My business is making slipcovers. I have a mix of loose covers and fitted ones. Most of my clients get the idea to do them from photos of the casual covers but when I come out to cut, they end up wanting the cover to be fitted. Slipcovers can be made to look very close to upholstery if you have a good cutter and the piece lends itself to a snug cut. Fabric selection is also important in attaining an upholstered look. Look at mine here on Houzz at Barry Harris Studios. Shameless huckstering. Actually, I just want to show how tailored they can be if you just want to change the look without the cost of upholstery.

I ALWAYS prefer slipcovers to upholsterery, for the last 25 years of marriage, that is. I prefer a much tighter fit, which is not hard to achieve, in the right hands. Make sure your slipcover-maker understands "tight". Then get it in a fabric that is fine with being dry cleaned or laundered and you're set. And so many fabrics do well at $5/yard with being laundered or dry cleaned. Just find something on sale or many of my sofas have been slip covered in off-white canvas. Super cheap and with your favorite pillows goes in any direction.
My husband's boss came to our house and spilled red wine ALL over the off-white, canvas love seat and was horrified by the sight. He happened to be staying at our house, so he saw how two wasn't just erased the damage with two washings, and Oxy-gen spray. Gone!
Slipcovers are the way to go.

sorry to disagree with luvyourhome but you have obviously not seen the good slipcovers. we have Pottery Barn sofas and no one even knows our sofas are slipcovered unless we tell them. The covers fit perfectly, are easy to put on, and easy to clean. We actually have two sets; one in navy and then one in white and we change them about 4 months a year with the blue and then the rest with the white.

I also have another white slipcovered chair -- had it for 15 years. People still think it is new. I have to launder it once or twice a year -- to me that is not high maintenance to maintain something that still looks brand new after 15 years.

so if they are done right, as has been said by many others on this sight, they can be great!

@Lori, please re-read my post. Obviously I qualified things you clearly missed. I don't care if you disagree with me. No need to apologize.

I don't care what brand the furniture is. Again, read for the qualifications. I used Ikea as an example, sigh.

Italian leather furniture all the way here. Soft and buttery and cradles like a dream. There's no way I'd put anything on it. It's gorgeous.

Upholstery? Pain in the backside. But if you like it? Great. I'll never have it again. Slip-covered or not. If you're into slip-covers? Well, there are worse decorating things to worry about.

Sorry, I 'd bet I could still figure out your slip-covered furniture. They all have "tells"--yes, even good-fitting ones. I've done a lot of sewing and the hubster used to do upholstery years ago for church projects. I know all the secrets to slip-covers that I need to know. I have no interest in sewing them/buying either.

And although we only ever buy good quality furniture, I'm sorry, but I couldn't imagine still sitting on an upholstered sofa 15 years later. If it gets regular use, wouldn't it be worn down? Unless it's one of those rock-hard ones to begin with (typical English style with minimal padding, etc.) Ick.

PB stuff can be good, but is also very over-priced. Their mark-up is nuts. I don't go nuts for their stuff--a lot is clutter and too cookie-cutter. I acquired a lot of it as a gift and promptly sold it.

Same with Pier 1. Home to a bunch of highly over-priced, imported masses of clutter-y junk. Very seldom is it worth my time to venture in there.

I have custom made slip covers....never wrinkled or messy looking. I had them made to cover almost new out of date couches.....15 years ago and they look wonderful....cream color with subtle pattern. The keys is to have them custom made not bought off shelf.

luvourhome,

Lovely that you can afford Italian leather everywhere (nice it is) and also lovely that you share your prefences, and that your hubby used to do upholstery.

That being said, have you considered doing it without scolding and offending many others whose hubbies' talents lay elsewhere and who I am sure have either needed or liked or chosen to go to Pier 1 (or Pottery Barn wherever else they fancied ) by calling whatever they may own "junk" and "clutter"?

Oh and not all slipcovers are for "hiding something" (although now I may want to wear one on a bad hair day, now that's a thought).

