Whether you're creating a built-in lounge in Catalonia, designing a terrace on the Costa Brava, or upgrading your garden anywhere in Spain, planning your seating area starts with accurate measurements. Well-designed custom outdoor cushions don't just improve comfort, they ensure your outdoor space looks balanced, practical and made to fit your lifestyle.
In Spain, outdoor living isn't just for summer. It's part of everyday life. Your lounge should be comfortable enough for an afternoon siesta, practical enough for your morning coffee, and stylish enough to enjoy all year round. Taking accurate measurements from the beginning helps avoid costly mistakes later.
Step 1: Understand how you'll actually use your outdoor space
Before you reach for the tape measure or ordering outdoor cushions made to measure, ask yourself a few questions. The answers will shape everything.
- When do you use it most? Morning coffee in the sun, afternoon shade, evening drinks?
- Do you need wind protection? A corner spot or wall-backed layout might suit you better.
- How many people? Daily use for two, or do you regularly host?
- What do you do there? Lounging, eating, working, watching films?
Tip: Map the sun at four points during the year, where it rises and sets in summer vs winter, and at what time. It sounds nerdy, but it's the single best input for deciding where to position your lounge.
Step 2: Measure carefully
Spanish gardens are rarely perfectly square. Terraces include often uneven floors, rocky ground, tree roots, steps, angled walls and awkward niches are the norm. Accurate measurements are essential if you're planning bespoke garden cushions Spain home owners can enjoy.
What you'll need:
- A tape measure or laser measuring device
- A notepad (or your phone)
- 10–15 minutes of your time
How to measure:
- Measure width and depth at multiple points; left, right and centre.
- Always work with the smallest measurement as your baseline.
- Note the position of doors, windows and steps; do these affect walkways ?
- Note also the nature: trees, plants, wind and the way the sun runs during the day
- Account for walls or columns that will back the sofa. When building with blocks add 15 cm for a rendered masonry backrest (before any microcement or tile finish).
Step 3: Leave enough space to walk comfortably
A beautiful lounge should be practical. Leave enough circulation space so you can move comfortably around your furniture. Use these minimums as your guide:
Step 4: Choose the right sofa size
Corner vs straight? A corner sofa or L-shape works well in most Spanish terraces. It tucks into a corner, maximises seating and creates a natural social space. A U-shape is ideal for larger terraces where you want to create a real "room outside".
Step 5: Test your layout before you build
Testing your layout beforehand can prevent expensive adjustments later.
For freestanding lounge, dining benches or sunloungers:
→ Use painter's tape on the terrace floor to mark out the full footprint. Walk around it. Sit on the ground inside it. Stand up. Does it feel tight or spacious?
For a built-in lounges:
Lay out the shape using 5 mm cardboard sheets. This takes a bit more time, but for a permanent structure it's absolutely worth it. Gravel and uneven surfaces make tape unreliable. Cardboard gives you a real sense of the space.
Another option is the more professional 'marking spray paint'. Maar dan is herstel vaak lastiger.
Rule of thumb: Allow approx. 85–90 cm per seat for a lounge sofa, or 65–70 cm per seat for a dining bench.
Step 6: Choose the right cushion dimensions
The dimensions of your cushions ar just as important as the sofa itself. Well-designed custom patio cushions Costa Blanca homes and Mediterranean terraces often share one thing in common: proportions that feel comfortable and balanced.
Here's what to consider:
Taller people generally prefer deeper seats. Shorter users often find a shallower seat more comfortable. Worth trying before you decide.
Finding the right cushion-to-base ratio
For a relaxed, soft appearance: aim for approximately 60% cushion, 40% base visible.
If you prefer a cleaner, architectural look, flip the balance to 40/60 or even 30/70. Both work beautifully. It just depends on the style you're going for.
Interested for the outdoor cushion styles from Interior Nomad?
> BOLD: 12 cm thick with comfortable firmness
> WABI: 6 cm round shape, clean look and comfy
> PURE: 8 cm straight shape with a timeless look
Matching cushions are available in coordinating fabrics:
- 60×40 cm
- 50×30 cm
- a square 60×60 cm
- a round cylinder.
Our handmade outdoor cushions Spain collection is designed to complement a wide variety of outdoor lounge layouts.
One large cushion or several smaller ones?
Storage often determines the best option. For a 2 meter straight sofa or dining bench, you have a few options.
- A single 200 cm cushion looks undeniably chic, clean, seamless and very considered. The downside? It's awkward to store and a bit of a workout to move.
- Four cushions of 50 cm each are much easier to handle and store, but they can shift around during use, which gets annoying quickly.
- For many homeowners, two cushions of 100 cm provide the ideal balance between practical storage and appearance.
If you're also considering tailored outdoor cushion covers, choosing manageable cushion sizes makes removing and storing covers much easier throughout the seasons.
Not sure? We're happy to help.
Not sure which dimensions suit your terrace?
Every outdoor space is unique. Whether you're renovating a terrace in Catalonia, furnishing a holiday home on the Costa Brava, or creating a new outdoor lounge elsewhere in Spain, we're happy to help you choose the right layout and the cushion model that best suits your project.
Every terrace is different, and that's what makes this fun. If you'd like a second pair of eyes on your layout, or you want to talk through which cushion model suits your setup, just get in touch.