Save- round saffron cushion
Cut to the plinth's diameter, the cushion leaves an even white ring.
- cream bolster
A bolster gives back support where there is no backrest.
- teapot tray
A low tray shows the round top doubling as a table.
- fringed blanket
A draped blanket softens the plinth's hard curve.
- brass lantern
Brass picks up the warm gold of the saffron fabric.
Plate Round outdoor cushion, saffron acrylic, box edge
A made-to-measure round cushion crowns a plaster plinth on a Moroccan rooftop, with a bolster for leaning back.
A Reading by CallumOutdoor & Water-Repellent Cushions
A round saffron outdoor cushion that makes a rooftop plinth feel generous
A round plaster plinth is about as small as a seat gets. One cushion, cut to the rim, turns it into a place to sit, lean back and pour the tea.
The quick answer
A round outdoor cushion makes a small plinth or bench feel generous when it is cut to the seat's exact diameter, with the edge just inside the rim so an even ring of base shows. Add a bolster instead of a backrest, and let the flat top double as a table. For any round seat, send a paper template and a photo.
One round seat under a gray sky
The plinth is round white plaster on a floor of pink clay tiles, with mountains in the haze behind. On top sits one round cushion in saffron outdoor acrylic, veined with fine white lines, box-edged and self-piped.
The edge stops just inside the rim, so a clean white ring shows all the way round. That ring is the measurement made visible. Cut the cushion too big and it hangs over the edge. Cut it too small and it wanders like a loose fender.
The sky is overcast. Soft light, no hard shadows. The saffron still glows. It picks up the clay tiles underfoot and the pierced brass lantern overhead, and a warm color like that keeps a terrace from going flat on a dull day.
The props each earn their place. A cream bolster lies across the back, because a plinth has no backrest and a bolster is the lightest way to get one. A round wooden tray with a brass teapot and a terracotta tea glass sits right on the cushion, which tells you the top is a table too. A fringed printed blanket falls over the side and softens the hard curve of plaster. A dried palm frond in a cream vase adds height without taking floor.
Marked on the plate: cushion edge, bolster and tea tray
Five pins: the cushion's edge, the bolster, the tea tray, the blanket and the lantern.
The numbers match the pins on the plate.
- round saffron cushionCut to the plinth's diameter, the cushion leaves an even white ring.
- cream bolsterA bolster gives back support where there is no backrest.
- teapot trayA low tray shows the round top doubling as a table.
- fringed blanketA draped blanket softens the plinth's hard curve.
- brass lanternBrass picks up the warm gold of the saffron fabric.
Small-space thinking, the way a boat does it
On a boat, every surface does two jobs or it goes ashore. The same rule works on a balcony, a rooftop or a narrow patio.
- One piece, two uses. A round top is a seat for one, a table for two cups, and a lounge once the bolster goes behind you.
- Stop at the edge. A cushion that ends just inside the rim makes the base look built for it. Built-in reads bigger than loose.
- Back support without a frame. A bolster is light, moves in a second and takes no floor.
- Light from above. A hanging lantern leaves the deck clear.
- One warm color. In a small space, a single saturated cushion looks chosen. Three look like a yard sale.
Round seats and odd shapes are what made-to-measure outdoor cushions are for. Trace the top, friend, and send the template; the paper template notes show how to do it.
Two sizes, one photo, no mix-up
A buyer wrote to the workshop with photos of a patio set and one question: could the cushions be replaced? The workshop said it needed only length, width and thickness, and how many of each. The buyer ordered two sizes.
Before cutting, the workshop looked at the photo again and asked whether the smaller size was meant to be a back pillow. It was. The smaller one became a soft, pillow-like back cushion and the larger a classic firm foam seat. The buyer said afterward that the photo had prevented a mix-up, because ordering online is tricky.
Rain doesn't negotiate, and neither does a firm seat shipped where a soft back should be. Send the photo.
- Sizes
- Two sizes; the smaller made as a soft back cushion
- Fabric
- Outdoor fabric close to the original
The lesson: Always send a photo with the order; it lets the maker tell a firm seat from a soft back cushion.
Weather questions
- A common question
Do you carry the big-name solution-dyed acrylic brand, or something in the same class?
The workshop's answerNot that brand. The outdoor fabrics are performance fabrics in the same class: durable, weather-resistant and made for outdoor use, with removable, machine-washable covers. There are more than 150 outdoor colors and patterns, including tones close to the popular beiges, mushrooms and navies; name the ones you like and the workshop sends close-ups so you can match.
- A common question
Can you make new U-shaped seat cushions for our camper van?
The workshop's answerYes, U-shaped seating is made regularly. Send a drawing with every run of the U, the depth and the thickness you want, plus a photo of the space.
- A common question
My boat cushions already have hook-and-loop strips on the bottom. Can new covers be made to line up with them?
The workshop's answerYes. Give the exact length, width and thickness of each cushion and the workshop makes fitted covers, sewing the soft loop side onto the bottom to meet the hook strips you already have. It asks for photos and a simple sketch showing where the strips sit, so everything lines up.
Cut sheet: the round saffron outdoor cushion
| Piece | Round outdoor seat cushion |
|---|---|
| Edge | Box edge, self piping |
| Fabric | Outdoor acrylic, saffron with fine white veining, from a range of about 150-200 colors |
| Size | Cut to the plinth's diameter, edge just inside the rim; outdoor seats are usually 4 in (10 cm) thick |
| Back support | Cream bolster across the back, about 8 in (20 cm) across as standard or 10 in (25 cm) on request; no backrest |
| Covers | Removable, machine-washable at 86°F (30°C) on a gentle cycle |
| Order with | A paper template of the top and one photo of the spot |
| Best for | Rooftops, balconies, small patios and courtyard plinths |
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.
A round outdoor cushion cut to the plinth's exact diameter leaves an even ring of base showing, and that ring is what makes the seat look built in.
Callum
Questions buyers ask next
What should I send to order a round outdoor cushion?
A paper template of the top, traced right round the rim, and one photo of the whole spot. For square and rectangular seats, length, width, thickness and how many of each are enough to start a quote.
How do I keep a seat cushion and a back cushion from being mixed up?
Send a photo of the furniture with the order and say which size is the back. One buyer's photo let the workshop spot that the smaller size was meant as a soft back pillow, not a second firm seat.
Do outdoor cushion covers come off for washing?
Yes. The outdoor covers are removable and machine-washable. Unzip them, wash them, and let both the cover and the cushion inside dry fully before you put them back together.
Should outdoor cushions come indoors for the winter?
Yes, if you have the room. Store them clean, dry and indoors through the frost months. A cushion that spends winter out in wet weather is working a season it was never cut for.
Fair winds — Callum
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