I don't think that anyone who likes and uses slip covers thinks they are fooling people into thinking the pieces are upholstered. Slip covers are a more casual look/style and as with these and anything else, the better the quality of the workmanship, the nicer it appears. I don't think that anyone here is referring to the polyester ruffled covers used to hide an old sofa in days of yore. The advantage is that slip cover users know that they are sitting on clean furniture, whereas upholstered pieces (whether done in fabric or leather) harbor dirt and germs. And if folks choose to share the sofa with their pets, slipcovers are a good option.

Yes. We have small dogs that think they are cats and should climb all over the furniture. I can wash the cushion covers myself and take the larger cover somewhere for cleaning any time I need to.

Elipres and Lori. Thank you!!!

@Lori--missed the boat again...I like stuff that is different and unique--not common like PB, Ikea, Pier 1, etc. That's all I meant by that. Anyone that has ever shopped in any of those stores more than once can notice a pattern, a trend, their style, whatever you wish to call it.

In other words, it becomes easy to tell where things come from. Just like a person can learn the style of designer x, and so on.

Yes, their mark-up is high. On the rare occasion I visit such stores, I wait for their clearance price. It's much closer to true retail. (Having worked in marketing and retail back in the day, well that's another thing I happen to know. Sorry about that).

Go have a glass of wine and put your feet up. :-) And yes, I unloaded a gazillion candles, bric-brac and toss cushions from PB. So sue me, lol.

@furbear. Thanks for 'splainin'. And I fail to see how sitting on a slip-cover is any cleaner than sitting on clean leather? Which can be kept cleaner sans pets, etc. Leather can be wiped off with leather-wipes. It harbors no more germs and dirt than fabric. If anything, it's a tighter weave and less porous. (Same reason why hospital elevator buttons and commercial kitchens are heavy on stainless steel--they are durable and are cold. Germs don't grow as easily on cold objects).

To each their own. I don't have to worry about extra house-work or laundry by washing or drycleaning slip-covers. The less stuff a person has, the less time and maintenance and money (soap, electricity, ironing,) you have to invest, period.

Whatever floats the boat though.

I have to say, these posts are far more interesting to read and follow than posts such as "Beautiful design...kudos to the designer", etc. No substantial discussion or information there what-so-ever.

Luvourhome, holy cow, calm down. Your taste is just that, your taste. It doesn't make you right. I love the casual look of our white slipcovers and can't believe I waited as long as I did to go that route. We have a beachy cottage and my Ikea Ektorp furniture with white slipcovers is comfortable, easy to keep clean, and just the look I've always wanted (as opposed to velour or microfiber, which is what a lot of people who aren't buying custom seem to end up with). I have found that Woolite Oxy rug cleaner is amazing for spot treatments, and washing the covers with Oxyclean has always made them come out as good as new (which is good enough for me). :)

Well, at least I know luvourhome will never be visiting me. :D We don't have slipcovers on anything but the dog is allowed on the sofa, the beds, etc. We do have covers on the seats in the car (custom fit ones) but that is because it is easier to pull off a cover and wash it than clean the actual car upholstery with all the bending and twisting and ducking to get to all corners.

WOW! Did I just accidently tune in to The Real Houzz Wives?

@charlyharper

Yeah, but I think it is just the one wifey...

We have a house on a lake with woods and a big wild meadow. The dogs (especially the one with Velcro fur) drag in dirt, sticks, burrs, dried flower heads, dead grass, straw, you name it, into the house. They are small lap dogs who believe that sitting on the couch is a part of their birthright -- if you want to keep them off the furniture, get another breed. I love my Mission Cube furniture and slip-covers would not fit. I use a nice-looking fleecy blanket to cover the seat of the couch for everyday. This can easily be washed on a regular basis, and whipped off the couch and stored if company shows up unexpectedly.

@longgreen. Um, re-read my original post again. I qualified things nicely.

@charly I wouldn't know, I don't watch crap like that. I seldom watch tv either.

@Piratefoxy, nope. Everyone's happy. But your dog is still adorable.

@Patrice--you can train a dog. But your dog has you trained instead. And you are right. No small yappy mutts for me.

