The Little Sophisticated Club Chair Cover…

Velvet looks and feels great on furniture. But when you add coordinating cording to the mix, slipcovers reach a whole new level of gorgeousness…

This ¾” cording in different shades of blue not only makes easier to tie together this chair with other furnishings in the room. The embellishment pops like jewelry on the velvet defining the shape of the seat, adding personality and sophistication to a piece that can now stand on its own in the room. It is the kind of detail that makes the custom look, a truly unique, rich and special piece.

    

Practical AND stylish?

Look at this elegant couch dressed in Pasari silk. Beautiful isn’t it?

Allow me to let you in on a little secret…

it’s a slipcover!

Here is what the couch looked like before the transformation

Making this slipcover provided a few challenges for me such as the tufting on the original cushions and a hide-a-bed mechanism. Challenges aside, the final result showcased the nice geometric lines, maintained the tufting on the cushions and, most importantly, maintained the functionality of the hide-a-bed.

In order to make the hide-a-bed feature fully functioning while still maintaining a fitted upholstery look I used Velcro. The Velcro was sewn to the slipcover and then stapled/glued to parts of the couch that would not damage the original upholstery.

Tufting is one major element that creates the illusion that the slipcover is the actual upholstery. Since the original upholstery had tufted cushions I had to get creative to give the slip covered cushions the tufted look while maintaining an easy removal and tension. The solution? Tie the new button cord to the original button cord!

Lastly, to top off the upholstered look I made and placed welts (piping) along the arms and around the edges of the cushions. With everything complete we have an elegant, functional slipcover that you can even take to the cleaners.

How to pick fabric for slipcovers

One of the most common questions I get from clients when they are looking to have a slipcover made is, “What fabric should I buy?” The simplest answer I can give is to ask yourself two things: how is the slipcover going to be used and secondly, do you want to use a fabric that is a solid color or a pattern.

First, let’s talk about use. The material you chose to make a slipcover should directly correspond to who will be using the finished piece and how often. For example, cotton and cotton blended fabrics tend to be comfortable, easy to care for and excellent for everyday use.

If the piece you are looking to slipover is more for special occasions then you may want to consider upholstery grade (backed) luxury fabrics including silk, chenille and velvet.

Once you have determined the end use of the slip covered piece you can ponder the pros and cons of patterned versus solid fabrics.

Patterned fabrics can really make a statement even in muted tones and they are excellent at disguising seams and the inevitable stain. The downside of choosing a patterned fabric is two-fold: you need to purchase 40-60% more fabric than a solid fabric because you create more waste when aligning the pattern to the lines of the furniture which in turn leads to an increase in labor because it takes time to carefully cut and sew pieces in such a way that they align properly.

Solid colored fabrics can be easier to work with because there are no patterns to align (so they have less waste than patterned fabrics). Another major plus to using a solid fabric is that you can make it work in a variety of settings and seasons just by adding accent pillows! The major downside to using a solid fabric is that stains are not as easy to hide and solids tend to show heavy usage more than a patterned fabric may.

Slipcovers

What a change a slipcover can make in the ambiance of a room!
A great way to add a new look to an old piece of furniture, make it work in a different color scheme or have variety for the different seasons…