A Reading by CallumBench Cushions
A terracotta kilim stripe bench cushion on a screened porch, and what it borrows from indoors
Three common questions first, then the porch. A screened porch is the halfway house between patio and parlor, and its cushion should know it.
SaveThe quick answer
An outdoor bench cushion on a screened porch works best in outdoor acrylic with the stripes running along the bench, a non-slip base and plain pillows in the stripe's main color. Here terracotta, mustard and cream kilim bands echo the long deck boards, and weathered gray wood cools the warm palette so it never tips into orange.
Three questions before we read the porch
- A common question
How do I keep a velvet cushion clean in a kids' room? Should I get a hidden zipper or just spot clean?
The workshop's answerThe velvet series, for example 112 burnt terracotta, is the workshop's most popular choice for children's rooms: soft, very durable and easy to wipe and spot clean. Every cushion already comes with a hidden zipper, so the cover can come off and go in the machine at 86°F (30°C).
- A common question
My cushion arrived flat and misshapen. Will it recover?
The workshop's answerCushions are tightly vacuum-packed, so they often look flattened on arrival. They usually regain full shape within 24 to 48 hours; for one cushion opened that same day, the workshop advised waiting 3 to 5 days. If it doesn't recover, send photos or a video.
- A common question
My bay window is an odd shape, five windows at slightly different angles. Can you make a cushion for it?
The workshop's answerYes. The workshop has made many angled bay window cushions. Send a rough sketch of the layout with the length of every side and the angles, and it will quote and advise.
Now, the reading
Stripes that run with the boards
A screened porch keeps the bugs out and lets the weather in sideways. It is half patio, half parlor, and this outdoor bench cushion splits the difference well.
The kilim stripe runs along the length of the bench: terracotta, mustard, cream and a thin line of rust. Those bands echo the long gray deck boards and the long screen frame, and a short bench reads wider for it.
Two terracotta pillows lean on the porch wall. They take the stripe's main color and turn it solid, so the eye has somewhere to rest. Terracotta pots of succulents on the ledge repeat it a third time. Ferns in the corner cool the whole thing with green.
Then the gray. Silver deck boards and a weathered bench frame keep the warm palette from tipping into orange overload. Warm cushions on gray, weathered wood almost always look settled, the way a boat looks right at its own mooring. What color is the wood on your porch, friend?
Pinned by Callum on the screened porch
Four marks on the photograph, from the terracotta pillow to the fern by the screen.
- Terracotta pillow
A solid pillow repeats the stripe's main band.
- Kilim stripe seat
Lengthwise bands echo the long deck boards.
- Succulents on ledge
Terracotta pots on the sill repeat the cushion color.
- Porch fern
Green fronds cool the warm stripe.
- Terracotta pillowA solid pillow repeats the stripe's main band.
- Kilim stripe seatLengthwise bands echo the long deck boards.
- Succulents on ledgeTerracotta pots on the sill repeat the cushion color.
- Porch fernGreen fronds cool the warm stripe.
What the porch borrows from the house, and back
From outdoors: outdoor acrylic on the seat, because a screen stops mosquitoes, not blown rain. Water-repellent is a promise; waterproof is a contract. If you need the contract, read water-repellent vs waterproof before shopping for waterproof outdoor cushions.
From indoors: soft pillows plump enough to lean on against the porch wall, and a hidden zipper, which comes standard on the workshop's covers, so a cover can come off for a machine wash at 86°F (30°C).
From both: a non-slip base. On a porch bench or a kitchen bench, a cushion that slides is a cushion nobody trusts. Ties, non-slip base or hook-and-loop lays out the choices.
Two rectangles, not two trapezoids
A buyer wrote in about a corner bench in a dining nook. They wanted the two seat cushions to meet on a diagonal.
The workshop explained what that means: both pieces become trapezoids, which cost more and may fit worse. It kept them as rectangles instead, 62 1/2 x 16 1/2 in (159 x 42 cm) and 45 7/8 x 16 1/2 in (117 x 42 cm), both 3 in (7.5 cm) thick, butted at the corner. It also noticed the two orders had different fabrics and only one had a non-slip base, and made both non-slip.
After close-up photos, the buyer switched to a black stripe, N08, and added four 19 3/4 x 31 1/2 in (50 x 80 cm) backrests in L-01 with L-38 piping. An indoor story, but the rule travels to any porch corner: butt a long rectangle against a short one. Don't miter two trapezoids.
- Sizes
- 62 1/2 x 16 1/2 in and 45 7/8 x 16 1/2 in, 3 in thick; four 19 3/4 x 31 1/2 in backrests
- Fabric
- Black stripe N08; backrests L-01 with L-38 piping
The lesson: Butt a long and a short rectangle at the corner instead of mitering two trapezoids.
Run the stripes on a porch bench cushion along the bench, with the deck boards. Lengthwise bands make a short bench read wider.
Callum
On the cutting table
| Cushion | Porch bench seat with two back pillows |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Outdoor acrylic kilim stripe in terracotta, mustard, cream and rust (codes S78 / S79) |
| Stripe direction | Lengthwise, with the deck boards |
| Piping | Self piping |
| Pillows | Two solid terracotta back pillows |
| Base | Non-slip, for a bare wood bench |
| Setting | Screened porch, gray deck boards, succulents and ferns |
| Best for | Patio and porch benches in shade |
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.
Questions buyers ask next
Which way should a kilim stripe run on a porch bench cushion?
Along the length of the bench, in line with the deck boards and the screen frame. Lengthwise bands make a short bench read wider, while stripes running front to back chop the seat into slices and make it look shorter.
Does a cushion behind porch screens still need outdoor fabric?
Usually, yes. Screens keep insects out but let wind-driven rain and damp air through, so outdoor acrylic on the seat is the safer choice. Softer indoor-style pillows can join it if they come inside in bad weather.
Why cut two corner bench cushions as rectangles instead of mitered trapezoids?
Two cushions meeting on a diagonal both become trapezoids, which cost more and can fit worse. Butting a long rectangle against a short one is simpler to measure and sits true, as with a 62 1/2 in and 45 7/8 in pair.
Fair winds — Callum
