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Ochre, gray and ivory striped outdoor cushion on a white built-in lounger with charcoal pillow and linen throw above the seaSave

A Reading by CallumChaise Lounge & Sunbed Cushions

An ochre striped sunbed cushion on a whitewashed lounger, and a seat and back that were almost twins

A built-in lounger of white plaster, a striped cushion cut flush to it, and open water filling the rest of the frame. Fair weather in the picture. The order behind it needed one more line of ink.

A striped outdoor cushion softens a whitewashed masonry lounger on a pebble-paved terrace above the sea.

Read by

The Weather Man of Casco BayPublished Updated 5 min read

The quick answer

When a sunbed seat cushion and back cushion are almost the same size, write a separate thickness for each piece on the order. One buyer's seat measured 88 1/2 x 25 1/2 in (225 x 65 cm) and the back 88 1/2 x 25 1/4 in (225 x 64 cm). Without labels, pieces that close are easy to swap.

Cut to the stone, not to a size chart

The lounger is built, not bought: whitewashed masonry, a long plinth, a low wall at the head. A cushion on something like that has one job. Fit the stone so closely it looks poured in place. This one does, with barely a finger of overhang at the front and square ends.

The stripes run across the width, front to back: ochre, stone gray, ivory and a thin charcoal line. That is the way outdoor cloth comes off a roll about 55 in (140 cm) wide, so a long seat needs no seam. It also shortens a long bed to the eye and repeats the horizon behind it. The piping is cut from the same stripe, so the edge reads as color, not as a frame.

The palette came off the terrace. Ochre from the terracotta jug and the olive's pot. Gray from the pebble mosaic underfoot. Pick a stripe that holds your floor color plus one accent from your pots, and the cushion looks like it grew there.

One charcoal lumbar pillow sits at the head end. On a long striped bed it is the anchor, the darkest weight on the terrace, like ballast low in a hull. At the foot, a folded linen throw softens the hard white edge where bare legs meet masonry.

The jug and cup ride on a round wooden stool, not on the cushion, so drinks stay off the fabric. The olive tree gives height and a shade-green against all that white.

Bright sun, dry air, a breeze off the water. Easy weather, friend, and it never lasts a whole season. Rain doesn't negotiate. What is under yours: stone, teak or a steel frame? That answer decides the grip. More sunbed cushions and the outdoor acrylic fabrics that suit them are in the Atlas.

Pinned by Callum

Five marks, from the olive tree to the throw folded at the foot.

Pinned: Ochre, gray and ivory striped outdoor cushion on a white built-in lounger with charcoal pillow and linen throw above the sea
  1. striped lounger cushion

    Cut exactly to the plinth, the cushion looks like part of the architecture.

  2. charcoal lumbar pillow

    One dark pillow anchors the head end of a long striped bed.

  3. linen throw

    A folded throw at the foot softens the hard white masonry edge.

  4. terracotta jug on stool

    The ochre stripe is picked up from the terracotta jug and pot.

  5. potted olive tree

    A single olive gives height and shade-green against white walls.

  1. striped lounger cushionCut exactly to the plinth, the cushion looks like part of the architecture.
  2. charcoal lumbar pillowOne dark pillow anchors the head end of a long striped bed.
  3. linen throwA folded throw at the foot softens the hard white masonry edge.
  4. terracotta jug on stoolThe ochre stripe is picked up from the terracotta jug and pot.
  5. potted olive treeA single olive gives height and shade-green against white walls.
A real project

Two sizes, then two more

A buyer got in touch about an outdoor daybed. The first message gave the seat as 71 x 31 1/2 in (180 x 80 cm). A second message corrected it: a seat base of 88 1/2 x 25 1/2 in (225 x 65 cm) and a tall back of 88 1/2 x 25 1/4 in (225 x 64 cm). The cushions were needed by July 6.

The workshop answered plainly. Order that same day and it could ship in time. Then it asked the question that saved the job: what thickness for the seat, and what thickness for the back, written down separately?

