SaveA Reading by ÉlodieBench Cushions
Sea green, taupe and navy striped bench cushions, and how each one should stay put
Three colorways of one narrow stripe, stacked on a warm beige ground. Before you fall for one, decide which face the world will see, because the zip, the ties and the base all follow from that.
Swatch strip measured from the photograph
- taupe#9a978a24%
- umber#605a5422%
- oatmeal#c8c3b721%
- oatmeal#d9d0c218%
- linen#e2dad015%
The quick answer
On a custom bench cushion in a stripe, fastening starts with the face: stripes are matched on one face only, so that face points out and the zipper sits on the back wall. Ties at the corners or back hold it on a slatted bench, and a non-slip bottom stops it moving, but reversible cushions are made without one.
Swatch strip: three stripes and the ground they share
- Sea green stripe#7FAF9BThe greenest of the three, at home beside painted kitchen cabinets or a nook that looks onto a garden.
- Taupe stripe#A89886The neutral middle; sample it first, as taupe can look grayer on a screen than in daylight.
- Navy stripe#23324FInk navy on cream, the classic coastal pick and the best of the three at hiding everyday marks.
- Cream ground#EFE6D2The shared ground that makes the three stripes read as one family.
- Warm beige backdrop#D9C7AEKeeps the green from turning blue and the taupe from drifting gray.
Pinned by Élodie, stripe by stripe
Four pins, one for each colorway and one for the self-piped corner that keeps the comparison about color alone.
- Sea green stripe
The greenest colorway suits painted kitchen cabinets and nooks that look onto a garden.
- Taupe stripe
The neutral middle option; order a sample first, as a taupe can look greyer on screen than in daylight.
- Navy stripe
Navy on cream is the classic coastal pick and hides everyday marks best of the three.
- Self-piped corner
Each cushion is piped in its own stripe, so the corners stay sharp without a contrast color.
- Sea green stripeThe greenest colorway suits painted kitchen cabinets and nooks that look onto a garden.
- Taupe stripeThe neutral middle option; order a sample first, as a taupe can look greyer on screen than in daylight.
- Navy stripeNavy on cream is the classic coastal pick and hides everyday marks best of the three.
- Self-piped cornerEach cushion is piped in its own stripe, so the corners stay sharp without a contrast color.
Which face goes out, and where the zip hides
Three piped box cushions rest one on another against seamless warm beige, a soft shadow pooling on the floor. No room, no props. The photograph has one job: to show how a single narrow stripe changes character in three colorways once it wraps a deep box edge.
Sea green on top is the most alive, a garden color. Taupe in the middle is the diplomat. Navy at the base is the anchor, ink on cream. Each is self-piped in its own stripe, so the corners stay crisp and nothing pulls the eye from the color. The beige ground helps too; a cool gray backdrop would push that green toward blue. Daylight never lies; your screen sometimes does.
Now the hardware, my friends, because on a striped bench cushion color and fastening are the same decision. When a striped cover is sewn, the stripes are lined up on one face. As the cloth turns the corners, a small shift on the other sides can't be avoided. So choose the face first: matched side up and forward, zipper on the back wall, out of sight. The workshop hides zippers as far as it can, and the options are in zipper placement.
Then decide how it stays put. Ties can go at the corners, or two on the back, wherever the frame gives them something to hold. A non-slip bottom is the quieter route on a smooth painted bench. Know the trade: reversible cushions are made without a non-slip base, so choosing grip means choosing one face for good. Both routes are compared in stopping a bench cushion from sliding. Which face of your stripe would you want to see every morning?
An angled corner cut into three pieces
A buyer got in touch with a corner seat whose middle section ran at an angle, not a true L. They sent a photo and a sketch, which is always the kindest thing to send.
The workshop split it into three cushions so every seam would land on a seat edge: 18 x 51 1/2 x 4 in (46 x 131 x 10 cm), a trapezoid of about 27 x 28 in (69 x 71 cm) for the angle, and 18 x 20 x 4 in (46 x 51 x 10 cm). The covers were a deep dark red with dark green piping, zippered and washable.
When the cushions arrived, the buyer wrote back one word in capitals, then added that the color matched perfectly. Red with green piping is a brave pairing. It held together because both colors were dark, and neither tried to outshine the other.
Stripe, linen and piping questions
- A common question
Why don't the stripes line up on every side of my striped cushion?
The workshop's answerStripes are aligned on one face when the cover is sewn. As the fabric turns around the corners, a slight shift on the other sides can't be avoided, so find the aligned side and place that face outward.
- A common question
Is there a linen in espresso or a really dark brown?
The workshop's answerNot on the main linen chart, which has no true dark brown. The second linen chart does: K22 is a dark espresso brown.
- A common question
Can the piping be cut from a different color or fabric than the cushion itself?
The workshop's answerYes. Piping can come from any fabric in the charts, not only the linens. Buyers have paired beige linen with forest green velvet piping, beige linen with bordeaux, one green with a neighboring green, and a cream soft fabric with gray piping. Write both codes in the personalization box.
On the cutting table: the striped stack
| Cushions | Three rectangular box cushions, stacked |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Narrow stripe on cream in sea green, taupe and navy |
| Piping | Self piping cut from each cushion's own stripe |
| Stripe matching | Aligned on one face; slight shift on the sides |
| Zipper | Hidden, on the back wall |
| Hold | Ties at corners or back, or a non-slip bottom |
| Reversible | Possible, made without a non-slip base |
| Best for | Kitchen benches, coastal nooks, garden-facing seats |
Have it made
Have this made — ask Élodie’s workshop
A fabric reads one way at noon and another at dusk. Mention your light, and the workshop will weigh it with you. — Élodie
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 striped bench cushion is matched on one face only, so turn that face forward and hide the zipper on the back wall.
Élodie
Questions buyers ask next
Where should the zipper go on a striped bench cushion?
On the back wall, where it faces the wall or backrest. Zippers are concealed as far as possible, and putting one at the back leaves the matched stripe face and the front edge clean.
Is a reversible cushion a good idea with a stripe?
It can be, since flipping spreads the wear, but reversible cushions are made without a non-slip base, and only one face has perfectly matched stripes. If grip matters more than flipping, choose the non-slip bottom and commit to one face.
Which of the three striped colorways hides marks best?
Navy on cream hides everyday marks best. Sea green suits painted cabinets and garden views, and taupe is the neutral middle, but sample the taupe first because it can look grayer on a screen than it does in daylight.
Why photograph fabric samples on a warm beige background?
A warm ground keeps greens from turning blue and neutrals from drifting gray. Colors shift with the surface around them, so test your own samples on the actual bench, in morning and in evening light, before you decide.
With color and care — Élodie
