---
title: "Hemnes Daybed Cover in Red and Cream Stripe for Guests"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/readings/red-cream-striped-hemnes-daybed-guest-room/"
section: "Readings"
author: "Hana Lindqvist, The Quiet Geometer of Seattle"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/hana/"
published: "2026-05-25"
updated: "2026-09-24"
keywords: "hemnes daybed cover, daybed cushion, daybed cover, ikea hemnes daybed cushion, bolster pillow, custom cushion covers"
---

# A Red and Cream Striped Hemnes Daybed That Seats Guests by Day

*A guest room is used a few weeks a year. The daybed in it should work on every other day too.*

> **The quick answer:** A Hemnes daybed cover set seats guests well when the mattress, back cushions and bolsters share one fabric and the backs give an upright edge to lean on. Here a red and cream stripe runs front to back on the seat and wraps the bolsters. Send the mattress size first; one buyer's was 78 3/4 x 31 1/2 x 8 5/8 in (200 x 80 x 22 cm).

![White Hemnes daybed dressed in red and cream striped cotton covers with bolsters, beside a bench with a cream throw](https://cushionguide.com/media/ikea-hemnes-daybed-covers/red-cream-striped-hemnes-daybed-guest-room-1600.webp "Red and cream stripes on every piece make a white Hemnes daybed the brightest thing in this guest room. A cream throw and a wicker basket keep the look relaxed.")

## Notes on the photograph

Page one. A white [Hemnes daybed](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/ikea-hemnes-daybed-covers/) in a bright guest room. Linen curtains, an oak floor, a wooden bench by the window. Then the stripe.

One fabric on everything: mattress, two back cushions, two bolsters. That is the decision that makes it work. A small room can take one bold statement. It cannot take three.

Direction matters. On the seat, the stripes run front to back. On the bolsters, they circle the roll and meet the mattress stripes at a right angle. Each piece shows the pattern the way its shape wants to be read, as the [stripe direction Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/striped-cushion-stripe-direction/) explains. Self piping keeps the edges quiet.

The rest is neutral on purpose. A cream fringed throw on the bench answers the red with something calm. A wicker basket adds a texture the flat cotton does not have. Oak and linen let the red look fresh, not loud.

For hosting, the back cushions are the working part. Against the wall they give guests an upright edge, so the daybed seats people as a sofa during the day. The bolsters close the ends like arms. At night they come off and the mattress is a bed again. How many people sit on yours when family visits?

Unsure about that much stripe? Put it on the backs and bolsters only, and cover the mattress in a plain red from the [striped cotton and ticking](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/striped-cotton-and-ticking/) family's solid neighbors.

## Five marks in the margin

Five pins: the striped mattress, the bolster, the back cushion, the cream throw and the basket that softens them.

1. **Red-striped mattress cover**: A candy stripe on the mattress makes a plain guest room feel cheerful straight away.
2. **Striped bolster**: The bolster stripes circle the roll, meeting the mattress stripes at right angles.
3. **Striped back cushion**: Matching backs keep the whole set to a single fabric for a calm silhouette.
4. **Cream throw on a bench**: A soft cream throw nearby balances the red with a quiet neutral.
5. **Wicker basket**: Natural wicker adds a texture the flat cotton does not have.

## Guest mode: the same daybed, day and night

| Piece | Day: seating | Night: sleeping |
|---|---|---|
| Mattress cover | The seat; stripes run front to back | Stays on; the bed |
| Back cushions | An upright edge against the wall | Set aside on the bench |
| Bolsters | Arms at each end | A pillow at the head, or off |
| Cream throw | Folded on the bench | Over the guest's feet |

## On the cutting table: the guest set, measured

|   |   |
|---|---|
| Frame | White Hemnes daybed |
| Mattress cover | Red and cream striped cotton, stripes front to back |
| Back cushions | Two, same stripe |
| Bolsters | Two, stripes wrapped around the roll |
| Piping | Self piping |
| Edge | Box edge |
| Mattress to send | Length x width x thickness, e.g. 78 3/4 x 31 1/2 x 8 5/8 in (200 x 80 x 22 cm) |
| Contrast piping | Only with plain, non-tufted backs and arms |
| Best for | Guest rooms that double as a sitting room |

## Blue soft fabric, emerald piping, and the missing mattress size

A buyer wrote to the workshop wanting the Hemnes set in a blue soft fabric instead of corduroy, with emerald contrast piping on every piece.

One catch. Contrast piping on backrests and armrests only works if they are plain, not tufted. The workshop sent an example photo. The buyer approved it.

