---
title: "Daybed Cushion in Red and Cream Stripe: A Sunroom Notebook"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/readings/red-cream-striped-daybed-cushion-rattan-sunroom/"
section: "Readings"
author: "Hana Lindqvist, The Quiet Geometer of Seattle"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/hana/"
published: "2026-09-03"
updated: "2026-09-24"
keywords: "daybed cushion, striped bench cushion, bolster pillow, daybed cover, custom size cushion, made to measure cushion"
---

# Red and cream striped daybed cushion, noted in a sunroom

*Hana's notebook page on a rattan daybed in morning sun: one bold stripe, two bolsters, a few plants, and the small errors that would have spoiled it.*

> **The quick answer:** A striped daybed cushion looks deepest when the stripes run front to back and drop straight down the box edge. On this rattan daybed, a red and cream mattress sits inside the rail, self piping keeps the outline in the same two colors, and two matching bolsters act as the backrest. Plants and one plain throw do the rest.

![Red and cream striped box cushion with matching bolsters on a rattan daybed in a sunny sunroom with ferns](https://cushionguide.com/media/daybed-cushions/red-cream-striped-daybed-cushion-rattan-sunroom-1600.webp "A full-length striped mattress and two matching bolsters turn a rattan frame into a sunroom sofa. The stripes run front to back, which makes the seat look deeper.")

## One stripe, two colors, nothing else patterned

One stripe. Two colors. Nothing else patterned in the room.

That restraint is why this daybed cushion works. The mattress is a full box, cut to the inside of the rattan rail, so no frame shows above the foam. It reads as a seat, not a pad.

The stripes run front to back across the top, then drop straight down the sides. The eye travels into the seat, and the seat feels deeper than it is.

The [self piping](https://cushionguide.com/glossary/#self-piping) is cut from the stripe. No third color enters. Red and cream stay a pair.

Two bolsters in the same cloth, with piped round ends, sit at either end. They do the work of arms and a backrest, and a mattress becomes a sofa. The ferns behind are green, the complement of red, so the stripe reads fresh rather than loud. A cream chunky knit rests where the feet go up. The fiddle-leaf fig and a small snake plant add height, not pattern.

Morning sun through sheers is kind to a room and hard on a strong red. For a glass room, read [sunroom fabric and humidity](https://cushionguide.com/guides/sunroom-cushion-fabric-humidity/) before you choose. More frames and sets are under [daybed cushions](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/daybed-cushions/) and [sunroom cushions](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/sunroom-cushions/).

What is the one pattern in your room?

## Pinned by Hana: five notes along the rail

Five pins, from the bolster's piped round end to the ferns behind the frame.

1. **Matching striped bolster**: Bolsters cut from the same stripe, with piped round ends, turn a flat mattress into a sofa-style daybed.
2. **Striped self piping**: The piping is cut from the stripe itself, so the edge stays crisp without bringing a third color into the red and cream.
3. **Cream knit throw**: A chunky ivory knit breaks up the long run of stripes at the end where feet go up.
4. **Rattan daybed frame**: Honey rattan warms the red, and the box cushion sits inside the rail so no frame shows above the foam.
5. **Ferns behind the seat**: Green is the complement of red, which is why this bold stripe reads fresh here rather than loud.

## Five small errors this daybed avoids

- ✗ Stripes running end to end on a deep seat. Here they run front to back, and the seat looks deeper.
- ✗ A third color in the piping. Here the welt is cut from the stripe itself.
- ✗ Bolsters in a different fabric. Here they match the mattress, so the set reads as one piece of furniture.
- ✗ A mattress narrower than the rail, with frame showing above it. Here the box sits inside the rail, full width.
- ✗ Pattern on every soft thing. Here the throw is plain cream knit, and the plants supply the rest.

## Notebook table: the sunroom daybed set

|   |   |
|---|---|
| Mattress | Full-length box cushion, cut to the inside of the rattan rail |
| Fabric | Red and cream striped cotton |
| Stripe direction | Front to back on top, straight down the box edge |
| Piping | Self piping, cut from the stripe |
| Bolsters | Two, same stripe, piped round ends |
| Throw | Cream chunky knit with fringe |
| Frame | Honey rattan daybed |
| Setting | Sunroom with sheers, Boston ferns and a fiddle-leaf fig |
| Best for | Sunrooms and daybeds that double as sofas |

## A patio daybed in mustard, and a pause

A buyer in the US wrote to the workshop about an outdoor daybed. 52 x 28 x 4 in (132 x 71 x 10 cm). A back cushion. Two cylinder side pillows. Mustard gold, like the listing photo.

The set was priced in standard fabric and in water-repellent outdoor fabric, and the outdoor version cost slightly more. The mustard in the photo was an indoor velvet, so the workshop suggested the outdoor code closest to it.

