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A Reading by ÉlodieBench Cushions

Before and after one striped bench cushion: navy ticking, taupe and brick red

One cushion can re-dress a whole room, my friends, but only if the stripe fits the seat. Three stripes stacked on beige show how to choose before anyone cuts.

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The Colorist of New OrleansPublished Updated 5 min read

Three stacked box cushions in navy ticking, taupe stripe and red awning stripe cotton with self piping on a beige backdropSave
Three striped cotton cushions stacked from the finest ticking to the widest stripe, all with matching piping.

The quick answer

When a striped bench cushion anchors a makeover, match the stripe width to the seat: fine ticking for chair pads, a mid-width stripe for most seats, a wide awning stripe for long benches where it can repeat. Pipe each cushion in its own stripe so the edges stay quiet, and judge the fabric against warm beige or your own wall paint, never pure white.

Notebook, page one: three striped bench cushions, top to bottom

The finest stripe in this photograph belongs on the smallest seat, and the widest is the one people most often put on a seat too short for it.

Three striped bench cushions are stacked on a warm beige backdrop, graduated like a paint card. At the top, ink navy ticking on ivory, fine as pencil lines. In the middle, a warm taupe stripe of middling width, the kind that settles into almost any room. At the bottom, a broad brick-red awning stripe that wants a long bench to breathe.

Each cushion wears self piping cut from its own stripe. That keeps every edge calm, so the stripe does the talking. Look at the side band too: the stripes run upright, carrying on from the top panel, so the pattern seems to fold over the edge instead of stopping at it.

The backdrop is the quiet genius here. Warm beige is close to a painted wall and a fairer judge than pure white, which can make taupe read cooler than it is. Daylight never lies; your screen sometimes does. Before any makeover, hold the swatch against your own wall at noon and again at dusk.

So think of the room in two pictures. Before: a plain bench, a plain wall, nothing for the eye to hold. After: one striped cushion sized to the seat, and suddenly the room has a rhythm. Which stripe would your longest seat carry? The whole family of striped cotton and ticking is laid out in the Swatch Library, and navy ticking stripe cushions get a sketch of their own.

Pinned by Élodie, stripe by stripe

Five pins: three stripes, one self-piped corner, and the side band where the lines turn the edge.

Pinned: Three stacked box cushions in navy ticking, taupe stripe and red awning stripe cotton with self piping on a beige backdrop
  1. Navy ticking stripe

    The finest stripe suits small seats and window pads.

  2. Taupe stripe

    A mid-width neutral that works almost anywhere.

  3. Red awning stripe

    The widest stripe needs a long bench to show off.

  4. Self-piped corner

    Piping from the same stripe keeps edges calm.

  5. Stripe on the gusset

    Side stripes run upright, carrying on from the top panel.

  1. Navy ticking stripeThe finest stripe suits small seats and window pads.
  2. Taupe stripeA mid-width neutral that works almost anywhere.
  3. Red awning stripeThe widest stripe needs a long bench to show off.
  4. Self-piped cornerPiping from the same stripe keeps edges calm.
  5. Stripe on the gussetSide stripes run upright, carrying on from the top panel.

Before and after, measured against the seat

Start from the seat you have, not the stripe you like.

The seat beforeStripe that fitsWhy it works after
A small chair pad or window padFine navy tickingEnough repeats to read as a pattern on a short seat
A bench of middling length in a busy roomMid-width taupe stripeNeutral enough to sit with wood, paint and other prints
A long bench under a run of windowsWide brick-red awning stripeRoom for the broad bands to repeat and look deliberate
Any seat already near patterned pillowsThe finest stripe you likeA fine stripe steps back and lets the pillows lead
A real project

A remake that became a better cushion

A buyer in the US ordered a 22 x 57 in (56 x 145 cm) bench cushion in fabric L-07. What arrived measured about 54 in (137 cm) long, and the piping looked lighter than it had in the photo.

The workshop apologized and remade it at the full 22 x 57 in. And here is the part I love: it let the buyer switch the piping to L-44, a blue linen, on the new cushion. A national holiday slowed the shipping, but the second cushion was the one they had pictured all along.

A remake is a second chance at color. If a cushion comes back to the cutting table, look at the cord again in your own daylight before saying yes. The trade-offs are set out in matching, contrast or no piping.

