Slipcovers for the sofa

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

I have had my sofa for over 25 years, and for about 20 years of that time, I loved it. But I'm changing my style especially in colors for the living room, and while the sofa is still like new, I hate the fabric more with each passing day. I see it as standing in the way of me having the perfect room.

I don't want to buy a new sofa at this time, but just about can't stand to look at the current fabric any longer. So, I've taken the plunge and ordered several Sure Fit slipcovers. I have seen much more expensive ones, but honestly don't want much of an investment in a cover, when what I really want is a new sofa.

I ordered from Kohl's (on sale plus 30% off, plus free shipping....why can't Q do that?) because they have such a great 'no hassle' return policy.

I know this isn't going to be a perfect solution, but I'm hoping to get a much more neutral look than the printed sofa I now have, and in a color that suits the rest of the room now.

I ordered several styles, to see what looks best and hope that at least one will give a fit good enough to satisfy me.

Anyone else have any luck with slipcovers?

Irshgrl31201 · ‎03-18-2010

Hey @Mominohio, how are you?

When I was first starting out on my own I was given a really good family couch but like yours, I hated the upholstery and it was getting a little frayed too. The couch itself was a really good quality, 8 way hand tied and very sturdy. Back then there weren't all the options there are now with all the online retailers and specialty stores that just did slipcovers and the ones I wanted were too expensive for my meager budget so my mom made them for me. She is a pretty talented seamstress so I picked out fabric that I liked and could afford and she made it. It came out really well. I couldn't believe it was the same couch!! I used that for a while and then when I moved and wanted a different couch style, I put it in storage. When my daughter moved out, she bought a new slip cover for it and took that couch with her. She used it until just recently when she and her husband bought a big sectional. It is still in great shape though structurally and I had it re-upholstered and it is in my office now.

I know a lot of people who have really gotten some great slipcovers. I think yours will be just fine. Let us know how you like them though when they come in, ok?

Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
JFK

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

@Irshgrl31201 wrote:
Hey @Mominohio, how are you?

When I was first starting out on my own I was given a really good family couch but like yours, I hated the upholstery and it was getting a little frayed too. The couch itself was a really good quality, 8 way hand tied and very sturdy. Back then there weren't all the options there are now with all the online retailers and specialty stores that just did slipcovers and the ones I wanted were too expensive for my meager budget so my mom made them for me. She is a pretty talented seamstress so I picked out fabric that I liked and could afford and she made it. It came out really well. I couldn't believe it was the same couch!! I used that for a while and then when I moved and wanted a different couch style, I put it in storage. When my daughter moved out, she bought a new slip cover for it and took that couch with her. She used it until just recently when she and her husband bought a big sectional. It is still in great shape though structurally and I had it re-upholstered and it is in my office now.

I know a lot of people who have really gotten some great slipcovers. I think yours will be just fine. Let us know how you like them though when they come in, ok?

Oh my gosh @Irshgrl31201! Your family heirloom couch, it makes me sentimental!

I had several pieces of really old family furniture passed down to me, and I used them for years, recovered and then after they were in need again, I ended up choosing to get new. Sometimes I still regret that decision, as I know there will never be pieces made like that sofa and chair from the 1940's. Stupid me!

Zita · ‎05-24-2011

I hope there will be other replies. I, too, am looking into slipcovering my sofa, but I'm unsure about the choices. I do NOT want Sure Fit because they seem sloppy to me and hard to keep in place. I don't like their elasticized ones either. So I'm stuck! To recover is too expensive. I'd like something in the $200-$250 range for a small apartment-size couch.

Anyone?

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

When we had our dog my DH would allow her on the furniture. The sofa was pale blue so in order to keep it clean I kept slipcovers on it, always from sure fit. I had 2 sets so if I took them off to wash them I had others to put on. Since our dog was large I would usually put her outside when we had company since most people are uncomfortable around large dogs, and then I could take the slipcovers off and have pretty and clean furniture.

blueroses47 · ‎03-09-2010

@Zita wrote:
I hope there will be other replies. I, too, am looking into slipcovering my sofa, but I'm unsure about the choices. I do NOT want Sure Fit because they seem sloppy to me and hard to keep in place. I don't like their elasticized ones either. So I'm stuck! To recover is too expensive. I'd like something in the $200-$250 range for a small apartment-size couch.

