---
title: "L-Shaped Bench Cushion Orders: a Slate Blue Nook From Above"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/readings/slate-blue-linen-l-shape-banquette-overhead/"
section: "Readings"
author: "Nate Kowalski, The Pattern Engineer of Detroit"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/nate/"
published: "2026-01-23"
updated: "2026-01-23"
keywords: "L-shaped bench cushion, corner bench cushion, linen bench cushion, banquette seating cushions, custom bench cushion"
---

# A slate blue L-shaped bench cushion set from above, and the sketch that orders it

*An overhead photo is the best drawing an L-shaped bench will ever get. What it shows, and the five steps that turn it into an order.*

> **The quick answer:** To order an L-shaped bench cushion right the first time, send a photo from above, a sketch with both runs labeled and measured, the fabric by its number, and a note saying which seat runs into the corner. The other seat butts against it, and a short back pad fills the corner behind the join.

![Overhead view of slate blue linen-look L-shaped seat and back cushions with white piping on white corner storage benches](https://cushionguide.com/media/l-shaped-cushions/slate-blue-linen-l-shape-banquette-overhead-1600.webp "Seen from above, the slate blue set shows how two seats and three back pads fill an L-shaped corner.")

## Read the L-shaped banquette from above

From above, an L-shaped bench cushion explains itself. Two seats, three backs, one corner. Count them, partner. That is the whole drawing.

One seat runs all the way into the corner. The other butts against its side. That is the simplest L there is, and the one I would pick for most kitchen nooks. The long back pad sets the line along the wall, a short back fills the corner so nothing gapes behind the join, and a third back finishes the short run. The notes on [which piece owns the corner](https://cushionguide.com/guides/l-shaped-cushion-corner-joint/) go deeper.

Color and light next. Ochre walls are warm and strong. Slate blue sits on the cool side of the wheel, so it calms them. The white piping matches the paneled bench bases, and it keeps the [linen-look](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/linen-look-fabrics/) blue from sinking into the shadow at the back of the seat.

The props are few. A jute mat on a warm oak floor, and that is it, so your eye stays on the tailoring. The light switch is not a prop, but it is a warning: a back cushion that runs under a switch needs its height checked against it.

Which run of your [L-shaped bench](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/l-shaped-cushions/) gets the corner?

## Pinned by Nate: the L in five marks

Five marks from above: three backs, one seat join, one welt and the only prop.

1. **Long back pad**: The longest back cushion runs into the corner and sets the line for the others.
2. **Corner back pad**: A short back piece fills the corner so there is no gap behind the join.
3. **Seat into corner**: One seat runs into the corner and the other butts against it, the simplest L arrangement.
4. **White piping**: White welts match the bench joinery and keep the blue from blending into the shadow.
5. **Jute mat**: A plain natural mat is the only prop, keeping focus on the tailoring.

## Five steps from photo to order

1. **Photograph it twice**: One photo from above, like this one, and one straight on. From above the corner join is obvious; from the front, the back height is.
2. **Draw the L and label the runs**: Call the long run A and the short run B. Measure each along the wall, add the depth, and mark which seat runs into the corner.
3. **Name the fabric by number**: Two neighboring colors can look like twins in a photo. The number is what gets cut. Write the piping code on its own line.
4. **Read your own sketch again**: Add the runs up and compare them with the wall. A slip found before the price is final costs nothing but a second look.
5. **Mind the switch**: If a back cushion passes under a light switch or outlet, measure from the seat to the bottom of the plate and keep the back lower.

## The platform sketch, corrected once

A buyer started simple: one 36 × 72 in (91 × 183 cm) cushion in linen. They compared two neighboring linen colors, 21 and 22, from our photos, and ordered by number.

Then came a harder one. They were building a platform and wanted an L-shaped cushion to stand upright on it as a back. They sent a photo of the build and a dimensioned sketch. Then a corrected sketch: they had found a measuring slip of their own.

We re-checked the corrected drawing against the photo before quoting, and the L shipped as drawn. The buyer promised a photo once the platform was finished. That is the order I would hold up as a model: photo, sketch, correction, then price. Tolerance is kindness to your future self.

## Codes, colors and extra pieces

**A common question:** If the seat is corduroy and the back pillows are plain velvet, will the same green match?

**The workshop's answer:** Not exactly. A color with the same name has a different tone in corduroy than in plain velvet. The workshop’s soft fabric comes much closer to the corduroy tones, so for a matched banquette it suggested soft fabric for the back pillows, for a small extra charge.