Buh bye. Wasted enough time on this nonsense.

@luvyourhome

Yes, you did qualify your answers but I'd be scared to death to even step foot in your obviously expensively furnished house.

No animals allowed on furniture? Ouch. No eating on a sofa? Eeech! I have to ask if any behaviors are allowed in your house at all!

And you say you wouldn't stay long at a home that allows these types of behavior?

I can tell you right now, you're not invited to my very happy, healthy home.

:)

@Interested. Oh go de-flea your pets or something. I don't have to live like a slob to have a very happy, healthy home. Having a few rules and using common sense doesn't mean I live in a barn. But if you want your dogs or cats jumping all over and licking their butts and kissing you? Have at it. You can sit and sleep with their slobber and drool, too.

oh my! nope, not going to get involved in all that.

I just want to say, i am confused that anyone does not know when a slipcover is on, all the ones i have ever seen on houzz or in stores, i always know exactly what it is. I am not saying it looks cheap or anything else, just i know what it is. tell you the truth i do not know how i feel about them, but i believe many may have the same reasons for the emotion as i. i grew up with some horrid ones. i remember when i got married and went to mil house, she had a new couch, properly covered in plastic for the reception! Swore i would never use them, plastic or cloth, nor all the lectures that went with them. We did not have them, my sister and i just were not allowed to sit on the furniture. I think the final tick in my mind, is i spent 2 days trying to decided what fabric to have on my hollywood bed for my birthday, picked a lovely one with blue, and it got covered by a bedspread. so why did i go through all that effort. lol

once again not saying i dislike or anything, but i imagine some must have some severe hate built up.

@have fun, I think you've stepped right in it. It has less to do with the hatred of slipcovers and more to do with changing ideas on how folks choose to live. In this day and age of obnoxious pets and children - permitted to do whatever they wish...actually having their bad behavior rewarded, I have to totally agree with luvourhome. What she says sounds harsh but I can recall myself being invited to homes such as these and politely refusing to sit down, preferring to stand (in order to keep the grunge off of my clean clothes). Not staying long at all, and even choosing to stay the night in a hotel as opposed to a bed in their spare room. I can also recall refusing a meal saying that I had just eaten (even though I was starving) because of the cats on the kitchen counters. This trend of pet humanization has gotten out of control and although each has his own right to live the way they wish in their own home, those who disagree don't deserve to be dressed down. It certainly does not mean that one does not have a happy home if it is not chaotic and disorderly. And those of you who wish to jump on me saying that this is a design site, design IS about the way we live.

Sorry, furbearsake, but I was trying to ignore luvourhome, but she has been consistently nasty. I think neither she nor you can be surprised that they get a negative response.

@Patrice. Consistently nasty? Lol. Rtfl.

At least FurBearSake used her obvious intellect to get where I'm coming from. She gets it. She has given first-hand examples as well. Others here have clearly inhaled too much animal dander to smell the pile. Now THAT'S nasty. And I'm being deliberately intentional on that one.

People are more important to me than pets. Pets are lower than humans and are not "children." They shouldn't have free reign to wander everywhere. Animals are dirty. They can't refine themselves like humans can. Sadly, it seems some humans are ruled by animals and are rather unrefined.

And to the other poster. YES, we have expensive leather furniture that was purchased with hard work and not credit. We live within our means and do a lot of things diy ourselves. We aren't rich, but we are blessed with a beautiful home in a nice area due to lots of patience. We want to keep it looking beautiful and nice for as long as possible. We live well. We entertain and are relaxed in doing so. But we have *class.* That last thing is hard to come by. We could have our home in a magazine, but have chosen not to. We live in such a way that we take care of our things and they look new years later without looking dated. We don't just run out and buy and dispose. We don't follow trends, and as a result we are never out of style. And we could jet set with the upper crust and have. We prefer to be real people though, and not worried about shopping or affluenza or having things solely to impress others. We have character and heart and spend a majority of our time in service to others in our professional and personal lives.

