A Reading by HarlanBolster Pillows
A wine red bolster pillow on a herringbone rattan daybed, and the life ahead of it
Every cushion looks fine on its first morning. I read this wine red bolster for its four-hundredth: the window sun, the spilled coffee, the dog, and the children who will use it as a sword.
SaveThe quick answer
A linen-look bolster on a sunny rattan daybed ages well when you plan for its daily life: turn it end over end so one side does not take all the window light, wash the zip-off cover at no more than 86°F (30°C), and confirm the fiber content of the exact fabric before you order.
The bolster, cut open
Linen-look cover. Wine red, matte and removable. In one range, linen-look is a polyester woven to look like linen, so ask for the fiber content of your exact fabric code.
Self piping. A cord covered in the same wine red, ringing each end. It keeps the end crisp against the busy cane without adding a second color.
Fiber wrap. Polyester fiber batting between the filling and the cover. It fills the cover out and softens the round.
Filling. Shredded foam or a firm foam roll. For a roll you lean on, the workshop has recommended shredded foam: not very soft, and a good neck roll.
Zipper. Along the length, on the underside, so it lies against the seat.
End panel. A round end cut to the diameter and ringed with self piping. Standard is 8 in (20 cm) across; this drawing uses a real daybed order at 9¾ in (25 cm).
Reading the bolster on its first morning
A wine red bolster lies along the herringbone back of a honey rattan daybed, on an ivory seat cushion, with a pothos trailing down the bright window behind. That is the whole picture, and it is enough.
Look first at where the bolster sits. A rattan daybed is deep, deeper than a back wants. Laid along the woven back, the roll brings the backrest forward to meet the lower back. It is doing a job before it is doing any decorating.
Now the ends. The piping is self piping, the same wine red as the body. Against a busy herringbone weave, a contrast cord would add one pattern too many; a self-piped end stays quiet and neat.
The color works in pairs. Warm cane deepens the red, and the red makes the cane look warmer. The pale seat cushion keeps those two warm tones from running together. The pothos brings green, the complement of red, and each makes the other brighter. One saturated bolster and one living plant are about all the styling a rattan piece needs.
The fabric is a matte linen-look. It has no pile to crush and no sheen to go patchy. That is a good start for a cushion that is about to be lived on.
What I marked on the photograph
Five pins, from the piped end of the bolster to the pothos in the window.
- Wine piped end
Self piping keeps the end neat against the busy herringbone behind.
- Matte wine body
Honey rattan makes the red look richer, and the red makes the cane look warmer.
- Herringbone rattan back
The bolster rests against the back, shortening a deep rattan seat for the lower back.
- Ivory seat cushion
A pale seat separates two warm tones that would otherwise blend.
- Trailing pothos
Green is red's complement, so a plant nearby brightens both.
- Wine piped endSelf piping keeps the end neat against the busy herringbone behind.
- Matte wine bodyHoney rattan makes the red look richer, and the red makes the cane look warmer.
- Herringbone rattan backThe bolster rests against the back, shortening a deep rattan seat for the lower back.
- Ivory seat cushionA pale seat separates two warm tones that would otherwise blend.
- Trailing pothosGreen is red's complement, so a plant nearby brightens both.
The daily life test, one hazard at a time
- Sun. A bright window is the hardest thing in this room on a saturated red. Turn the bolster end over end every few weeks so no one side takes all the light. The sunroom fabric notes go further.
- Spills. The cover zips off. Wash it at no more than 86°F (30°C) and let it air dry before it goes back on the roll.
- Pets. A flat, matte weave has no pile to hold a paw print the way velvet does. Claws still catch on any weave, and on rattan too.
- Kids. A bolster gets pulled, thrown and sat on. Self piping hides a scuffed seam better than a pale cord would, and a round has no corners to wear through.
- Arrival. Vacuum-packed bolsters come out looking deflated. Give them 48 to 72 hours, sometimes three or four days, before you judge the shape.
A topper that was not what the photo promised
A buyer in the US wanted a plush quilted topper in natural linen for a very firm sofa, the seat 22 x 70 in (56 x 178 cm). The workshop made it 21 x 70 in (53 x 178 cm). When it arrived, it contained polyester and was less padded than the product photo, though she had been told it was 100% linen.
The workshop offered to remake it in 100% cotton. Her worry then was the shade: the natural she was offered looked green to her rather than gray.
I tell this one because it is honest, my friend, and because two small questions would have saved it: what is the fiber, and how thick is the padding? Buy the cushion once, cry once. The real linen versus linen-look notes are where to start asking.
- Sizes
- 21 x 70 in (53 x 178 cm) topper for a 22 x 70 in seat
- Fabric
- Gray linen-look; remake offered in 100% cotton
The lesson: Confirm the fiber content and the loft for the exact fabric code before ordering a topper.
Buyer questions
- A common question
Can I buy just the zippered covers and use my own filling?
The workshop's answerThe workshop mainly sells filled cushions. Covers alone can be made, but on a tufted design you would have to set the buttons yourself after filling, so the workshop usually quotes filled cushions instead.
- A common question
I bought a foam floor couch from another seller. Could you make new covers for it?
The workshop's answerPossibly. Measure the foam itself, not the old cover, because covers stretch or shrink. Check the backrest pieces too and send photos, since 'L-shape' can mean different constructions. Pieces with curved edges are beyond what the workshop can cover reliably; in that case it offers its own standard-shape set instead.
- A common question
Can I order just the back pillows and bolsters for my daybed, or covers for mattresses I already have?
The workshop's answerYes. Back and bolster pillows can be ordered on their own, my friend, and covers can be made for mattresses you already have. One quote covered two covers for existing 74¾ x 35½ in (190 x 90 cm) mattresses, 5 to 5½ in (13 to 14 cm) deep, plus two bolsters 9¾ in (25 cm) across and 35½ in (90 cm) long. Bolsters can be shortened, for example to 31½ in (80 cm).
The bolster on the bench
| Piece | Bolster pillow for a rattan daybed |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Linen-look, wine red, matte |
| Piping | Self piping, ringing each end |
| Size | Standard 8 in (20 cm) across; any diameter and length to order |
| Filling | Shredded foam or a firm foam roll |
| Cover | Removable, zipped along the underside |
| Care | Wash at no more than 86°F (30°C), air dry |
| Placement | Along the back of a deep seat, at lower-back height |
| Best for | Sunrooms, rattan daybeds and window seats |
Have it made
Have this made — ask Harlan’s workshop
The best cushions I have known began with somebody asking one more question. Ask yours here. — 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.
A linen-look cushion fabric can be polyester woven to look like linen, so confirm the fiber content for the exact fabric code before you order.
Harlan
Questions buyers ask next
What diameter should a daybed bolster be?
The standard is 8 in (20 cm) across, and any diameter can be made. One interior designer ordered 4 in bolsters to sit with 2 in thick bench cushions, while deep daybed seats often take a fuller roll.
Can a bolster be strapped to the mattress so it stays put?
Bolsters are made without straps as standard, so a strap has to be asked for on the order. The workshop has made a replacement bolster with one; it took about one to two weeks.
Is shredded foam or firm foam better for a neck roll?
Both are possible. The workshop has recommended shredded foam for a neck roll, describing it as not very soft and well suited to the job, and the filling is included in the price.
Is linen-look fabric the same as real linen?
Not always. In one range, linen-look is a polyester woven to look like linen, while another range is a 50/50 cotton and linen blend. Ask for the fiber content of your exact fabric code before you order.
Sit well. — Harlan
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