A Reading by HarlanCorner Floor Cushions & Poufs
A terracotta corduroy corner floor cushion, and how to measure the corner it sits in
A quarter circle looks simple until you put a tape to the walls. Here is a letter about a woodland nook and the numbers that decide it.
SaveThe quick answer
To size a corner floor cushion, measure each wall from the corner out to where you want the curve to end, then choose the thickness separately. Measure the room, not an old cushion. In this woodland nook the terracotta corduroy quarter circle sits under a canopy, with a window on one side for daytime reading.
High Point ·
My friend,
A letter from the bench about one warm corner
I have a corner floor cushion on my table this week, a quarter circle in terracotta corduroy, and I want to tell you where people go wrong before they ever order one.
The mistake is almost always the first number. Folks measure the cushion they used to own, or the rug, or the canopy. Measure the corner itself. Run the tape along one wall from the very corner to where you want the curve to land, then do the same on the other wall. Walls in an older house do not always meet square, and two numbers will tell you so where one would hide it.
Then decide the thickness on its own. Height changes how a child tucks in and how a grown-up gets back up. The quarter-circle sizing Pattern walks through the arc, and the corner floor cushions page shows more shapes.
Pinned by Harlan: the fox sets the palette
Five pins, from the terracotta cord pad to the side window that lights the pages by day.
- Terracotta cord pad
The pad color was taken from the theme's main character, the fox.
- Rust flower pillow
Same warm family as the pad, in a playful shape.
- Fox plush
The toy that sets the whole woodland palette.
- Cream star pillow
Cream pillows stop the nook tipping into orange overload.
- Side window
Daylight for reading by day, fairy lights by dusk.
- Terracotta cord padThe pad color was taken from the theme's main character, the fox.
- Rust flower pillowSame warm family as the pad, in a playful shape.
- Fox plushThe toy that sets the whole woodland palette.
- Cream star pillowCream pillows stop the nook tipping into orange overload.
- Side windowDaylight for reading by day, fairy lights by dusk.
Why the pad is the color of the fox
Look at the plush fox on the right. Everything in this nook takes its cue from him: the terracotta cord, the rust flower pillow, the honey-toned prints of a bear, a fox and a lion. Pick the pad color from the theme's main character and the room builds itself around it.
Too much of one warm family would cook, though. The cream star and cloud pillows cool it down, and the cream canopy keeps the top of the picture light. The wooden stacking toy and bead toy stay in the same honey tones, so nothing jumps out of the story. An open picture book on the pad says what the corner is for.
Corduroy was a sound call for a floor seat. The wales catch the side light from the window, so one terracotta reads as two shades, and children like to run a hand along the ribs. Velvet remembers the hand that brushed it; corduroy simply welcomes the next one. The corduroy family has the rest, and more nooks live under reading nook cushions.
Two poufs, a tight bag and a backrest too short to write against
A buyer in the US wanted seating they could trust, so before ordering two corduroy pouf sofas, one green and one blue, they asked careful questions and confirmed a latex foam filling.
The poufs came vacuum-packed, and packed so tight that opening the bags did some damage. The green one puffed up as it should. The blue one stayed hollow in places. And when the buyer sat down to write, the backrest was too short for sitting upright.
That last part is a measuring lesson, not a sewing one. A lounge pouf is not a task chair. If you mean to write or work sitting upright, check the back height and angle you need before you buy, and compare the piece against that number, not against the photo. If your seat arrives rolled, read up on unpacking a vacuum-packed cushion before you cut the bag.
Buyer questions: thickness, footprints and pet hair
- A common question
Is a 7-inch floor mattress thick enough to sleep on, or can you make it thicker?
The workshop's answerOn the teddy floor sofa the thickness can't be changed. Each mattress is about 7.5 in (19 cm) thick, or about 15 in (38 cm) with both stacked as a sofa. The shop finds them comfortable to sleep on, and one buyer whose guests used them as single beds later called them very convenient.
- A common question
The L-shaped floor sofa lists 78 in and 118 in. How long is each side?
The workshop's answerThose numbers are the overall footprint of the L: 118 in (300 cm) on the long side and about 79 in (200 cm) on the short side. Each floor seating cushion is 78 x 39 in (198 x 99 cm), so the pieces can be rearranged.
- A common question
Pet hair clings to my corduroy covers. Could I get faux leather covers instead?
The workshop's answerYes. Faux (vegan) leather covers are made in several colors. The leather-look fabric has a slight shine and a subtle wavy grain, so it can look lighter under strong light and deeper in soft light.
On the cutting table: the fox-corner quarter circle
| Product | Corner floor cushion, quarter circle |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Corduroy, terracotta |
| Edge | Box edge |
| Piping | None |
| Measure | Each wall leg from the corner, then thickness |
| Companions | Rust flower pillow, cream star and cloud pillows |
| Light | Side window by day, fairy-light canopy at dusk |
| Best for | Kids' reading nooks and window corners |
Have it made
Have this made — ask Harlan’s workshop
Fabric has a temper and foam has a memory. Better to settle both in a conversation than to guess at them alone. — Harlan
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 a corner floor cushion from two numbers taken at the wall: each leg from the corner to where the curve should end, never from an old cushion.
Harlan
Questions buyers ask next
How do I measure a corner for a quarter-circle floor cushion?
Tape each wall from the inside corner to where you want the curve to end, and write both numbers down even if you expect them to match. Then pick a thickness separately. A photo of the corner helps the cutter check that the walls meet square.
Why does the corduroy look like two colors in the photo?
Side light from the window falls across the wales, so each ridge catches light and each groove holds a little shadow. One terracotta reads as two tones, which gives a plain floor cushion depth without adding a pattern.
Is a lounge floor pouf good for working or writing?
Usually not. Lounge poufs are built low and reclined, and one buyer found the backrest too short to write upright. If you plan to work from one, check the back height and angle you need before you buy.
How do I keep a warm-colored reading nook from feeling too orange?
Pair the main warm color with cream. Here cream star and cloud pillows and a cream canopy sit beside terracotta cord and a rust pillow, so the corner stays warm without tipping into orange overload.
Sit well. — Harlan
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