Look at those numbers again. Two pieces less than 1/2 in (1 cm) apart. On a cutting table they are twins, and twins without name tags get mixed up.

Sizes
Seat 88 1/2 x 25 1/2 in (225 x 65 cm); back 88 1/2 x 25 1/4 in (225 x 64 cm)
Fabric
Outdoor fabric

The lesson: When the seat and back are nearly the same size, label each piece and give each its own thickness.

What a sunbed order note should say

  1. Seat: 88 1/2 x 25 1/2 in (225 x 65 cm), with its own thickness
  2. Back: 88 1/2 x 25 1/4 in (225 x 64 cm), with its own thickness
  3. Which piece is which, labeled seat and back
  4. The date it must arrive, so the workshop can say yes or no that day
  5. Outdoor fabric from the water-repellent outdoor range, or a protectant spray
  6. A non-slip base if the plinth is smooth stone

A sunbed seat of 88 1/2 x 25 1/2 in and a back of 88 1/2 x 25 1/4 in are twins on a cutting table. Give each one its own thickness and a label.

Callum
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Salt-side questions

  1. A common question

    These cushions will live outside. Will they cope, or do I need a fabric protector?

    The workshop's answer

    For outdoor use the workshop suggests one of two routes: treat the cushions with a fabric protectant spray, or have them made in a fabric from its water-repellent outdoor range. Either way, outdoor cushions are cut to your exact size.

  2. A common question

    On this striped fabric, is the dark stripe black, charcoal or blue?

    The workshop's answer

    Dark blue. In the striped lines such as N28 and HM-23, the darker stripes are a deep blue, though from across a patio they can pass for black. The workshop sends close-ups and photos of finished pieces; if the tone has to be certain, order a sample.

  3. A common question

    Could you put a strap on the bottom so my RV bench cushion stays on the lid?

    The workshop's answer

    Straps can be added. The other route is a bottom made from a good non-slip fabric, which holds the cushion firmly in place without straps. This buyer liked that idea better and chose the non-slip base.

On the cutting table

CushionSunbed seat, box edge, cut flush to a masonry plinth
FabricOutdoor stripe in ochre, stone gray, ivory and thin charcoal
StripeAcross the width, front to back, the way the roll runs
PipingSelf piping, cut from the stripe
The buyer's sizesSeat 88 1/2 x 25 1/2 in (225 x 65 cm); back 88 1/2 x 25 1/4 in (225 x 64 cm)
ThicknessStated separately for seat and back
GripNon-slip fabric base, or straps where there is a rail
WeatherFabric protectant spray, or a fabric from the water-repellent outdoor range
Best forPatio and porch loungers and built-in benches

Order this cushion

Have it made

Have this made — ask Callum’s workshop

Sun, rain, salt. Say which of them your cushion will meet, and the workshop will plan around it. — Callum

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 stripe in ochre, stone gray, ivory and thin charcoal
Foam
The core: its density and thickness set the feel.
Piping
Self piping, cut from the 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

Questions buyers ask next

Which way should stripes run on a long sunbed cushion?

Across the width, front to back, is the usual way, because the cloth comes on a roll about 55 in (140 cm) wide. Stripes running the full length of a long lounger would need a seam or a railroaded fabric.

Do sunbed cushions need ties to stay in place?

Not on a built-in masonry lounger, where there is nothing to tie to. A non-slip fabric base grips a smooth top instead. Ties suit slatted frames and chairs, where a tie can wrap around a rail.

Is outdoor fabric the same thing as waterproof?

Not always. The workshop offers a water-repellent outdoor range, and a protectant spray adds a layer to it or to any other cloth. Whatever the cloth, bring cushions in before heavy rain and for the off-season.

Can a sunbed seat and back be made as one folding piece?

Seat and back can be made separate or connected so they fold. When they are separate and close in size, label each piece and give each its own thickness on the order.

Fair winds — Callum

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