We have been told we are the kindest and most helpful neighbours people have ever had. We are the kind of neighbours people would kill to have, as the saying goes. What have you done for someone else lately besides chastise me for the immaculate home I keep? (And manage without a maid, nanny, pool boy, butler, or whatever flavor of the week help is going these days...)

I've shaken hands with the Queen and Princess Diana and Prince Charles. I dare say they have class. Our furniture would be clean enough and lovely enough for the Queen, and that's all I need to know.

Ironic...we were invited out for drinks this afternoon to a couple's home. I was freshly showered and wearing a nice, new clean blouse and jeans. I was greeted by 2 barking, yappy dogs who nearly knocked me over. When I went to take off my shoes, one of the dogs proceeded to lick my mouth and face. Gross! The people called them off, but the dogs proceeded to wander in and out of my legs and beg for snacks once we sat down. We had a short visit, and I will be heading off to the shower and having to do laundry.

Beautiful home, and nice people, but dogzillas from hell and a trail of ick. It was an hour and a half of try and forget the gross-factor. Thank-goodness we were on the patio. The fresh air was a distraction from my newly acquired eau-de-mutt-get-the-h-off-me scent. Not impressed.

i have a really great idea, why don't all the ones who hate dogs and cats and birds start a thread or poll and talk about it there. I promise, i will never go in. I figure noone else will either. then we can devote more time to things like slip covers and how cute they all are. you can have it all to yourselves. hmmmm, unless the real point here is just to abuse the rest of us and it has nothing to do with the innocents in our lives and everything to do with beating up on us?

Bye everyone! waving.

I have a better idea. Why don't the folks who comment READ and COMPREHEND the posts on which they are commenting? Not being around "obnoxious children and pets" is the complaint. That is addressing the way they are raised or trained. No one said they hate dogs, cats and birds. Slipcovers are a good option for those who do not wish to raise or train their children or pets properly.

Just to clarify: I use a slipcover on my sofa because I travel about 50% of the time and rent my house out when I am away. When I come home, I take off the covers and wash them all.

Um. Or people who have kids or pets who are at stages of life where they haven't quite mastered the skills necessary yet. Or are we back to having a nursery as the only room in the house kids can be in until they are old enough to never make mistakes? (Which seems like a long time for kids - my house mate's kid is 11 and in general has exceptional manners but still occasionally makes mistakes that make small messes.) And what about when people get older? Is an elderly relative to be banned from all nice spaces if their health means their hands aren't as steady so they might spill a little while they eat?

Also, while I firmly believe that dogs can learn manners just like people can so there is no excuse for dogs older than puppies that try to leap up and bowl you over, studies into dogs using MRI scans and similar are showing that they are quite a lot like us socially - a life banned from most anything other than being decorative in the corner is not good for them. If that is what you expect of an animal, you probably just shouldn't get one.

(I do agree about cats on kitchen counters though. Or dogs. Or people. Feet do not belong on food prep surfaces unless the foot is part of the food, like frog legs or pigs feet or some such delicacy. No feet.)

My son was taught early on that meals were taken at the table and you sat and ate until you were finished, then asked to be excused and cleared your plate. If he was in a restaurant he had to sit until everyone was done and we were ready to leave, even if his cousins were playing tag around the table or climbing on the fountain outside at the restaurant entrance.. If meals are eaten at the table, there is no problem with accidents as there is if eating on the sofa. I will venture to say that most of the elderly people I know eat at a table. I have never had a dog who roamed around the table while people were eating. If so, they were immediately taken away and restrained on a lead or in another room, etc. I will add that although these are rules that I would consider "proper" not everyone subscribes to this lifestyle and their "proper" may be different. I will brag that my son can go anywhere and never be ashamed of his behavior.

And he never made any mistakes? He never snuck a snack he wasn't supposed to or had friends who didn't follow the rules?

An infirm person can't be brought a cup of tea or coffee while visiting at the sofa, they have to get up and sit properly at a dining table? Having tea in the parlor rather than sat round a dining table was a quite common upper class activity for a long time, I don't think you can claim it's bad manners.