There were no finished outdoor-fabric examples to show. The buyer chose to wait for a sale.

The note I kept: outdoor versions cost a little more, and the outdoor color range is not the indoor one. Choose an outdoor color from the outdoor chart, in daylight. If a daybed moves between sunroom and patio, start with the [water-repellent vs waterproof Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/water-repellent-vs-waterproof-cushions/). Indoors, this stripe belongs to the [striped cotton and ticking](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/striped-cotton-and-ticking/) family.

One stripe.
One plain throw.
The plants do the talking.

> **Tailor's margin:** Cut the piping from the stripe itself. Two colors stay a pair; a third color in the welt turns them into a crowd.

## Buyer questions: stripes, trundles and pillow heights

**A common question:** Can I make a striped daybed set, with a thin stripe on the back pillows and a wide stripe on the mattress cover?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. The striped options are in the 6th, 7th and 8th images of the linen bench cushion listing; they're similar to other brands' tones but not identical. Pick your codes and note which goes on the back pillows and which on the mattress cover.

**A common question:** My trundle daybed has two mattresses. Can one cover handle both?

**The workshop's answer:** A cover is made for one mattress, for example 35 1/2 x 74 3/4 x 7 in (90 x 190 x 18 cm). A cover for the second mattress is charged as an extra and can be bought separately.

**A common question:** How tall are the back pillows in the daybed cover set, and could they be about 27 inches?

**The workshop's answer:** The standard back pillow is 15 3/4 in (40 cm) tall, and the set is priced on that, so a 78 3/4 in (200 cm) Hemnes gets two pillows of 15 3/4 x 39 1/2 in (40 x 100 cm) that span its full length. At 27 1/2 in (70 cm) a pillow is too tall to work as a backrest. Bolsters with inserts are included in the set.

> A striped daybed cushion looks deeper when the stripes run front to back and fall straight down the box edge.
>
> — Hana

## Questions buyers ask next

### Which way should stripes run on a daybed mattress?

Front to back across the top, then straight down the box edge, makes the seat look deeper and keeps the stripe continuous over the edge. Running them end to end stresses length instead, which can make a narrow daybed feel narrower still.

### Do daybed bolsters have to match the mattress fabric?

They don't have to, but matching reads as one piece of furniture. Two bolsters in the mattress stripe act as arms and a backrest, and a plain throw or a few plants can carry any extra texture without a second pattern.

### Is a red stripe too bold for a sunroom daybed?

Not with green nearby. Red and green are complements, so ferns or a fig beside a red stripe make it look fresh rather than loud. Keep everything else plain, and remember that strong sun is hard on any saturated color.

## Related at the atelier

- [Daybed Cushion in Oatmeal Bouclé: Measuring a Low Oak Platform](https://cushionguide.com/readings/oatmeal-boucle-daybed-cushion-oak-platform-sunroom/): Measure a platform daybed cushion from the top of the wood, not from an old mattress.
- [Daybed Cushion in Geometric Print: Thickness and Depth](https://cushionguide.com/readings/geometric-tile-print-daybed-cushion-ocean-view-ledge/): A daybed cushion on a built-in ledge should be chosen by three numbers together: ledge height, ledge depth and cushion thickness.
- [Daybed Cushion in Mushroom Linen-Look: Order It Right Once](https://cushionguide.com/readings/mushroom-daybed-cushion-moroccan-rug-fig-tree/): To order a daybed cushion right the first time, send one message with the exact length, depth and thickness, the fabric code, the piping color, a daylight photo and whether you want one piece or two.
- [What to measure for a custom daybed mattress cover](https://cushionguide.com/guides/daybed-mattress-cover-measurements/): For a custom daybed mattress cover, measure the mattress itself, not the daybed frame: length, width and thickness at the widest and thickest points, plus the corner shape.
- [Which daybed cover do I need: a bedding set or a fitted cover?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/daybed-cover-set-vs-fitted-cover/): A daybed cover is a bedding set, an elastic fitted cover, a zippered box cover or a skirted cover.
- [How can I make a daybed look like a sofa with back cushions?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/make-daybed-look-like-sofa-back-cushions/): To make a daybed look like a sofa, order a fitted mattress cover with back cushions.
- [How to order a custom cushion size that isn't in the size menu](https://cushionguide.com/guides/custom-size-cushion-not-on-menu/)

*— Hana*

---

Written by Hana Lindqvist (https://cushionguide.com/masters/hana/) for CushionGuide (https://cushionguide.com/about/). The site explains made-to-measure cushions and the partner workshop makes them; measurements are in inches first. This Markdown mirrors the page at https://cushionguide.com/readings/red-cream-striped-daybed-cushion-rattan-sunroom/