A Reading by MaggieBench Cushions
A taupe spotted custom bench cushion on an attic built-in, measured under the slope
Maggie's notebook from a room under the eaves: how a long cushion, the right thickness and one measuring habit make a narrow attic seat feel like a daybed.
SaveThe quick answer
A custom bench cushion for an attic built-in should run the full length of the box and be thicker than a typical bench pad, so the seat works for lying down as well as sitting. Measure at the top of the box, not along the wall, because sloped attic walls often lean in above the seat. For odd shapes, send every side.
Notebook, attic page: the seat that has to sleep
A cushion that stops short of the end of a built-in makes an attic look unfinished. Under the eaves, full length is the first rule.
Here the cushion runs the whole length of a gray-green painted storage box, from the wall to the open end. It's taupe with soft dark brown and cream spots, box-edged and self-piped, and noticeably thicker than an ordinary bench pad, closer to a daybed. That thickness is the small-space trick. In a room this narrow, the seat must be a bed some afternoons, a sofa on others, and a folding table for laundry on Sunday.
The skylight pours a bright, even glow straight down. Flat light like that is unkind to loud prints and very kind to muted ones, so the spots read as texture, not pattern, beside a busy gallery wall of black and oak frames full of botanical photos. If you'd rather a stripe, the striped cotton and ticking cloths run front to back on long seats.
Two pillows do the rest. A plum velvet pillow sits at the wall end, one deep jewel note heavy enough to anchor the corner. A cream ruffled pillow beside it is the soft note and echoes the white painted floorboards. Below, a faded pink vintage rug ties plum to floor and warms all that white.
I learned the attic lesson the embarrassing way, years ago, with a tape run along a sloped wall instead of across the top of the box. The cushion came up short. More narrow seats sit among our bench cushions. How long is yours, dear, box top to open end?
Measuring a built-in under a sloped ceiling
Measure the box top, not the wall
Run the tape along the top of the box at seat level. Sloped walls often lean in above the seat, so a tape along the wall misleads you. Measure the bench, not the cushion you used to have.
Take the length front and back
Old attic walls are rarely square. If the front and back lengths differ, the cushion is a trapezoid, and every side goes on the drawing.
Choose thickness by use
If you'll lie down under the skylight, go thicker than a bench pad and say so in your note. A seat for pulling on socks can stay slimmer.
Send a sketch the workshop can read
Photograph it from straight above in good light, or type the numbers as text. The trapezoid cushion calculator checks the geometry first.
Pinned by Maggie: under the eaves
Five pins, from the full-length cushion to the faded pink rug on the white boards.
- Long spotted cushion
It runs the full length of the built-in, so the seat is long enough to lie on.
- Plum velvet pillow
One deep jewel tone gives weight at the wall end.
- Cream ruffle pillow
A soft ruffle balances the dense spots and echoes the pale floor.
- Photo gallery wall
Black and white frames stay calm next to a muted print.
- Faded pink rug
The dusty pink ties to the plum pillow and warms the white floor.
- Long spotted cushionIt runs the full length of the built-in, so the seat is long enough to lie on.
- Plum velvet pillowOne deep jewel tone gives weight at the wall end.
- Cream ruffle pillowA soft ruffle balances the dense spots and echoes the pale floor.
- Photo gallery wallBlack and white frames stay calm next to a muted print.
- Faded pink rugThe dusty pink ties to the plum pillow and warms the white floor.
Her own cloth: 2 3/4 yd for a 60 x 14 in cushion
A buyer in the US wanted a 60 x 14 in (152 x 36 cm) piped bench cushion in a yarn-dyed cotton she had found from another seller. The workshop agreed, and also offered similar fabrics from its own range in case that proved simpler.
She kept her cloth. As advised, she had about 2 3/4 yards (2.5 m) of the 45 in (114 cm) wide fabric sent straight to the workshop, piping included.
Two lines for my notebook, and yours. Confirm the yardage with the maker before you buy, because a narrow bolt changes how the pieces are laid out; the fabric yardage calculator gets you close. And allow extra days for the fabric's own trip to the workshop before the sewing clock starts.
On the cutting table: the attic daybed seat
| Cushion | Full-length box cushion for a built-in storage seat |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Taupe cotton print with dark brown and cream spots |
| Piping | Self piping |
| Thickness | Deeper than a bench pad, closer to a daybed |
| Measuring | Along the box top, not the sloped wall |
| Pillows | Plum velvet and cream ruffle |
| Room | Attic bedroom under a skylight |
| Best for | Narrow built-ins that double as a place to lie down |
Have it made
Have this made — ask Maggie’s workshop
Numbers first, fabric second, piping last. Jot down what you have, and the workshop will go down the list with you, item by item. — Maggie
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
- A common question
If I pick a striped fabric, will the stripes run side to side or front to back?
The workshop's answerFront to back, normally. On a long cushion, side-to-side stripes would need several pieces stitched together because of the width of the fabric roll, so the workshop keeps them front to back for a seamless, durable top. On some sizes, horizontal stripes can be done if you ask before production.
- A common question
Can you make a cushion for a nook with one angled end, not a plain rectangle?
The workshop's answerYes. Send a drawing with every side measured; for a trapezoid, that means all four. One closet-nook cushion measured 79 in on the long side, 59 in on the short side and 24 in deep. A three-section shaped set has been made too, and you can supply your own fabric.
- A common question
My corners aren't square and my measurements don't quite add up. What happens then?
The workshop's answerSend a sharp, well-lit sketch photo taken from straight above, or type the numbers. The workshop draws the cushion to scale and flags mismatches, such as slanted edges that work out to 37.2 in and 35.9 in, not 35 in. With imperfect corners it cuts from the main dimensions: in one case a 112 in long edge, 18 in depth and end sections of 32.5 and 31 in, giving about 48.5 in on the short edge. Small differences are absorbed by the foam and sewing tolerance.
A custom bench cushion for an attic built-in should run the full length of the box; a short one makes a narrow room look unfinished.
Maggie
Questions buyers ask next
How thick should a cushion on an attic built-in be?
Thicker than a standard bench pad if you plan to lie on it. A seat that doubles as a daybed needs more depth than one used only for sitting, so tell the workshop in your note how the seat will be used.
Why measure the box top instead of the wall under a sloped ceiling?
Sloped attic walls often lean in above the seat, so a tape run along the wall gives a different length from the seat itself. The cushion sits on the box, so the box top is the true measurement.
Can I send my own fabric for an attic bench cushion?
Yes. Confirm the yardage with the workshop first, piping included, and allow extra time for the fabric to arrive before production begins. One 60 x 14 in piped cushion used about 2 3/4 yd (2.5 m) of 45 in wide fabric.
Stitch straight — Maggie
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