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A Reading by MaggieBench Cushions

An orange leaf print cushion on a timber bench by the fire pit, and where the money should go

A heavy timber bench, a steel fire bowl and a thick leaf-print cushion in coral orange. I have ordered cheap and I have ordered once. Guess which one I would do again.

Read by

The Piping Queen of NewportPublished 4 min read

Orange and white leaf print box cushion on a chunky timber sleeper bench beside a steel fire bowl on gravelSave
A heavy sleeper bench next to the fire bowl becomes a proper seat with a thick orange leaf print cushion.

The quick answer

On a custom garden bench cushion, spend on the foam and the measurements, and save on extras you can add later. The workshop's bench cushions use 32-density high-density foam with a medium-soft feel. An exact size avoids a remake, and matching bolsters can be ordered after the seat through a custom order link.

Three questions before the fire is lit

Money questions rarely arrive labeled as money questions. These three were about foam, measuring and a cushion that came up short.

  1. A common question

    What kind of foam goes into your cushions?

    The workshop's answer

    Bench cushions get 32-density high-density foam (about 2.0 lb/ft³) with a medium-soft feel. The floor sofas use 28-density high-density foam rated ILD 42. The workshop describes both as durable enough to last many years.

  2. A common question

    On the trapezoid order page, which number is the depth and which is the length for my bay window?

    The workshop's answer

    Depth is the straight distance from the short angled sections to the long edge. Length is the total measured between the outer corners of the angled sections. Then upload the two images asked for, a photo and a drawing, and that is everything the workshop needs.

  3. A common question

    My cushion came 38 in long instead of 40. What can you do?

    The workshop's answer

    Two options: keep it with a partial refund, or have a new one made at the correct size. In this case the workshop remade the 20 x 40 in (51 x 102 cm) cushion.

Now, the reading

The bench, the bowl and the coral orange

Right, then. The bench is built from chunky timber, the kind that looks like it was hauled off an old railroad line. Put a thin pad on it and the pad looks lost. So the cushion is thick and boxed, with self piping, and it has the heft to stand up to the frame.

The color does the rest. Coral orange repeats the brick edging round the gravel circle and the glow of the fire, and it stands out against pale gravel and winter greenery on an overcast afternoon. A bold leaf print reads from across the yard, which a small print on a big bench never will.

Every prop sets up the use. The steel fire bowl says long evenings. The stacked logs repeat the raw timber of the bench and warm up the gray gravel. The white enamel mugs in the foreground are camp-style and relaxed. The panel fence and evergreens simply frame it.

One honest note. A jacquard is an indoor cloth by trade. For any cushion used outside, the workshop suggests a fabric protectant spray, or a fabric from its water-repellent outdoor range, and I would bring this one in after the fire is out. Sparks and cloth do not mix, so give the bowl some room. How many evenings a year will yours see by the fire? Count them before you choose the cloth.

Pinned by Maggie

Five pins, from the fire bowl to the timber frame under the cushion.

Pinned: Orange and white leaf print box cushion on a chunky timber sleeper bench beside a steel fire bowl on gravel
  1. Thick boxed cushion

    A deep box matches the heft of the sleeper bench instead of looking like a thin pad.

  2. Steel fire bowl

    The fire bowl sets the use: long evenings sitting outdoors.

  3. Log pile

    Stacked logs repeat the raw timber of the bench and warm the gray gravel.

  4. Enamel mug

    A camp-style mug in the foreground adds a relaxed, outdoorsy touch.

  5. Railway sleeper frame

    Chunky timber takes a bold print that reads from across the garden.

  1. Thick boxed cushionA deep box matches the heft of the sleeper bench instead of looking like a thin pad.
  2. Steel fire bowlThe fire bowl sets the use: long evenings sitting outdoors.
  3. Log pileStacked logs repeat the raw timber of the bench and warm the gray gravel.
  4. Enamel mugA camp-style mug in the foreground adds a relaxed, outdoorsy touch.
  5. Railway sleeper frameChunky timber takes a bold print that reads from across the garden.

Where the fire-pit budget goes

My checklist for a bench cushion that has to last more than one summer.

Part of the orderSpend or saveWhy
Foam and thicknessSpendIt carries every evening; 32-density foam is the workshop's bench standard
MeasuringSpend your timeA cushion 2 in (5 cm) short means a partial refund or a remake, and a wait
Weather coverSpend a littleA protectant spray, or a water-repellent outdoor fabric if the seat stays out
BolstersSave for laterThey can be ordered after the seat, in the same fabric and piping
PipingKeep it simpleSelf piping lets a bold print do the talking

Measure the bench itself, wood to wood. The cheapest cushion is the one you only order once.

A real project

The bench that wanted arms

A buyer in the US wanted a light green velvet for her bench. The chart she liked had exactly one green, P65, so she settled on P56 with P58 piping instead. Sensible: pick the color the chart has, not the one you imagined.

Then she wanted cylinder cushions at each end of the bench to act as armrests. The workshop made two bolsters, 17.7 in (45 cm) long and 6 in (15 cm) in diameter, in the same fabric and piping, through a custom order link added after the seat cushion order. That is my favorite kind of budgeting. Buy the seat now, finish it later, and nothing is wasted.

Sizes
Bolsters 17.7 in long x 6 in diameter (45 x 15 cm)
Fabric
Velvet P56, P58 piping

The lesson: Matching bolsters at the ends of a bench act as armrests and finish the look.

Two bolsters, 17.7 in long and 6 in across, turned one buyer's plain bench into a seat with arms, and they were ordered after the cushion.

Maggie
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On the cutting table

CushionDeep box-edge bench cushion
FrameChunky timber bench
FabricCoral orange and white leaf jacquard
PipingSelf piping
Foam32-density high-density foam (about 2.0 lb/ft³), medium-soft
OutdoorsProtectant spray, or choose the water-repellent outdoor range
Add laterBolsters, 17.7 in long x 6 in across (45 x 15 cm)
Best forPatio and porch benches and fire-pit seating

Order this cushion

Have it made

Have this made — ask Maggie’s workshop

Have the tape measure handy when they call. Old cushions shrink and sag; the seat underneath does not. — Maggie

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
Coral orange and white leaf jacquard
Foam
32-density high-density foam (about 2.0 lb/ft³), medium-soft
Piping
Self piping
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

Can an indoor jacquard cushion go on a garden bench?

It can, with care. For any cushion used outdoors the workshop suggests a fabric protectant spray, or a fabric from its water-repellent outdoor range. A jacquard that sits by a fire pit should come inside after each evening.

How thick should a cushion be on a chunky timber bench?

Thick enough to match the frame. A deep boxed cushion suits a heavy timber bench, where a thin pad looks lost. Check the sitting height with the seat height calculator before you settle on a number.

Does denser foam always feel firmer?

No. Density is the weight of the foam and predicts durability; firmness is measured separately as ILD. The workshop's 32-density bench foam feels medium-soft, while its floor sofa foam is rated ILD 42.

Stitch straight — Maggie

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