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A Reading by MaggieBench Cushions

A teal and olive knotted stripe bench cushion, and the makeover you plan before you order it

No room in this photograph. Just a corner, a stripe and a shadow line. Oddly enough, that is where every bench makeover I have done actually starts.

The quick answer

Plan a custom bench cushion makeover from the fabric outward: choose a stripe that already holds two colors from the room, then settle piping, depth and grip. Ask for the piping to follow the stripe round each corner. A 14 in (36 cm) cushion can hang 2 in (5 cm) over a 12 in (30 cm) seat. With dogs, choose a high-rub polyester over linen.

Read by

The Piping Queen of NewportPublished 5 min read

Corner of a cream box cushion striped in teal and olive green with gray and teal knot rows and self piping on whiteSave
Teal and olive stripes with gray knots, a garden palette for a bench that looks out on green.
Close view of a cream box cushion striped in mustard and charcoal with rust, tan and gray knot rows on a concrete floorSave
Mustard and charcoal stripes with rust and tan knots, shown on concrete to prove the warm colors hold up against cool gray.
Close-up of a mocha brown woven box cushion with denim blue piping, arrows marking the piping and the side panelSave
Mocha brown with a denim blue cord: a quiet contrast piping that reads as a detail rather than a stripe.
Labeled corner of a white box cushion with charcoal gray piping on top and bottom seams, arrows marking body and pipingSave
Two callouts separate the body fabric from the piping, the two choices every custom cushion order needs.
Black, gray and cream knotted stripe box cushion with a square self-piped corner on a bright white studio surfaceSave
Against pure white the black knots look almost printed, a sharper take on the monochrome stripe.
Box cushion corner in sand, taupe and stone gray woven stripes with tonal raised knots and self piping on whiteSave
The quietest knotted stripe: sand and taupe with tone-on-tone knots that add texture rather than color.
Dusty rose linen-weave box cushion seen from above at the corner, edged with burgundy piping top and bottomSave
A deeper rose than the blush version, framed by the same burgundy cord.

Before: a bare bench and a room with no thread

Every makeover I have planned starts the same way. A painted bench under a window, a room that looks unfinished, and a buyer who suspects one cushion could fix it. Usually it can, if the cushion is chosen for the room rather than for the bench.

This corner shows why. The cloth is cream, woven with a teal band and an olive band, and rows of little knots run through it: teal along the top, gray in columns between the colors. Teal and olive carry the colors of a garden straight onto the seat, so the weave works hardest by a window that looks out on green. The gray knots keep it grown-up rather than sweet.

Now look at the edge. The piping is cut from the same stripe and follows it round the corner, so the band and the top meet without a jog. I once let a striped seat go out with a welt that wandered off its stripe. I still see it when I close my eyes. A straight welt is a kind of honesty.

The box edge gives the cushion a proper side to show off the stripe. On a sage-painted kitchen bench or in a mudroom full of boots and waxed coats, this palette lands without trying. What two colors already live in your room? Start there. More shapes are on the bench cushions page, and the whole family of striped cotton and ticking sits in the Swatch Library.

Pinned by Maggie: stripe, piping and bench

Four pins on one corner: two knot rows, one olive band and the matched edge.

Pinned: Corner of a cream box cushion striped in teal and olive green with gray and teal knot rows and self piping on white
  1. Teal knot row

    Teal knots running the length of the top give a garden color a hand-made feel.

  2. Stripe-matched corner

    The piping follows the stripe round the corner, keeping the edge clean.

  3. Gray knot column

    Gray knots between the colored bands keep the palette from turning sweet.

  4. Olive band

    The olive stripe links the teal to wood and leaves, which is why it sits so well by a window.

  1. Teal knot rowTeal knots running the length of the top give a garden color a hand-made feel.
  2. Stripe-matched cornerThe piping follows the stripe round the corner, keeping the edge clean.
  3. Gray knot columnGray knots between the colored bands keep the palette from turning sweet.
  4. Olive bandThe olive stripe links the teal to wood and leaves, which is why it sits so well by a window.

Bench cushion decisions, before and after

A makeover is a checklist in disguise. Here is mine for one bench.

DecisionBeforeAfter
ColorA room with no thread tying it togetherA stripe holding two colors already in the room
PipingA welt that wanders off the stripeSelf piping matched to the stripe at every corner
DepthA 12 in (30 cm) seat, cushion flushA 14 in (36 cm) cushion hanging 2 in (5 cm) over the front
GripA cushion that creeps on a painted topA non-slip base
WallA bare wall behind the seatA channel-tufted backrest mounted above, if wanted
DogsPale cloth and a hopeful heartA wipe-clean polyester with a high rub count

Striped cottons are indoor fabrics and stain more easily; if the bench lives with dogs, switch the cloth, not the plan.

