A Reading by RosaWindow Seat Cushions
A sage window seat cushion, taken apart layer by layer
Every cushion adds its thickness to the seat below it. On a white storage bench, that sum decides whether your feet touch the floor.
SaveThe quick answer
Choose window seat cushion thickness against the bench, not a listing photo: the cushion adds its full thickness to the seat height. A shallow storage bench wants a slimmer box so feet stay on the floor; a deep nook you curl up in can carry more, as one 41.5 in deep nook did with a 6 in seat.
The cushion, cut open
Cover fabric. A removable, zippered cover. Machine wash at 86°F (30°C) on a gentle cycle and air dry.
Piping. A fabric-covered cord sewn into the seams. It sits on the seam line, so it does not change the size.
Fiber wrap. Polyester fiber (Dacron) batting around the foam: it fills the cover out and softens the edges.
Foam core. About 2.0 lb/ft³ (32 kg/m³) high-resilience foam, firm to medium-firm, cut to the ordered size.
Zipper. Along the back band, as hidden as possible. The zipper side faces down or toward the wall.
Base panel. The underside of the cover. A non-slip fabric backing can cover the whole of it instead.
The anatomy, from the top down
Let's take this window seat apart, neighbor, the way I'd take apart an old porch cushion.
- Two back pillows. Knife-edge, sage, leaning on the sill wall. Two cover the length without hiding the window.
- The seat top. A heathered sage linen-look weave. Sheer curtains soften the daylight, and soft light flatters a heathered weave.
- The piping. Self piping, same sage. Wall, bench and seat are close in tone, so the piped edge shows where the cushion stops.
- The boxing. The straight side band runs the full bench and sits just proud of the front, softening the hard panel line.
- The bench. White shaker panels, storage inside. Its height and depth set every number above it.
Beside it, a round oak table with books and a fern. The oak warms a cool palette; the fern lifts the muted sage. Even the wall socket stayed in. Real rooms have outlets.
Five pins on the storage bench
Five pins, from the two back pillows down to the fern at the end of the bench.
- Left back pillow
Knife-edge pillows lean on the sill wall and soften the window frame.
- Right back pillow
Two pillows cover the length without hiding the window.
- Piped seat edge
Self piping defines the shape where colors are close in tone.
- Books on side table
A round oak table adds warmth to the cool palette.
- Fern
Fresh green lifts the muted sage.
- Left back pillowKnife-edge pillows lean on the sill wall and soften the window frame.
- Right back pillowTwo pillows cover the length without hiding the window.
- Piped seat edgeSelf piping defines the shape where colors are close in tone.
- Books on side tableA round oak table adds warmth to the cool palette.
- FernFresh green lifts the muted sage.
Thickness against height and depth
I start with the bench, never the cushion.
A cushion adds its thickness to the seat height. On a storage bench already at a good height, a slimmer box keeps feet on the floor. On a deep nook where folks tuck their knees up, a thicker seat earns its keep.
Backrests follow another rule: their height supports the sitter, so it stays. They can be made thinner, but thinner won't last as long.
Stack books on the bench to the thickness you're considering and sit on them. The seat height calculator and the window seat thickness guide do the arithmetic; more shapes live in window seat cushions. Pull up a chair and tell me: in your window, do your feet touch the floor?
The nook that measured a table
A family in the US wrote to the workshop about their reading nook: 41.5 x 95 in (105 x 241 cm). They wanted a 6 in (15 cm) seat in gray linen-look fabric, stain resistant if possible, and asked for two prices, the seat alone and the seat with a backrest.
The catch: their 95 in included a wooden table section built into the run. A cushion doesn't sit on a table.
Leave tables and gaps out of the cushion run. And ask for the seat and backrest to be quoted separately, so you can decide on each.
A window seat cushion adds its thickness to the bench height. If your feet leave the floor on a test stack of books, go slimmer.
Rosa
The seat, drawn in section
| Seat cushion | Box cushion, full bench length, just proud of the front |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Sage linen-look weave, heathered |
| Piping | Self piping in sage |
| Back pillows | Two knife-edge pillows in the same sage |
| Thickness | Set by bench height and depth; a 41.5 in deep nook took 6 in (15 cm) |
| Backrest height | Kept full to support the sitter; thinner is possible, less durable |
| Odd shapes | T-shaped seats split into simpler pieces |
Have it made
Have this made — ask Rosa’s workshop
Tell the workshop who sits there: grandkids, the dog, a cup of coffee at six. The right fabric and foam follow from the people. — Rosa
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: shapes, backs and a small seat
- A common question
My window seats are T-shaped around columns. Can you make T-shaped cushions?
The workshop's answerNot as single T shapes. The workshop drew a plan that split three T-shaped seats into six simpler pieces. A contrasting fabric on the front edges can be added at no extra cost.
- A common question
My sofa turned out narrower than I thought and the standard backrests eat the seat. Can they be made smaller?
The workshop's answerThe height can't come down, because it supports the person sitting. The backrests can be made thinner, though thinner backrests are less durable. Two thin L-shaped backrests were made for exactly this case.
- A common question
Can I get a 25 x 17 inch window seat cushion in beige velvet or chenille?
The workshop's answerYes. Choose the 17 x 25 in option on the custom window seat listing and give the velvet color number from the chart. This buyer chose color 33.
Questions buyers ask next
How thick should a window seat cushion be on a storage bench?
It depends on the bench height and how you sit. Test with a stack of books. A deep lounging nook can carry more, as a 6 in seat did on a 41.5 in deep nook; 4 in is the thickness the workshop most often recommends.
Should a window seat cushion overhang the front of the bench?
Measure the bench top itself. In this photo the cushion sits just proud of the front panel, which softens the hard edge of the storage bench below it.
Why pipe a sage cushion on a white bench against a blue-gray wall?
When wall, bench and cushion are close in tone, the cushion's edge disappears. Self piping draws the outline without adding a new color, so the seat keeps its shape in soft light.
Porch light's on — Rosa
More photographs to read
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