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Upholstery is the craft of providing furniture, particularly seating, with padding, springs, webbing and fabric or leather covers. It has been practised for centuries, and custom cushions are one of its most important elements: they provide comfort and support and add to the look of both the furniture and the room. This guide explains custom cushions in the context of upholstery.
Custom cushions can be made to fit almost any piece of furniture, from sofas and armchairs to window seats and outdoor furniture. With a wide range of fabrics, designs and sizes to choose from, they let you create a unique look and feel for your living spaces.
| Seat Cushions | Back Cushions | |
|---|---|---|
| Main role | Comfort and support when sitting | Softness and comfort, back support and decoration |
| Feel | Thicker and firmer | Softer and less dense |
| Typical fillings | High-density foam; down or feather for a softer, luxurious feel | Down, feathers or polyester fibre |
| Cover options | Removable zipped covers or fixed covers with stitching details | Zipped, buttoned or tied closures |
Upholstery dates back to ancient times, with early examples of cushioned furniture known from ancient Egypt, and it developed into the craft we know today over the centuries that followed. Cushions have been part of upholstery throughout, filled at first with materials such as straw and horsehair before modern synthetic fillings arrived.
Cushion design and construction have since evolved significantly, from simple squares and rectangles to a wide variety of cushion shapes, sizes and designs. Cushions have also moved beyond seating into decoration, offering a simple, effective way to add colour, texture and personality to a room.
Historically, cushions were filled with whatever was readily available, such as straw, feathers or horsehair. Advances in technology and manufacturing have since introduced synthetic fillings including foam, polyester fibre and microbeads, each offering different levels of comfort, durability and cost. Our cushion fillings guide compares the options.
Cover materials have evolved too. Traditional fabrics such as cotton, linen and silk are still popular, but synthetic fabrics such as polyester, acrylic and nylon have become popular for their durability, easy care and affordability. They also offer a wider range of colours, patterns and textures, allowing greater customisation. See our guide to fabric selection.
Custom cushions can be grouped by purpose, shape, size and filling. Understanding these categories helps you make informed decisions when choosing cushions for your furniture.
By function, they divide broadly into seat cushions, which provide comfort and support when sitting, and back cushions, which add support and decoration. In practice the lines often blur, and many cushions serve more than one purpose.
Seat cushions are typically thicker and firmer to support the weight of the person sitting, and they can be made in a variety of shapes and sizes to fit different seating. The filling is crucial because it directly affects comfort and durability: high-density foam is popular for its firmness and longevity, while down or feather fillings are chosen for their softness and luxurious feel. See our guide to foam density.
You can also choose the type of cover, from simple removable covers with a zip to fixed covers with intricate stitching details. The fabric has a big influence on the look and feel of the cushion, with options ranging from natural fabrics such as cotton and linen to synthetics such as polyester and acrylic.
Back cushions are generally softer and less dense than seat cushions, focusing on softness and comfort while still supporting the back. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, often designed to complement the seat cushions, and are usually filled with softer materials such as down, feathers or polyester fibre.
Like seat cushions, back cushions offer a wide choice of covers, from simple solid colours to intricate patterns and textures, with closures ranging from zips to buttons or ties.
Designing custom cushions involves several steps, from choosing the right materials and measurements to selecting the design and finishing touches, and it can be a creative and rewarding process that produces cushions to suit your style and needs.
The first step is choosing the right size and shape. This means measuring the furniture where the cushion will sit and deciding on the thickness and firmness you want. The shape can be a simple square or rectangle, or something more complex, such as a round or oval. Our guide to custom cushion sizes explains how to measure.
The next step is choosing the materials: the filling and the cover fabric. The filling depends on the comfort and durability you want, while the fabric depends on the look and feel you want and practical considerations such as durability and maintenance.
When choosing a cover fabric, consider its colour, pattern, texture and durability, and make sure it suits how the cushion will be used. For example, outdoor cushions need fabrics that are weather-resistant and easy to clean, while indoor cushions can use a wider range of fabrics, including delicate and luxurious ones.
Custom cushions are a versatile and important part of upholstery, offering both practical and aesthetic benefits. Understanding their history, types and design process, and how to look after them, will help you make informed decisions and get the most from them. Whether it is a simple seat cushion for a dining chair, a plush back cushion for a sofa or a decorative cushion for a bed, with the right choices and care, custom cushions can provide comfort and style for years to come. Our cushion maintenance tips explain how to care for them.
Continue exploring cushions and upholstery across our glossary:
Whether you are refreshing a sofa, re-covering armchairs or making cushions for a window seat, the Foam & Covers team can cut foam precisely to your measurements and make covers to suit your furniture.
Contact Our Foam Specialists or Order Custom Cut Foam Online .
We make custom cushions and covers for settings of all kinds — Benches, Caravans, Windows Seats, Sofas and many more!