ETA: Sorry if I am very cranky sounding, I just spent the morning with my mother in the ER. But there is some serious levels of judging going on about people's pet and child-rearing choices based on throwing pieces of cloth over furniture, and it's a bit ridiculous. Furniture is not more important than relationships and responsibilities to people and creatures in your care or whom you interact with. If someone assesses their living situation and decides that a slipcover is the simplest solution to whatever problem they are dealing with (and there are a large number of things that could result in less than perfect treatment of furniture without it being down to bad manners) then that just means that for some reason, a slipcover was a sensible choice for them. My mom has neuropathy in her hands from her chemo medication, I'm hardly going to tell her she can't have a cup of coffee because she might spill it on something upholstered - I'll just protect the upholstery from accidents and get on with actually enjoying the time I have left with her. Likewise, I wouldn't tell my kid (if I had one) that he could never have his friends over because his friends aren't as well-behaved as he is about not eating or drinking near upholstery, kids need friends and need to spend time with them. I'd just create an area where it was safe for them to be kids and if that involved slipcovers, so be it.

(Like I said in a previous comment, the only place I actually use anything similar to slipcovers is in the car because it's easier to wash car seat covers than the seats if something happens, like muddy paws. In general I find slip covers annoying and fiddly and they rarely stay lined up right which drives me nuts. But I'd use them if the practical value exceeded the annoyance level of using them. Life is too short to stress about making sure people are perfectly behaved on furniture or obsess over cleaning things instead of occasionally sensibly taking precautions to protect items from damage - like when you get a new puppy, you don't leave tempting chewables at puppy level because chances are good the puppy will get to something before the puppy learns what is and is not for chewing if you don't protect your important stuff.)

And for the record, I also got plenty of compliments when I was a kid about being able to behave properly in various situations, and the closest thing I have to a kid, my housemate's kid, also gets complimented regularly. As do my dogs, for having good manners. So yay for us.

Yes! http://www.surefit.net/index.cfm has saved my life. I have pets and regular laundering is a must. (Photo was to look at paint samples).

@Havefun--so just because someone doesn't have cats jumping all over the furniture, a dog sleeping on the bed, or a bird, is an animal hater? Are you on drugs? No? Well have you taken something that affects your thinking?

I LOVE animals!! But guess what? I prefer that they live in their natural environment as much as possible. I don't believe in poaching for ivory tusks. I don't want to see all the bears hunted *just* for their skins. I don't believe in wasting the meat of an animal "for sport." I'm not a sport hunter, but will go sport fishing and eat what is caught. I have other values surrounding animals as well, but am not going to waste anymore time on explaining when clearly you will not get it.

Go on thinking I hate animals or whatever you like. I won't have to clean your mess and you won't have to be afraid to messing up mine-or whatever you or the other poster/s said.

And seems to me there is some jealousy on the thread. Maybe having a new-looking home (almost 5 years later) is out of reach for some people? I take pride in our home. Call me a snob for having it so clean. See if I care, lol. My friends and family will not mind. They love our place!

We have barbecues, large parties, attend charity functions/host them, I bake cookies, you name it, and we are there. We don't just sit and bitch about the life we wish we had. No, we make it happen and are living it, clean house, and pet free.

Furthermore, we had a dog. A gorgeous yellow lab that almost made 15. She "failed" obedience training on the first day because the stupid trainer (supposed professional) couldn't instruct a class of all male dogs and one female one. I'll let you figure out who trained the dog herself and then took the dog everywhere (for road trips, boat trips, you name it!). She was nearly stolen several times because she was so smart, well-behaved, and well-kept, and loveable.

I'm just not ready to commit to another dog yet. So go take your jealousy and go somewhere else.

(And not to leave the cat people out--I had a lovely cat years ago. She died. I decided I prefer some dogs anyway.)

But I trained the cat to come when called, go greet the mailman, and other tricks. Oh, and she didn't jump on *anything* inside. She was trained not to! She had one place to sleep. Outside she had free reign. Everyone wanted me to train their pets after seeing mine. :-)

@Piratefoxy--I'm not going to rub salt in your obviously open wounds. I wish you well with your situational and family health challenges.