Production had started before the mattress size arrived. The workshop asked. The answer came back as 78 3/4 x 31 1/2 x 8 5/8 in (200 x 80 x 22 cm). The [Hemnes measuring Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/ikea-hemnes-daybed-cover-measuring/) lists the three numbers to take.

Decide the style and the piping together.
Send the mattress size first.
Then choose the fabric.

## Buyer questions: mattress sofas, a Kallax seat and a sage stripe

**A common question:** Could you make a cover that turns a queen mattress into a sofa, with a backrest and arm bolsters?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes, from a drawing. The mattress cover is sewn closed like a quilted mattress, with no zipper, flat or tufted. French-style backrests and armrests with buttons are possible too. One such set was made for a queen mattress of 60 x 80 in.

**A common question:** Can you make a custom seat cushion for a Kallax unit used as a window seat, 15¼ x 74½ in (39 x 189 cm)?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. The workshop quoted a custom cushion 15 3/8 in deep and 74 3/8 in long (39 x 189 cm) in the color the buyer asked for.

**A common question:** I want an olive or sage stripe, not a bright green, for a Kallax bench in a room with peachy-pink walls. Do the N-01 to N-05 stripes read beige, brown or olive?

**The workshop's answer:** The workshop sent a photo of a finished N-01 cushion, the most reliable way to judge whether a stripe reads olive, beige or brown. If none of the stripes gives a sage look, the velvet chart has more greens and may match better.

> **Tailor's margin:** Measure the mattress before choosing the fabric: length, width, thickness. A Hemnes cover set cut without those three numbers is a guess.

> On a Hemnes daybed, contrast piping on the back cushions and bolsters only works if they are plain. Decide tufting and piping together.
>
> — Hana

## Questions buyers ask next

### On a striped Hemnes daybed set, why do the bolster stripes circle the roll?

Wrapping the stripes around the bolster lets them meet the mattress stripes at a right angle, so each piece shows the pattern in its natural direction and the ends read clearly as arms of the daybed sofa.

### Can tufted Hemnes back cushions have contrast piping?

Not in the tufted style. Contrast piping on backrests and armrests means making them plain rather than tufted. Decide piping and tufting together, and ask for an example photo before production begins.

### What should I send first when ordering a Hemnes daybed cover set?

The mattress size: length, width and thickness. One set went into production before the buyer's 78 3/4 x 31 1/2 x 8 5/8 in (200 x 80 x 22 cm) mattress size was sent, and the workshop had to ask for it.

## Related at the atelier

- [Hemnes Daybed Cover in Red Stripe with Crimson Back Cushions](https://cushionguide.com/readings/hemnes-daybed-crimson-backs-striped-seat/): A Hemnes daybed cover changes the surface, not the support: the firmness of the seat comes from the mattress inside it.
- [Hemnes Daybed Cover in Red Ticking Stripe: How the Set Stays Put](https://cushionguide.com/readings/red-cream-stripe-hemnes-set-stacked-shaggy-rug/): A Hemnes daybed cover set stays in place mostly by fit: the zippered mattress cover is made to the mattress's exact length, width and thickness, the backrests lean on the back rail, and the bolsters…
- [Hemnes Daybed Cover in Navy Ticking Stripe with Self Piping](https://cushionguide.com/readings/navy-ticking-stripe-hemnes-daybed-oak-floor/): On a striped Hemnes daybed cover, choose self piping: the welt is cut from the same ticking, so the stripe carries the line and no contrast cord cuts across it.
- [Can I get just a replacement mattress cover for my IKEA daybed?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/daybed-mattress-replacement-cover-only/): You can get just a replacement mattress cover for an IKEA daybed by choosing the Cover Only option on the daybed cover set listing.
- [What size cover do I need for my IKEA Hemnes daybed?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/daybed-mattress-cover-size-what-to-measure/): Measure your own mattress, not the wooden frame, and write its length, width and thickness.
- [Should I add a little to my mattress measurements so the daybed cover fits tight?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/fitted-cover-exact-measurements-no-allowance/): For a fitted mattress cover, send the mattress's exact measurements, because the workshop adds the seam and fit allowance itself when it cuts.
- [How to make a daybed look like a sofa with back cushions and bolsters](https://cushionguide.com/guides/daybed-back-cushions-sofa-look/)
- [What to measure for a custom daybed mattress cover](https://cushionguide.com/guides/daybed-mattress-cover-measurements/)

*— 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-hemnes-daybed-guest-room/