Scale is the quietest mistake in a room. The right cushion in the wrong size reads as an afterthought; the right size, chosen for the seat or the bed it sits on, looks considered before anything else is. This is a short guide to getting it right, the sizes our cushion covers come in, what each one is for, and how many a sofa or bed actually wants.

Square cushion cover sizes

Size Reads as Best for
40 × 40 cm The small square Accent chairs, layering, smaller seats
45 × 45 cm The everyday square The workhorse, sofas, chairs and beds
50 × 50 cm The fuller square Deep sofas, the front of a layered bed
55 × 55 cm The anchor square Large and deep sofas, the back layer of an arrangement
66 × 66 cm The Euro square The back of a layered bed, floor seating

Lumbar and rectangular sizes

Size Reads as Best for
23 × 30 cm The small rectangle A quiet accent, smaller chairs
30 × 45 cm The compact lumbar Armchairs, a child’s room
35 × 60 cm The classic lumbar Lower-back support, breaking a row of squares
35 × 90 cm The long lumbar A bolster across a bed, a long bench or sofa

What size cushions for a sofa

As a rule, fewer and larger looks more composed than many small covers, and odd numbers sit better than even.

  • Two-seater, three covers: a pair of 55 cm squares at the corners with a 35 × 60 cm lumbar between them.
  • Three-seater, five: two 55 cm squares at the corners, two 45 or 50 cm layered in front, and a lumbar to break the line.
  • Sectional or large sofa, work in groups, mixing 55 and 66 cm anchors with 45–50 cm squares and a lumbar or two.

Mix across two or three cloths rather than matching everything, velvet against linen, a solid against a print, so the arrangement reads composed rather than arranged.

Dressing a bed

Layer from the back forward: 66 cm Euro squares stand against the headboard, 55 or 50 cm squares sit in front of them, and a 35 × 60 cm lumbar lies low across the centre. On a king, a 35 × 90 cm bolster reads beautifully along the foot of the bed. An odd run looks cleaner than a symmetrical one.

What a lumbar cushion is

A lumbar is the long, low rectangle, wider than it is tall. The classic 35 × 60 cm does the work a square cannot: supporting the lower back on a deep seat, and breaking the rhythm of a row of squares so an arrangement doesn’t read as a matching set. The longer 35 × 90 cm works as a bolster across a bed or bench.

Inserts and fill

Covers and inserts are specified separately, and every cover has a matching insert in the same size, a 45 cm insert for a 45 cm cover. Pair each cover with its matching size for a clean, well-filled finish.

In short

Start with 55 cm for the anchors and 45–50 cm to layer; add a 35 × 60 cm lumbar to break the line; a 66 cm Euro square and a 35 × 90 cm bolster dress a bed. Keep to odd numbers and mix the cloths. When you’re ready, shop the full range of cushion covers, in velvet and linen, or choose your cushion inserts to match.