@Furbearsake--keep up the proper manners. Some things are timeless--those are some of them.

Adios, good-bye all. I'm off to finish navel-gazing now that my time has been utilized on pondering the absurdities of life...

You might think this is funny - You might not.

:)

Rotfl - houzz-wives indeed ! Great conversation.

Luvourhouse - you've shaken hands with royalty, you say, yet you survived to tell the tale, which impresses me greatly. Must be because of your good neighborliness, because the royal family are known for letting dogs on the furniture, feeding them at table, and riding filthy horses, and worse.

"Buh bye. Wasted enough time on this nonsense."

"Adios, good-bye all. I'm off to finish navel-gazing now that my time has been utilized on pondering the absurdities of life..."

10 bucks says she'll be back. Any takers?

I love slipcovers. Have 2 sets, suede chocolate brown and the beautiful white ones from Ikea, with separate individual cushion covers.

I just ordered a set of one piece white matelasse covers made by Sure Fit. It has been raining for a couple weeks in the Houston area and despite my best efforts the dogs get mud on their fur, they were getting the white covers soiled just by brushing by as they walked. I've heard that one piece covers can be difficult to put on so they look decent, I guess I'll find out, but they are much easier to take off every few days and wash if the weather is soggy for a while.

I think everyone makes their choice of how to live. For me, having my dogs is important but I like a clean neat house as well, so the slipcovers help with that. But as a senior, with the current weather, taking off the fitted covers every few days is a daunting effort, so hopefully the one piece covers will work.

I don't understand the hostility on the part of some people to those who love and have pets, or the judgmental tone by some. And if you are one of those people to whom judgment is important, I think whether one is judged by man or God, the final weighing is probably not going to be influenced by the appearance of your couch.

Aesthetically I've always preferred a tightly upholstered piece, but alternatively slip covers give you the convenience of both easy cleaning and updating. I love the options we have in our Natuzzi Italia line for removable soft cover upholstery for this same reason. These covers are fastened to the frame via velcro and zipper, giving you the convenience of a slip cover while maintaining the streamlined look of a traditionally upholstered piece.

Even though slip covers are used to protect the furniture and some people have different reasons to why they use it, slip covers in my opinion always make the room feel outdated and bulky. I would rather take care of the original fabric, and after a couple of years reupholster the furniture, making it look like a complete new set, then spending money on covers that look bulky.

I use slipcovers not because I have pets, just because I like things really clean. I can't afford all leather, and fabric gets dusty and dirty.

As many of the people here have pointed out, slipcovers can be a little bit more relaxed and many would go for this look.

That is not to say that slipcovers can't be made to look as if it's upholstered - as long as the construction of the couch allows it, custom slipcovers can be made to fit like a glove like the example below.

And I think most people would find having slipcovers the more practical option when it comes to washing and general sofa maintenance.

Worst case scenario: get custom slipcovers made in bycast leather, especially if you have a contemporary square-arm sofa.

Verdict - yes please to slipcovered furniture!

Furbearsake, your room is so gorgeous! Beautiful job on the slipcovers also. I'm going to have some made up for a loveseat we have!

I can certainly see their use and practicality, but they're not for me.

@User sounds like the life of the party😂

I absolutely love the slipcovered sofa

look. Here is mine. I have kitties and there's always the chance of a hairball but so far so good. Having slipcovers means I can relax about the cats knowing that a sofa is not ruined should there be a mishap. I can always remove the covers and machine wash them. I'm happy.

I was searching for an answer as I am a simple house painter...don't make alot of money can't afford most of the things being mentioned on here...simply want a nice fresh clean look in my home and was looking for solid advice about ways to make a brown couch not brown without saving for 2 yrs to buy new...

I tried throwing a sheet over it and tucking it in but...you know...some how it just looked like a sheet on a couch...tucked in...lol

James Free --- i feel ya' :-)

I wanted a slip cover for my sofa. We have a baby with a reflux problem and want to protect the sofa, but I couldn't find one that fit. We opened for a large blanket to cover the sofa. When it gets dirty we can just throw it in the wash.