A Reading by CallumOutdoor & Water-Repellent Cushions
Pastel stripe outdoor cushions on two teak armchairs, seen from the gate and from the seat
Most people see a patio cushion from across the yard. Only the one sitting on it sees the seam. Build for both views.
SaveThe quick answer
Outdoor cushions read from ten feet by their stripe direction and their fill, not their stitching. Here the stripes run front to back on the seats and top to bottom on the backs, and the backs are thick enough to close the gap between the arms. Up close, self piping and an ivory ground keep them clean and cool in sun.
Portland ·
Dear friend,
From the gate: what reads at 10 ft
Walk to the gate before you pick a stripe. That's where most people will ever see your cushions.
From there this terrace reads in three moves. Two teak armchairs. Ivory cushions banded in coral, sage and powder blue. A lime wall with climbing jasmine behind. That's all the eye takes in at ten feet, and it's enough.
Stripe direction does the heavy lifting. On the seats the bands run front to back. On the backs they run top to bottom. So from the gate each chair shows one line from knee to shoulder. Turn one of those stripes sideways and the chair breaks in half. The stripe direction guide has the rule in one page.
Fill is the second thing that carries. The back cushions are thick enough to close the gap between the arms. No slats show. A thin pad would leave dark bars of teak at each side, and from across the lawn that looks like a cushion that shrank.
Third, the coral. It appears nowhere else out there. Not in the pots, not in the flowers. That's why it looks fresh instead of matched. The white jasmine picks up the ivory ground, the olive tree sits in warm terracotta, and both chairs are cut identically, so the pair holds its symmetry.
The bronze lantern with its pillar candle is for evenings: warm metal against white stone and clipped green box. The weathered teak table keeps the wood tones in one family.
Pinned by Callum: five marks, near and far
Five pins, from the pastel stripe on the seat to the climbing jasmine that echoes its ivory ground.
- Pastel stripe seat
Stripes run front to back on the seat, lining up with the back cushion.
- Back fills the arms
Thick enough to close the gap between the arms so no slats show.
- Second chair back
Identical cuts on both chairs keep the pair symmetrical.
- Bronze lantern
Warm metal against white stone and green box.
- Climbing jasmine
White flowers pick up the ivory ground of the fabric.
- Pastel stripe seatStripes run front to back on the seat, lining up with the back cushion.
- Back fills the armsThick enough to close the gap between the arms so no slats show.
- Second chair backIdentical cuts on both chairs keep the pair symmetrical.
- Bronze lanternWarm metal against white stone and green box.
- Climbing jasmineWhite flowers pick up the ivory ground of the fabric.
At arm's length: what only the sitter sees
Now walk up and sit. Different cushion.
At arm's length you see the self piping, a cord covered in the same stripe and sewn into the seam. It gives the box edge a firm line without a contrast color, so from the gate the stripe reads unbroken. Up close it tells you the edge was built, not just folded.
The pale ground earns its keep here too. Ivory stays cooler in afternoon sun than a dark ground would, and it looks clean against all that green. The cloth is outdoor acrylic; the workshop keeps close to 200 outdoor fabrics, all UV-resistant.
The full lineup of weather-ready seats lives under outdoor cushions. How far from the house do your chairs sit?
One long bench cushion, paid in three parts
One buyer wrote in about one long outdoor bench cushion: 29 x 72 in and 4 in thick (74 x 183 x 10 cm), in an outdoor fabric with piping. A simple cushion. The snag was the checkout, which would not take an order that size in one go.
The shop left the cushion alone and split the payment instead: three custom listings of roughly equal size, paid one after another, adding up to the same single cushion.
I keep this story because the lesson cuts both ways. Don't shorten a seat to suit a checkout. And if a big order stalls, write to the workshop before you change the size.
- Sizes
- 29 x 72 x 4 in (74 x 183 x 10 cm)
The lesson: A long custom cushion can be paid in parts; the size never has to change to fit a checkout.
Buyer questions
- A common question
Is there an outdoor fabric range for lounger cushions and patio bench pads?
The workshop's answerYes. The workshop keeps close to 200 outdoor fabrics, all UV-resistant and suited to sun loungers and outdoor benches. Standard shapes go through the outdoor listing; for a custom shape, send a drawing or a photo with the measurements.
- A common question
My van bench pulls out into a bed. Will two cushions side by side feel strange to sleep on?
The workshop's answerThe shop's view: splitting the base into two cushions over the storage lids won't look or feel odd, so it comes down to preference. It can make pieces such as 14 x 70 in and 24 x 70 in for a slide-out bed.
- A common question
Can you make new covers for the bench cushions in a small camper trailer?
The workshop's answerYes. Send photos plus a template or drawing with the dimensions of every cushion, six in that trailer's case. The workshop reviews the drawing and sends a quote.
On the cutting table: two armchairs, four cushions
| Cushions | Seat and back cushions for two teak armchairs |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Outdoor acrylic, ivory ground with coral, sage and powder blue stripes |
| Stripe direction | Front to back on seats, top to bottom on backs |
| Piping | Self piping in the same stripe |
| Edge | Box edge |
| Back fill | Thick enough to close the gap between the arms |
| Outdoor range | Close to 200 UV-resistant fabrics |
| Ten-foot read | One unbroken stripe from knee to shoulder |
| Best for | Stone patios, garden terraces and sunny porches |
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.
Outdoor chair cushions are judged from ten feet. Run the stripe front to back on the seat and top to bottom on the back, and each chair reads as one line.
Callum
Questions buyers ask next
Which way should pastel stripes run on teak armchair cushions?
Front to back on the seat and top to bottom on the back, as in this photo. The stripe then continues from knee to shoulder, which reads as one clean line from across the patio. Write the direction in your order note so nobody has to guess.
How thick should a back cushion be to hide the slats of a teak armchair?
Thick enough to fill the space between the arms, so no slats show at the sides. Measure the inside width between the arms and the height you want covered, and ask the workshop to size the back cushion to close that gap.
Do pale outdoor cushions get dirty faster on a garden terrace?
They show dirt sooner, but they stay cooler in sun and look clean against planting. A pale ground with a pattern, like this ivory stripe, hides small marks better than a plain pale color. Brush off pollen and leaves before rain works them into the weave.
Fair winds — Callum
Bring them in before the first frost and they'll forgive you everything.
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