A real project

Two dogs and an oatmeal room

A buyer in the US had an oatmeal-and-charcoal room and two dogs who used the bench as a launch pad. Could linen survive that? The workshop said, kindly, no, and pointed her to its pet-friendly performance fabric instead: 100% polyester, wipe-clean, 370 g/m² (about 10.9 oz per square yard) and rated 88,000 Martindale. For scale, everyday home seating usually sits around 15,000 to 25,000.

Then came the matching. G-47 and G-48 for oatmeal, G-61 for charcoal, with a warning that G-62 is nearly black. She ordered G-48 with contrasting G-60 piping and added the non-slip base. Before: a pretty room she was afraid to sit in. After: a bench the dogs are welcome on.

Sizes
Not stated
Fabric
Pet-friendly polyester G-48 with G-60 contrast piping

The lesson: For pets, choose a high-Martindale polyester over natural linen.

Makeover questions

  1. A common question

    Could you make channel-tufted backrests that fix to the wall above my banquette?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. How they are built depends on how they hang. For hook-and-loop tape, adhesive or loops on a rod, they are made as filled fabric cushions. For screwing to the wall or mounting flush, on a French cleat for example, they get a solid wood or MDF backing inside.

  2. A common question

    My wooden window seat is 12 in deep. If I order a 14 in deep cushion, will the 2 in hanging over the front break down?

    The workshop's answer

    No. An overhang of up to 2 in (5 cm) is common and will not hurt the cushion, because high-density foam keeps its shape and the front edge stays structured. For extra support the workshop can make the foam slightly firmer and add a supporting inner wrap so the edge holds its line long-term.

  3. A common question

    How do I find the price for a 29.5 x 37.5 in velvet cushion?

    The workshop's answer

    Pick the nearest size options on the product page and the exact price appears. Then write your exact dimensions, 29.5 x 37.5 in (75 x 95 cm), in the personalization box.

A dog owner asked if linen would survive two dogs jumping on the bench. The better answer was a wipe-clean polyester rated 88,000 Martindale.

Maggie
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On the cutting table: the teal and olive stripe bench

CushionBox-edge bench cushion
FabricCream woven stripe with teal and olive bands, gray and teal knot rows
PipingSelf piping, matched to the stripe round the corner
PaletteCream, teal, olive green, gray
UseIndoors; striped cottons stain more easily
OverhangUp to 2 in (5 cm) past the front edge
GripNon-slip base on a painted or smooth top
Best forWindow benches over a green view and mudroom benches

Order this cushion

Have it made

Have this made — ask Maggie’s workshop

Have the tape measure handy when they call. Old cushions shrink and sag; the seat underneath does not. — 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.

Fabric · Foam · Pipingwhat the workshop will confirm with you

Fabric
Cream woven stripe with teal and olive bands, gray and teal knot rows
Foam
The core: its density and thickness set the feel.
Piping
Self piping, matched to the stripe round the corner
Only for this request: no marketing calls or texts. Outside the US, add the country code.
In inches: length × depth × thickness, plus any angles or cut corners.

* Required. A member of the workshop team will call you to talk it through; nothing is charged and nothing is made until you have agreed on every detail with them.

We use these details only to answer this request and make your cushion: your name and contact details, the cushion details and photos you send, the page you came from and the ad or link that brought you, if any. The workshop that makes the cushions receives them. We don't sell them or share them for advertising, and we delete requests after 24 months. Privacy notice for requests.

Nothing is made or charged until you approve the details.

Want to pick the shape and add photos? Use the full quote form

Questions buyers ask next

Will the stripes line up at the corners of a box cushion?

They can. On this cushion the piping follows the stripe round the corner, so the band and top meet cleanly. Ask for stripe matching in your order note and say which side of the bench shows most.

Is a striped cotton bench cushion a good idea with pets?

Not the best idea. Striped cottons are indoor fabrics and stain more easily. For dogs and muddy paws, a wipe-clean polyester with a high rub count, such as the 88,000 Martindale pet-friendly weave, stands up better.

What does a Martindale number actually measure?

Abrasion. A machine rubs the fabric in a figure-eight until it shows wear and counts the cycles. Around 15,000 to 25,000 is typical for everyday home seating. A high count does not promise resistance to pilling, fading or claws.

Stitch straight — Maggie