**A common question:** Can I buy extra backrests, or the arm pieces, for my floor sofa on their own?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. Extra corner backrests, a set of backrest pillows and the two arm pieces (which are really corner backrests) can all be ordered separately, and extra support pieces can be sent. How the arms are built is not shared for DIY copies.

**A common question:** How is a custom trapezoid window seat cushion priced?

**The workshop's answer:** By its own size. Enter your size range on the trapezoid cushion page and the price shows. Past quotes include a seat 70 in at the front, 44 in at the back and 20.5 in deep, 2 in thick with 2.5 in notches, and a pointed bay seat 89 in (227 cm) long and 13 in (33 cm) deep.

> On an L-shaped bench cushion, one seat runs into the corner and the other butts against it. Mark which one on your sketch.
>
> — Nate

> **Tailor's margin:** If a banquette back cushion runs under a light switch, measure from the seat to the switch plate and order the back shorter than that.

## On the cutting table: the L-shaped nook

|   |   |
|---|---|
| Cushions | L-shaped banquette set: two seats, three back pads |
| Fabric | Slate blue linen-look |
| Piping | White contrast piping |
| Corner | One seat runs into the corner; a short back pad fills it |
| Edge | Box edge |
| Bench | White paneled corner storage benches against ochre walls |
| Order by | Fabric number, piping code, labeled sketch with runs A and B |
| Best for | Kitchen nooks, corner banquettes, built platforms |

## Questions buyers ask next

### Why white piping on a blue bench cushion?

White piping matches white bench joinery and draws a clean line where the blue meets shadow at the back of the seat. On a pale bench, contrast piping makes the cushion look tailored rather than dropped on.

### How many back cushions does an L-shaped banquette need?

This one uses three: a long back along the main run, a short piece that fills the corner, and one for the short run. Split backs are easier to lift and stop a gap opening behind the corner join.

### Can an L-shaped cushion stand upright as a backrest?

Yes. One buyer ordered an L-shaped cushion to stand upright on a platform they were building, made from a photo of the build and a corrected, dimensioned sketch.

### What if two fabric colors look almost the same in photos?

Order by number, not by name, and ask for a daylight photo or a swatch of both. One buyer compared two neighboring linen colors, 21 and 22, from photos before choosing.

## Related at the atelier

- [L-Shaped Bench Cushion for a Kitchen Nook: Box Edges That Butt](https://cushionguide.com/readings/sage-l-shape-kitchen-nook-herringbone-oak/): An L-shaped kitchen nook cushion is usually two straight box cushions: one runs into the corner, and the short side equals its wall run minus the depth of that corner cushion.
- [L-Shaped Bench Cushion Anatomy of an Oatmeal Breakfast Nook](https://cushionguide.com/readings/oatmeal-l-shaped-breakfast-nook-cushions-kitchen/): An L-shaped bench cushion is best made as separate pieces that meet at the corner: one run, a square corner block and the other run, each cut about 1/4 in (6 mm) short so nothing overhangs.
- [L-Shaped Bench Cushion in Red Pinstripe for a Small Kitchen](https://cushionguide.com/readings/red-pinstripe-l-banquette-round-cafe-table/): An L-shaped bench cushion for a small kitchen nook works best as separate pieces: a long run, a short run and a square corner, each 4 in (10 cm) thick, with back pads split two per wall.
- [Custom cushions for Slovenian Alpine homes, apartments and coastal terraces](https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-slovenia/): Custom cushions in Slovenia follow the terrain: corner-bench L sets and warm indoor fabrics in Alpine houses and Ljubljana flats, water-repellent outdoor fabric with ties on flower-box balconies…
- [Angled corner benches: where the cushions meet when the corner isn't square](https://cushionguide.com/concepts/angled-corner-bench-cushions/): Angled corner bench cushions are made as trapezoids that meet on the angle, not as rectangles forced into a corner that isn't square.
- [How much is an L-shaped or corner bench cushion?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/l-shaped-corner-bench-cushion-cost/): An L-shaped bench cushion is quoted from both side lengths and the seat depth, so send all three before asking for a price.
- [How to measure an L-shaped bench or corner banquette for cushions](https://cushionguide.com/guides/l-shaped-bench-cushion-measurements/)
- [Banquette seating dimensions, from seat height to how many fit](https://cushionguide.com/guides/banquette-seating-dimensions/)

*± 1/4 in — Nate*

---

Written by Nate Kowalski (https://cushionguide.com/masters/nate/) 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/slate-blue-linen-l-shape-banquette-overhead/