A Reading by MaggieBanquette & Kitchen Nook Cushions
Terracotta striped banquette cushions, built for staying at the table
A letter on sitting long: a back cushion that runs the whole wall, pillows that behave like backrests, and a stripe lifted straight off the floor tiles.
SaveThe quick answer
For long sitting on an outdoor banquette, use separate seat and back cushions and write 'firm, backrest-style' on the back pillows, or they may be made as soft throw pillows. Run the back cushion the full length of a built-in wall so there are no gaps. One long-seating order used 4 in (10 cm) high-density foam with a Dacron wrap.
Newport ·
Dear reader,
A letter from the courtyard banquette
Right, then. A banquette is judged in the first minute and lived with for the next two hours. This courtyard one was planned for the two hours.
Seat and back are separate cushions in a terracotta, saffron and cream outdoor stripe. The seat sits flush with the whitewashed masonry front, so a clean line of render frames it. The back cushion runs the whole length of the wall in one piece. No gaps between cushions means no gaps between your shoulder blades, and the built-in reads as one long sofa.
I made the other choice myself, years ago: three short backs to save fabric, and guests leaning into the cracks all evening. Take it from me, dear, one long back beats three short ones. For a long evening I would check:
- seat and back ordered as separate cushions
- back pillows described as firm and backrest-style
- one continuous back along a built-in wall
- seat thickness chosen against the table height, not by habit
The notes on banquette thickness and table height cover that last point, and back cushion sizing covers the rest.
Pinned by Maggie
Five pins, read in the order a guest walks from the doorway to the table.
- Long back cushion
One continuous back cushion follows the built-in wall, so the banquette reads as a single sofa.
- Seat cushion edge
The seat sits flush with the masonry front, letting the white render frame the stripe.
- Matching bench pad
A slimmer pad in the same stripe on the loose bench ties both sides of the table together.
- Olive tree
Silvery olive leaves cool down the hot stripe and add height beside the long low seat.
- Dome wall sconce
A plain white sconce keeps the wall quiet so the stripes carry the color.
- Long back cushionOne continuous back cushion follows the built-in wall, so the banquette reads as a single sofa.
- Seat cushion edgeThe seat sits flush with the masonry front, letting the white render frame the stripe.
- Matching bench padA slimmer pad in the same stripe on the loose bench ties both sides of the table together.
- Olive treeSilvery olive leaves cool down the hot stripe and add height beside the long low seat.
- Dome wall sconceA plain white sconce keeps the wall quiet so the stripes carry the color.
Why the stripe came off the floor
The stripe was chosen from the ground up. Terracotta matches the clay tiles underfoot, saffron adds the accent, and the cream ground matches the white render. What color is the floor under your table? Pick a stripe from it and the walls can stay plain.
Here they do. A white dome sconce and an arched doorway, nothing hung, so the stripe carries every bit of color. Climbing ivy softens the render without adding a hue that competes.
The loose teak bench across the rough-sawn table gets a slimmer pad in the same cloth. That ties both sides of the table into one scheme, and a thin pad keeps a loose bench easy to pull out. The potted olive tree adds height at the end of the long, low seat, and its silvery leaves cool a hot stripe at midday.
In an open courtyard the cloth has to be outdoor acrylic; more banquette cushions and patio and porch cushions are in the Atlas.
Two 77-inch seats and four pillows asked to act like backrests
A buyer in California wrote to the workshop about long seating with firm, pillow-style backs: two 77 x 30 x 4 in (196 x 76 x 10 cm) cushions in high-density foam with a Dacron wrap, and four 38 x 13 in (97 x 33 cm) back pillows.
They weighed fabric P-66 with self piping against L-43 with no piping. The shop pointed out that piping costs nothing extra, and they chose P-66, piped in itself. Then came the important request: the back pillows should be firm like backrests but still pillow-shaped. Everything was made with zippers and machine-washable covers.
The lesson fits on a sticky note. If back pillows must hold you up, write 'firm, backrest-style' on the order; otherwise they may be read as throw pillows.
On the cutting table
| Pieces | Separate seat cushion, full-length back cushion, slim pad for the loose bench |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Terracotta, saffron and cream outdoor acrylic stripe |
| Piping | Self piping |
| Edge | Box edge, seat flush with the masonry front |
| Seat core in the order above | 4 in (10 cm) high-density foam, Dacron-wrapped |
| Back pillows | Written as 'firm, backrest-style' |
| Covers in the order above | Zippered, machine-washable |
| Best for | Built-in courtyard and patio dining banquettes |
Have it made
Have this made — ask Maggie’s workshop
I once cut a lovely cushion two inches short, and I have not forgotten it. That is why the workshop goes over your measurements with you on the phone. — 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: white canvas, a covered porch, a zipper on the short side
- A common question
Do you have a plain white fabric, something like white canvas?
The workshop's answerYes. L-01 on the linen color chart is white. It has been made up with matching L-01 piping, and also with a contrasting yellow L-49 piping.
- A common question
Can an indoor linen cushion live on my covered porch?
The workshop's answerOn a covered balcony that rain barely reaches, the linen cushion will work. For a screened porch that collects pollen, dust and humidity, the shop recommends its outdoor fabric and can send samples first.
- A common question
On a trapezoid cushion, which side does the zipper go on?
The workshop's answerOn request, the zipper goes on the shorter back side, so the long front edge stays clean. Mark it on your drawing or in the order note.
Write 'firm, backrest-style' on any banquette back pillows that must hold you up; otherwise they may arrive as soft throw pillows.
Maggie
Questions buyers ask next
What seat size suits long dinners on a banquette?
Measure your own built-in from the front edge to the wall. The long-seating order retold here used two 77 x 30 x 4 in (196 x 76 x 10 cm) seats in high-density foam with a Dacron wrap, plus separate firm back pillows.
Should a loose bench match the built-in banquette?
In this courtyard it does: a slimmer pad in the same stripe on the loose teak bench ties both sides of the table into one scheme, and the thinner pad keeps that bench light to pull out.
Is piping worth adding to a striped outdoor cushion?
Self piping gives a busy stripe a clean, tailored edge without adding another color. In the California order retold here, the shop said piping cost nothing extra, and the buyer chose it.
How do I choose a stripe for a patio banquette?
Take it from the floor. Here terracotta matches the tiles, saffron is the accent and the cream ground matches the white render. Then keep the walls plain so the stripe carries the color.
Stitch straight — Maggie
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