Friday, April 24, 2009

Simple and chic (but cheap) slipcovers?

I desperately want to cover up my couches with something light, happy, and inexpensive. They're very comfy couches, but the material on them is absolutely hideous to me. It's very dark, southwestern, and slightly '80s looking, which is totally at odds with my decorating scheme of bright and colorful eclectic cottage. (They're hand-me-downs.)



But I'm also not about to go buy couches, especially since we're renting now and not sure if we're buying this house. If we move, the couches I buy might not work at our new home. And uh, hello, I'm unemployed, too. So there's not too much $ available for such frivolous things as making the house look pretty.



I do have some slipcovers that I bought last year, but they're hard to put on, ill fitting, and they show lots of the original couch. Here you can see Spanky sitting on the slipcovered couch. I think it was looking a little too cottagey with all the pillows (which you can't really see here), but I do like using quilts and comforters as slipcover accents. They are pet- and kid-friendly, and you can mix and match them as you like. I think I might like to recreate that look, but those quilts and comforters are now beat and old, so I'd have to buy more. And they aren't cheap.

I was toying with the idea of using sheets, but I'm not sure that'll give me the look I want. Any ideas? I'd love to see pix of anyone's slipcover solutions. I'm having a party next weekend and I want the couches to look pretty and not so gross.

2 comments:

Char said...

reading my thrift store magazines they are recommending using fabric shower curtains! can you imagine that? but it makes sense for some of the nice fabric. also I was thinking - what about thrifting table clothes?

Chris said...

I've actually used a tablecloth for my chair at one time, over a slipcover. It looked nice, and I might use it again, and I have seen lots of cheapy tablecloths, so it'd be a good solution.

I hadn't thought of shower curtains, but I agree, it's a great idea. There are some really pretty ones out there!