Anyone?

I grew up with slipcovers....my mom had several sets made custom made through the years, so I grew up seeing how versatile they can be and I love the fact you can wash them and keep your sofa cover fresh.

As an adult, I learned to sew quite well, and I learned to make my own slipcovers. I don't boast about much in my life, but I was so proud of achieving this skill and I've made so many for myself, and even a few for friends and family. They really do look professional.

My advice to you would be to look into having a custom one made. When done properly, you almost can't tell them from upholstery. The ones you buy, like Sure Fit, well they are better than nothing and look nice when no one sits on your furniture, but they never look very neat for long.

If custom made ones by a upholstery shop are just too expensive for what you want, try looking into independent sewers who might advertise in a local paper, or something like that. I knew a friend who did sewing for extra money, and she was very reasonable.

ValuSkr · ‎03-15-2014

Thank you for the Kohl's recommendation. I need a slipcover too.

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

@ValuSkr wrote:
Thank you for the Kohl's recommendation. I need a slipcover too.

Honestly Kohl's is one of my go to places, because they have THE best return policy. You aren't limited to 30 days, and they take things back anytime you aren't satisfied. I haven't ever gone beyond the 30 days, but I like knowing it is there if needed. I bought my Bissell there for just that reason. Not something one uses everyday, but if it failed within the first year or so, I wanted to know I could simply take it to my local store and exchange/refund.

And as for the covers, I don't hold out much hope that I will be excited about them, but I'm not spending hundreds of dollars on a cover. For me, that is just money that could go towards a whole new sofa, because while there is definitely a difference in the quality of slipcovers, unless totally custom made, they are still going to look like a cover.

I'm kind of doing this to get a look at moving from a print sofa to a sold color one, and see if I will like it as much as I think I might. For me, choosing a sofa, getting the style, the fit, the quality and the fabric to all come together into something I love, is really hard. So this is kind of a dry run before deciding on something new.

Since we have a family room now, no one hardly ever sits on this particular sofa, so I'm hoping to get the cover looking good, and it should pretty much stay that way, because it is rarely used.

I noticed that Sure Fit has a wider range of styles and fabrics than I was aware of from seeing them on Q. And there are some YouTube videos put out by the company with nice 'how to' information to make it fit better.

I'll post my experiences when they arrive.

SahmIam · ‎04-16-2010

@Mominohio Please do report back. I'm using them from Overstock.com on OLD leather furniture; they are NOT made for leather furniture, lol. They look REALLY good as long as no one sits on the furniture. THe moment you do...... what a mess.

I've read articles and looked at pictures of those who went the route of custom because good furniture is hard to come by now, upholstering is outrageous in price and a custom made (done well) is not detectable. Many switch the fabrics from Spring/Summer and Fall/WInter (which sounds kinda nice, being honest).

Right now, I have mine duct-tapped and pinned. Laugh away, lol.

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

@SahmIam wrote:
@Mominohio Please do report back. I'm using them from Overstock.com on OLD leather furniture; they are NOT made for leather furniture, lol. They look REALLY good as long as no one sits on the furniture. THe moment you do...... what a mess.

I've read articles and looked at pictures of those who went the route of custom because good furniture is hard to come by now, upholstering is outrageous in price and a custom made (done well) is not detectable. Many switch the fabrics from Spring/Summer and Fall/WInter (which sounds kinda nice, being honest).

Right now, I have mine duct-tapped and pinned. Laugh away, lol.

@SahmIam

I agree that being able to have a couple of different looks with good quality covers would be so nice. It would be great to change with the seasons for sure.

If I totally loved the size/shape/and 'sit' of my sofa, I'd be considering investing good money in covers.

But over the years, I have changed physically to where the current sofa sits way too low (hard for people with mobility issues to get up from it), and I'd like something with a bit more style, and have some exposed legs now, rather than the traditional 'skirt' at the bottom. I'm also considering doing away with a sofa entirely, and putting just a love seat in that room, to open it up and seem less crowded.

We have so much work to do in there before I commit to new upholstered furniture. The picture window needs replaced, new paint, crown moulding installed and new floor covering.....all before the new upholstered pieces are chosen.

My sofa color/pattern is just driving me nuts though, and I'm grasping at straws to make a cheap and quick change!