Fabric and colour chosen for the exposure
Choose the cushion fabric, the colour and the frame finish, then send the layout. Fabric weight should follow the exposure: a shaded courtyard and a pool deck do not need the same specification, so tell us the cleaning regime and the sun and salt exposure and we will match it.
Patterned scatter cushions add a second colour without changing the base upholstery, which is the cheapest way to tie a set to a scheme. What follows is how a cushion is built, which fabrics the range is made in, and the colour directions that are already stocked.
How a cushion is built
Three details decide whether a cushion still looks right in the third season: the fabric, the filling, and the way the cover is finished.
Fabric over foamLight grey woven outdoor fabric over foam, across the seat and the full back.
Thickness and fillStaple Fiber Fabric XN1801 at 15 cm thick on one line, and outdoor fabric with high density foam on another.
Edges, piping and quiltingPiped edging on two lines, with horizontal quilting on one; the high-back armchair is plain, with no buttons and no quilting.The fabrics the range is made in
Every line is quoted with its own fabric, and the fabric is what a scheme is read against.
Across the range the cushions run from a thick grey loose seat cushion and a light grey woven fabric over foam on the armchairs, through mid grey and pale grey speckled weaves, to a cream polyester seat and back with piped edging on the lounge sets and a 15 cm Staple Fiber Fabric XN1801 with removable covers on the six-piece teak-arm corner set, with cream, ivory white, mid grey and dark charcoal grey as the colour directions in stock.
Colour directions already in the range
Ivory white base with charcoal and patterned scatter cushions.
A single mid grey across the upholstery, with the frame left dark.
The range is stocked in cream, ivory white, mid grey and dark charcoal grey. Two of those directions do the heavy lifting on a project: a light base with patterned scatter cushions, and one mid grey carried across every piece. The five-piece rope weave set is offered in cream with a mid-grey option, so a scheme can be reversed without changing the frame.
Where the fabric meets the frame
The light grey woven back, seen from the front of the chair.
The same upholstery from the side, where the fabric meets the arm loop.
The cushion and the frame are approved together rather than one after the other. A light base fabric reads warmer against a charcoal frame and cooler against white, so the two references are checked side by side on a lab dip before anything is cut.
How to specify a fabric and a colour
Four steps, and the fabric is signed off before the cushions are cut.
1. Tell us the exposure
The sun, the salt and the cleaning regime of the space, so the fabric weight can follow it rather than the swatch book.
2. Choose the base and the accent
A base upholstery for every piece, plus any patterned scatter cushions that carry the second colour.
3. Approve a lab dip
A dip is made for the fabric and for the frame colour, and the two are checked together against the brief.
4. Approve one piece
One piece is upholstered in the approved fabric so the colour is judged at full size in the real light.
Do and avoid
Four things that decide whether a scheme still reads as one after a season outside.
Choosing the base fabric from a screen. Powder coat and woven fabric both shift between a monitor and a terrace, so the base colour is approved on a dip.
Using the same fabric weight everywhere. A pool deck and a shaded courtyard do not need the same specification, and the heavier one is not always the right answer.
Carry one colour across the dining and the lounge pieces. A project is usually a mix, and one base colour is what keeps the two zones reading as one design.
Keep the approved dip on file. A repeat order placed against the same reference and the same fabric matches the first batch.
Frequently asked questions
Can we match our brand colour on the cushions?Yes. A custom colour is developed as a lab dip against your reference and then approved on a real piece, and the approved dip is kept on file for repeat orders.
Are the covers removable?On some lines. The six-piece teak-arm corner set ships with removable covers, and the rope weave armchair has a removable seat pad, so ask which lines carry them on the version you are ordering.
What is inside the cushion?Foam, or foam paired with a fibre wrap. The six-piece teak-arm corner set covers Staple Fiber Fabric XN1801 at 15 cm thick, and the rope weave lounge set pairs outdoor fabric with high density foam.
Can a second colour be added later?Yes. Patterned scatter cushions add a second colour without changing the base upholstery, so a scheme can be refreshed without re-upholstering the set.
Send the exposure, the cleaning regime and your colour reference, and we return a fabric schedule with a lab dip for the fabric and for the frame, checked together before anything is cut.
Request a fabric and colour schedule
Related: custom outdoor furniture, outdoor sofa sets, outdoor lounge furniture.