A Reading by MaggieBench Cushions
A red and cream striped bench cushion, read from above for proportion
An overhead photo can't lie about a stripe. It can't show thickness either, which is why this page keeps two sets of notes: one from above, one from the side.
SaveThe quick answer
A custom bench cushion is in proportion when its footprint matches the bench top exactly and its thickness, added to the frame height, gives the seat height you want. From above, check that stripes run square to both edges with no drift. From the side, check thickness against the frame and anything behind the seat, such as a window.
The overhead view: what a long stripe must get right
Hold a phone over a bench and you learn two things fast: whether the cushion is the size of the bench, and whether the stripes are honest.
These are. Red and cream bands run across the width, every one square to both long edges, with no drift from one end to the other. Laid across a long seat, stripes break it into a steady rhythm, so it reads as upholstery instead of a mattress somebody left on a bench. The end gusset carries the stripe vertically, which is how a continuous boxing strip is usually cut. The long side is finished in self piping, same cloth, so the edge stays crisp without a third color.
At the bottom of the frame, a sliver of walnut shows below the cushion. That tells me it was cut flush, with no overhang to catch a knee. The hardback at the far end is there for one reason: scale. It shows the width better than any caption could.
The room plays along. Blush wall, yellow rug, blue floor tiles, a fluted oak cabinet: a mid-century mix of warm and cool, and a red stripe is the one line that ties them. The cloth comes from the striped cotton and ticking family, and our note on which way stripes should run covers the choice.
From the side is where proportion lives. Add cushion thickness to frame height and you have seat height; the seat height calculator does the sum. Measure the bench, not the cushion you used to have. And what sits behind your bench: a wall, a window or a radiator?
Pinned by Maggie: stripes, book, gusset, welt and walnut
Five pins, read like a checklist: the stripe, the scale, the end, the edge and the frame showing below.
- Square-cut stripes
Every stripe runs square to the edges with no drift along the length.
- Book for scale
A hardback at the far end shows the cushion's width.
- End gusset
The end strip carries the stripe vertically, the usual cut for a continuous boxing strip.
- Self-piped edge
A welt in the same cloth keeps the long side neat.
- Walnut frame edge
The frame just shows below, confirming the cushion is cut flush.
- Square-cut stripesEvery stripe runs square to the edges with no drift along the length.
- Book for scaleA hardback at the far end shows the cushion's width.
- End gussetThe end strip carries the stripe vertically, the usual cut for a continuous boxing strip.
- Self-piped edgeA welt in the same cloth keeps the long side neat.
- Walnut frame edgeThe frame just shows below, confirming the cushion is cut flush.
Graph-paper notes: thickness against height and depth
| Measurement | What it controls | Maggie's note |
|---|---|---|
| Frame height + cushion thickness | Seat height | Add them before you order; the sum is what your knees feel |
| Bench depth | Cushion depth | Cut flush unless you want an overhang on purpose |
| Bench top to window | Backrest height | One visitor center had 14 in (36 cm) to fill |
| Bench length | Number of backrest pieces | A 76 in (193 cm) storage bench took two half-length backs |
| Wedge base vs top | Lean angle | One wedge tapered from 9 in (23 cm) to 4-5 in (10-13 cm) over 24 in (61 cm) |
A 76 in storage bench, 14 in of window and too many pillows
A visitor center in the US wrote to the workshop about a leather lift-up storage bench under a window. It was buried in giant fluffy pillows. They took up the seat, and every time somebody needed what was inside, the whole pile had to come off first.
What they wanted was a slim backrest for the 76 in (193 cm) bench, filling the 14 in (36 cm) between the seat and the window, ideally stuck to the wall with velcro. The workshop agreed to make two separate half-length pieces, so either end lifts away in a second, and declined the velcro mounting.
I once made the opposite mistake myself, dear: one long, handsome backrest that took two people to move. On a lift-up bench, split it. Our notes on hinged-lid storage bench cushions go through the lid, and there are more shapes under bench cushions and in the living room collection.
On the cutting table: the striped walnut bench
| Product | Long bench cushion, rectangle |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Striped cotton, red and cream (N37) |
| Stripe | Across the width, square to both long edges |
| End gusset | Stripe runs vertically on a continuous boxing strip |
| Piping | Self piping on the long side |
| Edge | Box edge |
| Fit | Flush to the walnut frame, no overhang |
| Best for | Living room benches, hall benches, end-of-bed seats |
Have it made
Have this made — ask Maggie’s workshop
I once cut a lovely cushion two inches short, and I have not forgotten it. That is why the workshop goes over your measurements with you on the phone. — 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.
Buyer questions: a leather-like weave, a wedge and an odd tracking label
- A common question
Does the Giza fabric actually feel like leather?
The workshop's answerIt has a very smooth, premium hand that recalls soft, good leather, but it is still a textile, with a textile's comfort and durability. The older Antilop fabrics are no longer made, so choose similar colors from the Giza chart.
- A common question
What would a custom wedge back pillow cost?
The workshop's answerIt is quoted from its measurements. One wedge was 28 in (71 cm) wide and 24 in (61 cm) tall, tapering from 9 in (23 cm) thick at the base to 4-5 in (10-13 cm) at the top, and it was priced as a custom piece from those numbers.
- A common question
Tracking says my package is 2 lb and about 4 x 4 in (10 x 10 cm). Is that really my order?
The workshop's answerMost likely. The size and weight in label data can be placeholder values, so ignore them and follow the tracking status instead.
A long striped bench cushion should have every band square to both edges, and the end gusset should carry the stripe vertically.
Maggie
Questions buyers ask next
Which way should stripes run on a long bench cushion?
Across the width, square to both long edges, is the classic choice for a long seat: it breaks the length into a regular rhythm so the cushion reads as upholstery. The boxing strip at each end then carries the stripe vertically.
How do I work out seat height once a cushion is on the bench?
Add the cushion's thickness to the height of the bench frame. That sum is your seat height, so compare it with the chairs or the table the bench sits beside before you settle on a thickness.
Should a backrest on a lift-up storage bench be one piece?
Split it. One 76 in (193 cm) storage bench got two half-length backrests so either end lifts away when someone opens the lid, instead of a pile of loose pillows that has to come off first.
Stitch straight — Maggie
