-included/): Yes, the corner floor sofa listing includes the ottoman and both couch sections pictured on the listing.
- [Measuring wicker and patio furniture for replacement cushions](https://cushionguide.com/guides/patio-furniture-replacement-cushions/)
- [Outdoor chair cushions: measuring patio chairs for seats and backs](https://cushionguide.com/guides/outdoor-chair-cushions/)

*Sit well. — Harlan*

---

Written by Harlan Pruitt (https://cushionguide.com/masters/harlan/) for CushionGuide (https://cushionguide.com/about/). The site explains made-to-measure cushions and the partner workshop makes them; measurements are in inches first. This Markdown mirrors the page at https://cushionguide.com/readings/navy-palm-print-box-cushion-rattan-cube-ottoman/