A Reading by CallumChaise Lounge & Sunbed Cushions
A seafoam sunbed cushion with a pinstripe back, through four seasons by the pool
A letter from the pool deck. The photo shows one hard, bright day; the cushion has to live through all the others.
SaveThe quick answer
A sunbed cushion for a pool deck should use an outdoor water-repellent fabric, sit about as thick as the lounger's side rail, and keep the backrest close to neutral so the seat color can echo the water. Size back cushions from the frame height minus the seat thickness, and store the set dry and indoors before the first frost.
Portland ·
Friend,
A letter from the pool deck
The photograph shows a summer afternoon. Hard tropical sun, travertine hot underfoot, the pool throwing light around. A white aluminum lounger with a two-fabric cushion: plain seafoam on the seat, and on the backrest a navy and aqua pinstripe so fine it reads almost white from a few steps back.
The seat color is lifted straight from the water. That is the whole design. The cushion is about as thick as the frame's side rail, so lounger and cushion look like one piece rather than a pad someone dropped on top. The only warm color in the frame is the orange of the bird of paradise flowers. Palms, white stucco and French doors do the rest, and the pale travertine keeps the light bouncing.
That is one day. A sunbed cushion has to live the other three hundred and sixty-four. Rain doesn't negotiate, and neither does sun. Build the set in an outdoor cloth from the start; indoor fabric has no business on a pool deck. The difference between shedding a shower and keeping water out is spelled out in water-repellent vs waterproof cushions, and the beading in the gallery shows what water-repellent looks like on a stripe.
Where does your lounger spend the winter? The table below is how I read this set through the year. More loungers in chaise and sunbed cushions and patio and porch cushions; the fabric family is water-repellent membrane.
Pinned by Callum: four marks on the lounger
Four pins, from the pinstripe backrest to the white aluminum rail the seat cushion lines up with.
- Pinstripe backrest
The navy and aqua pinstripe is so fine it reads almost white from a few steps away.
- Seafoam solid seat
The seat color is lifted straight from the pool water beside it.
- Bird of paradise
The orange flowers are the only warm color, so the cushion stays cool and pale.
- White aluminum frame
The cushion depth roughly matches the side rail, so frame and cushion look like one piece.
- Pinstripe backrestThe navy and aqua pinstripe is so fine it reads almost white from a few steps away.
- Seafoam solid seatThe seat color is lifted straight from the pool water beside it.
- Bird of paradiseThe orange flowers are the only warm color, so the cushion stays cool and pale.
- White aluminum frameThe cushion depth roughly matches the side rail, so frame and cushion look like one piece.
The same lounger, four seasons
| Season | What the weather does | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Summer | Hard sun on pale stone and a bright seat color | Outdoor fabric only; keep the backrest near neutral |
| Rainy spells | Showers, puddles on the slats | Stand cushions on edge to drain; let them dry before covering |
| Fall | Damp mornings, falling leaves | Clean the covers and let everything dry right through |
| Winter | Frost and long wet weeks | Store dry and indoors, off the floor |
Three seats, three backs, one frame 67.5 inches long
A buyer in the US had an outdoor sofa frame and nothing to sit on. The frame measured 67.5 in (171.5 cm) long, 27.5 in (70 cm) deep and 21 in (53.5 cm) high at the back. They ordered three seats and three backs from the outdoor range.
The workshop did the arithmetic out loud. Three seats at 22.5 x 27.5 x 4 in (57 x 70 x 10 cm) fill the frame end to end: 3 x 22.5 = 67.5. Three backs at 22.5 x 17 x 4 in (57 x 43 x 10 cm) stand on the 4 in seats, and 17 + 4 = 21, the height of the frame back.
One more check before cutting: length means side to side, width means front to back. Mix those two up and you get cushions for somebody else's sofa.
The same arithmetic works on a lounger. The seat fills the frame; the back is sized from what is left above it. Chaise lounge and sunbed cushion size walks through it, and winter storage for outdoor cushions covers the off-season.
Buyer questions: corduroy outside, odd sizes, two outdoor families
- A common question
Could I use corduroy cushions on a covered outdoor terrace?
The workshop's answerNo. Corduroy is an indoor fabric, and UV and water can affect it even under a roof. The workshop has separate outdoor fabrics and can make cushions, or even the modular sofa, in them.
- A common question
My porch bench size doesn't fit inside your width and length ranges. What do I pick?
The workshop's answerSelect the ranges the other way round, for example 16.5 in as the width range and 50 in as the length range, so the order goes through at the right price. Then write your real measurements in the personalization box; those are what the cushion is made to.
- A common question
Of your two outdoor fabric families, which one is better?
The workshop's answerNeither. Both come from the same mill at the same quality with very similar properties; only the pattern and the weave texture differ. For a white cushion with black piping, each family has a matching pair.
On the cutting table: the pool lounger set
| Product | Sunbed (chaise) cushion, seat and backrest |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Outdoor water-repellent, two fabrics |
| Seat | Solid seafoam |
| Backrest | Fine navy and aqua pinstripe on white |
| Piping | Self piping |
| Edge | Box edge |
| Thickness | About the height of the aluminum side rail |
| Frame | White powder-coated aluminum lounger |
| Best for | Pool decks, patios, full-sun terraces |
Have it made
Have this made — ask Callum’s workshop
Short list: size, sun hours, how fast it has to dry. The workshop goes through it with you. — 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.
Size an outdoor back cushion from the frame height minus the seat thickness: 17 in backs on 4 in seats reach a 21 in frame.
Callum
Questions buyers ask next
How thick should a sunbed cushion be on an aluminum lounger?
Close to the height of the frame's side rail. When cushion and rail line up, the lounger reads as one piece, as it does on this white aluminum frame, instead of a thin pad sitting on top.
Can the seat and backrest of a lounger cushion be different fabrics?
Yes. This set pairs a solid seafoam seat with a fine pinstripe backrest. Take the seat color from the water or planting nearest the lounger, and keep the backrest close to neutral so the two do not compete.
Can water-repellent sunbed cushions stay out in the rain?
They shed showers, but water-repellent is not the same as waterproof. Stand cushions on edge after heavy rain so water drains, let them dry before covering, and store them indoors for winter.
On a cushion order, which measurement is length and which is width?
Length runs side to side and width runs front to back. Confirm both before cutting; swapping them is the quickest way to get a cushion that fits a different frame.
Fair winds — Callum
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