Crate Folding Cushion

“To add comfort and function to the Crate series, the Crate folding cushion is a folded cushion, specially shaped to fit perfectly into the seat and back of the chair.”: HAY

A 4 cm cushion folded in two, seat and back in one piece, with a non-slip back. Two sizes: the one for the lounge chair (49 × 103 cm) and the one for the lounge sofa (125 × 98.5 cm).

The fabric

HAY describes a fabric with a “water-repellent finish” and “high UV resistance, making it fade-resistant, with good color fastness,” for “all-year-round” use. The exact composition is not published on the HAY pages; retailers list it as solution-dyed olefin on polyurethane foam. Four colors, matching the wood finishes: beige, sky grey, iron red, and anthracite.

Crate, Gerrit Rietveld’s crate furniture

In 1934, Gerrit Rietveld designed a chair using planks from shipping crates: reclaimed wood, visible joints, and an assembly plan anyone could follow. HAY summarizes the origin: “originally designed to utilize surplus wooden shipping crates.” The series was sold at the time as “weekend furniture” by the Metz & Co store in Amsterdam, notes Titus Darley of Rietveld Originals. HAY reissued it in 2023 with Rietveld Originals: lounge chair, chair, coffee table, and side table first, followed by the sofa, bench, and dining table in 2024. Rolf Hay, co-founder of the company: “It is hard to imagine anything closer to our design values, because Rietveld’s mission really was to create a cool, affordable, and accessible range of furniture for everyone.”