de Le Cuona | Lotus Cushion with Box Pleat Detail – Rice Paper

The Lotus cushion is defined by its edge. Rather than a plain knife-edge seam, the cover carries a box pleat detail, which gives the outline a small, deliberate structure and makes it sit slightly more upright than a soft square usually would. Rice Paper is a pale, warm off-white, the colour of good stationery rather than the bright white of a showroom. In a room it reads as a quiet shape first and a colour second, which is exactly why we like it among heavier textures.

The cushion is 50 cm wide and is sold individually, so you can build a group at whatever count suits the seat. It is supplied as a finished piece, made up and ready to place, which saves the usual wait for a workroom to cut, pipe and fill. The pleat is a tailored detail, so it asks to be seen from the front and the side. We tend to angle these slightly on a seat so the edge catches the light rather than lying flat against the back.

We would put Lotus on a linen or wool sofa in a tonal scheme, where a pleated edge adds interest without introducing another colour. It also suits the foot of a bed, layered in front of larger square pillows, or in a pair on a reading chair beside a window. For pairing, we like it against flatter, plainer cushions in stone or oatmeal, and against darker pieces in charcoal or deep brown, where the pale cover has some contrast to work with.

Because the cushion is already made up, the practical advice is mostly about placement. Pleated edges crease if a cushion is leant on constantly, so we would give it a position as a decorative front cushion rather than the one everyone rests against. A light plump when you tidy the room keeps the pleat crisp. Pale cloth marks easily, so avoid placing it where hands or pets will settle, and keep it out of strong direct sun to protect the colour.