Buyer questions

  1. A common question

    We're hosting a party in a week. Can a bench cushion be made and delivered in time?

    The workshop's answer

    Ask before you order and get the date in writing. The workshop has confirmed delivery dates in the US ahead of time, and for one urgent order it made the cushion the next day and shipped within 2 days. Items added to an order later, such as extra bolsters, may not make the same deadline.

  2. A common question

    The window casing overhangs my window seat, so the cushion can't sit against the wall. Can you notch it?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. A notched back edge lets the cushion sit against the wall and clear the casing. For a 109.25 x 25 in (277 x 64 cm) seat with a casing 0.75 in (2 cm) deep, the workshop drew a notch 0.75 in deep and 96.25 in (244 cm) wide along the back, keeping the full 25 in depth for 6 in (15 cm) at the left and 7 in (18 cm) at the right. Send a sketch and photo, and you approve a diagram before the quote.

  3. A common question

    I picked the wrong size at checkout. What happens now?

    The workshop's answer

    The workshop compares your personalization note with the size you paid for. When a note asked for 16 x 75.5 in (41 x 192 cm) but the 16 x 32 in (41 x 81 cm) option was selected, it offered a payment link for the difference or to make the standard size, and later suggested adding one more 16 x 32 in unit to cover the full length.

Notebook, page two: the measurements

CushionsThree striped box cushions, stacked by stripe width
TopFine ink-navy ticking on ivory
MiddleMid-width warm taupe stripe
BottomWide brick-red awning stripe
PipingSelf piping cut from each stripe
Side bandStripes run upright, continuing from the top
BackdropWarm beige, close to a painted wall
Remake in the story22 x 57 in (56 x 145 cm), piping switched to blue linen
RuleFine stripes for small seats, wide stripes for long benches

Order this cushion

Have it made

Have this made — ask Élodie’s workshop

A fabric reads one way at noon and another at dusk. Mention your light, and the workshop will weigh it with you. — Élodie

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
Fine ink-navy ticking on ivory
Foam
The core: its density and thickness set the feel.
Piping
Self piping cut from each stripe
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

Fine stripes for small seats and chair pads, wide stripes for long benches where the bands have room to repeat.

Élodie
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Questions buyers ask next

Which stripe width suits a small chair pad?

A fine ticking stripe. On a small seat, a wide stripe shows only one or two bands and looks cropped, while a fine one repeats often enough to read as a pattern. Keep the broad awning stripes for long benches.

Should stripes on the side band of a box cushion run upright?

On this stack they do, continuing the lines of the top panel so the stripe seems to wrap over the edge. Decide before you order, because the direction also depends on whether the stripe runs along the roll or across it.

How do I test a striped fabric before a room makeover?

Hold the swatch against your own wall in daylight at two times of day, and next to the wood it will sit on. A warm beige or painted surface is a fairer test than pure white paper, which can shift how neutrals read.

With color and care — Élodie

Stripes in real rooms

Deep cream and taupe pinstripe cushion on a built-in seat beside oak shelves with a stoneware vase and oatmeal pillowSave
A cream-ground pinstripe keeps a built-in office seat calm enough to read on between calls.
Fine taupe and cream pinstripe bench cushion on a floating oak platform in a limewashed alcove with a stoneware vaseSave
A very fine taupe pinstripe reads almost like plain linen here, adding just enough line to a limewashed alcove.
Thin rose and white pinstripe cushion on a pale oak storage bench under a French window, with peonies and herringbone floorSave
A slim rose pinstripe pad turns a plain oak chest into a bedroom seat, echoing the peonies and the calm paneled walls.
Deep ivory window seat cushion with near-black pinstripes, an oatmeal pillow, sheer curtains and a pothos in a cream urnSave
A tall, crisp box edge lets the pinstripe show on the front face, while sheers and a trailing pothos keep the corner soft.
Taupe and cream pinstripe cushion on an oak entryway bench below coat hooks, with boots underneath and keys on topSave
A padded top turns a simple oak entry bench into the place where boots come off and keys land.
Cornflower blue and ivory stripe window seat cushion with blue piping, linen pillows and white hydrangeas by French doorsSave
A sunny window seat with a cornflower stripe cushion, oatmeal linen pillows and a jug of white hydrangeas.