A Reading by HarlanCorner Floor Cushions & Poufs
A wine red corner floor cushion, and the designer who measured one last time
A letter about a deep red seat in a pale sage corner, and about a designer who took one more measurement before a single thread was cut.
SaveThe quick answer
Take the final measurement on site, in the finished room, before you order a floor cushion for a fitted space. An interior designer who wrote to the workshop had quotes for 48 x 82 in (122 x 208 cm), measured again, and ordered 48 x 79 1/2 in (122 x 202 cm). Two and a half inches decide whether a cushion lies flat or bows.
High Point ·
My friend,
A letter from the bench about a wine red corner
A strong color wants a low seat. Somebody understood that when they put wine red on the floor of this corner and nowhere else.
The seat is a box-edge corner floor cushion in a linen-look weave, piped in its own wine red, so the edge reads as one clean line instead of a stitched border. Above it, two greige backrest pillows lean on the wall. They share the softness of the paint, and they let the red stay heavy where heavy belongs, down near the floorboards.
Now look at the wall. It is a pale sage, and sage is red's natural opposite. Green around red makes the red look deeper without adding one more inch of it. The fiddle-leaf fig does the same work with leaves. The brass floor lamp and its linen drum shade throw a warm glow that flatters wine red the way candlelight flatters old wood. The small botanical print keeps the wall light above all that color, and the dusty terracotta rug carries the warmth out across the oak.
Deep red with matching piping is practical, too. It looks rich, and it hides wear. In the shop we call that a forgiving color.
Pinned by Harlan
Five pins, from the brass lamp on the left to the fig in the far corner.
- Brass floor lamp
Brass and linen add a soft glow that flatters deep wine red.
- Botanical print
A small print keeps the wall light above a heavy color.
- Greige backrest
Neutral pillows keep wine red from overpowering a small corner.
- Wine red seat
A deep red seat with matching piping looks rich and hides wear.
- Fiddle-leaf fig
Green leaves are the natural complement to wine red.
- Brass floor lampBrass and linen add a soft glow that flatters deep wine red.
- Botanical printA small print keeps the wall light above a heavy color.
- Greige backrestNeutral pillows keep wine red from overpowering a small corner.
- Wine red seatA deep red seat with matching piping looks rich and hides wear.
- Fiddle-leaf figGreen leaves are the natural complement to wine red.
Two widths, one zipper question and two and a half inches
An interior designer in the US wrote to the workshop about a client's daybed-style floor cushion: tufted, in linen, and quoted in two widths so the client could choose. The workshop priced both, 40 x 82 in (102 x 208 cm) and 48 x 82 in (122 x 208 cm).
Then the careful question: where is the zipper, and how do we clean it? There is none. A tufted cushion is filled, buttoned and closed by hand, so the cover stays on, and it is spot-cleaned with mild soap and water.
Before ordering, the designer went back to the room for one last measurement. The final size was 48 x 79 1/2 in (122 x 202 cm), two and a half inches shorter than the quote. The shop added that exact size as an option, and the cushion was made to it.
Why the last measurement belongs in the finished room
Built-in spaces are unforgiving: an alcove, a bay or a corner can hide a baseboard, trim or a wall that is not quite square. The designer's two and a half inches were the difference between a cushion that lies flat and one that bows up in the middle.
For a corner like the one in this photograph, measure the space where the cushion will actually sit, wall to wall, and send the true numbers without subtracting anything. The workshop adds its own allowances. Floor-cushion backrests are not freestanding, so the wall they lean on is part of the plan. See how corner seats are sized under corner floor cushions and in the quarter-circle size guide.
Settle the zipper question early, too. Tufted means buttons and no zipper; a zippered cover means no tufting. Both are honest, and tufted or plain lays them side by side. Buy the cushion once, cry once. What does your corner measure, wall to wall?
Take the last measurement in the finished room: a floor cushion quoted at 48 x 82 in was made at 48 x 79 1/2 in, and those 2 1/2 in decided the fit.
Harlan
Thin arrivals, stairs and zippers:
- A common question
My floor cushions came out of the box thinner than I expected, maybe 3 in. Will they fill out?
The workshop's answerYes. Vacuum-packed cushions get fuller over time once they are opened. If one still looks thin after that, send photos and the workshop will take a look.
- A common question
I live up a flight of stairs. Will the courier bring a floor sofa to my door, or leave it downstairs?
The workshop's answerIt comes to your door. The courier (FedEx) brings it to the door itself, and because the sofa is vacuum-packed with the air taken out, it does not take up much room on the stairs.
- A common question
Does the tufted floor cushion have a zipper? How would my client clean it?
The workshop's answerNo zipper. It is tufted and finished by hand, so the cover stays on. Clean it by spot-cleaning with mild soap and water.
On the cutting table
| Cushion in the photo | Corner floor cushion with a box edge and self piping |
|---|---|
| Backrest | Two greige pillows that lean on the wall; floor-cushion backrests are not freestanding |
| Fabric | Linen-look weave: wine red seat, greige backrest |
| Piping | Self piping in wine red |
| The designer's cushion | Tufted linen, quoted 40 x 82 in and 48 x 82 in; made 48 x 79 1/2 in (122 x 202 cm) |
| Tufted fill | Packed polyester fiber, no foam core; no zipper |
| Care | Tufted: spot-clean, mild soap and water; zippered covers: 86°F (30°C), air dry |
| Arrives | Vacuum-packed; fills out after opening |
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.
Questions buyers ask next
How is a quarter-round corner floor cushion sized?
By its two straight sides, the edges that sit against the walls. The standard maximum is 48 in (122 cm) per side, and a 48 in corner has a curved front of about 75.4 in (192 cm).
Can a floor cushion backrest stand up without a wall behind it?
Not on its own. Floor-cushion backrests are made to lean against a wall. A back-supported version, or a metal frame that lets the backrest stand free, can be arranged if your corner has no wall behind the seat.
What is inside a tufted floor cushion?
No foam core. Tufted floor cushions are packed tightly with siliconized polyester fiber and deliberately overfilled, so they stay firm and do not press flat. That is also why they cannot be unzipped and machine washed.
Sit well. — Harlan
Corner floor cushions in six more corners
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