Old Sofa Makeover With Slipcovers | Review

Old sofa makeover made easy with slipcovers. Transform the look of a warn sofa with form fitting slipcovers. Review with before and after photos.

Getting a new sofa is one of those things that only happens once in a decade. Or at least close to it. A lot of our furniture was handed down to us. Nothing is wrong with it other than our style has changed as we’ve gotten older.

I hate to say it, but that’s not a good enough reason to buy expensive furniture whenever we feel like it.

I remember loving these sofas after our move into this new home! After only 5 years I would have expected that they held up a lot better than they did.

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Five years of dogs, kids, spills and just everyday wear and tear had me trying to hid them under blankets and throw pillows any time we would have company.

They were embarrassing.

We could just buy a new sofa? That would be the easy thing to do. But it doesn’t fix the kids and dogs part of the equation. So we took a leap and bought some fairly inexpensive slipcovers and I’m here to tell you, you should defiantly keep your old sofa.

DO SOFA COVERS WORK

Sofa covers absolutely work. The goal of a sofa cover is to protect the sofa from pets, spills and ware over time. To keep your living room looking fresh and inviting without unsightly stains or fading couches.

I think better questions are:

• Do they look good
• Will it be form fitting
• Are they washable
• Will they stay in place
• Will it cover the back of the sofa
• Are they easy to install

The couches weren’t always so bad. When we first got them we were excited to finally have recliners! We even chose this faux leather fabric for the ease of wiping them down.

The dogs were told to keep off but eventually we wanted to cuddle with them just as much as they wanted to cuddle with us. A few years later we started to notice that the once leather feel was rubbing off the cushions.

It was no longer easy to wipe down and the two tone brown color was not a good look. No amount of vacuuming or scrubbing could make these sofas look nice again.

But as far as couches go, they were still functional. No rips or tares and the recliners still worked nicely.

STRETCHY SLIPCOVER VS LOOSE FITTING

Relaxed fit- For boxed cushion sofas that do not recline, you might get away with a relaxed fit slipcover with ties around the armrest. It’s a gorgeous beach and classic look that can be dressed up to match any decor.

The downfall with these slipcovers is that you may have to tuck them back in everyday. But with Tuck Tight Strips and upholstery tacks, that may not be a problem.

Form fitting- Stretchy slipcovers are great if you do your research and make sure you’re ordering a stretchy slipcover that fits your type of sofa. If you have a more bulky couch, then it might look overstuffed and awkward. But if you have more sleek straightforward cushions, then you can find some great slipcovers like these retro and floral stretchy slipcover designs.

A few things to consider when ordering a form fitting sofa cover is how tall the back of the couch is and how bulky the cushions and armrests are.

RECLINER SLIPCOVERS

We ordered an 8 piece recliner sofa cover, in the color taupe, along with a reclining loveseat cover. We were ready to see if theses covers would bring life back into our tired old sofas. The eight pieces include three sections for the back, three sections for the seats and two armrests.

Each piece would go on separately and attach in the back by being tied to the couch frame or using the hooks that came with the covers.

We started with the back and propped the couch up on a tall stool to tie them in place.

It took a bit of tucking and pulling but we were able to get the seams on the cover to mostly match our existing sofa.

The results were night and day. So much so that I was a bit worried that I threw the balance off in the room. Each dark sofa was grounded to make a triangle and now I had two very light pieces of furniture.

In the photo above you can see that my dark brown sofa has very large armrests. Something that took a while to get into place with the new stretchy slipcover.

I know it’s not exactly perfect, but I can’t begin to tell you how much I love that it came in eight separate pieces so that it looks like the skin to the couch as opposed to a cover.

They also offer:

• Eight piece reclining sofa cover set– as shown in photo
• Reclining loveseat slipcover– as show in photo
• Reclining loveseat with center console
• Reclining chair cover

You also might like:

• 4 piece sofa cover with three individual seat cushion covers
• 3 piece loveseat slipcover with 2 individual seat cushion covers
• 2 piece armchair slipcover
• Wingback chair slipcover

DOES IT COVER THE BACK OF THE SOFA

Everyone’s sofa is going to look a bit different in the back. Ours has velcro along the bottom to accommodate the sofa being able to lay almost flat when reclined. (along with accommodating small toys and the kids clementine peels.)

Since it does sit away from the wall, it needed to look semi flat and tucked in.

You can see where it lifts up a bit where the velcro would once sit but since we have a table that goes behind the sofa, it isn’t noticeable.

Reclining buttons and handles– These did not come with a slit for the reclining button but a pocket instead. So far we haven’t had a problem with being able to find the button and recline the chairs.

What does having the recliner out look like- It’s a very stretchy material that slips under the front of the recliner and gets held into place using the plastic hook that it came with. At first it was a little odd but if we’re being fair it would be odd to look at the mechanics of the recliner without the slipcover anyway.

DO THE SOFA COVERS STAY IN PLACE

The couches that we covered were a faux leather material that weren’t very slick to begin with. Since most of the fake leather had come off we were left with a softer material. These slipcovers have stayed in place and have only needed the occasional tucking back in.

I’m sure other types of fabrics would stay in place just as well, although a genuine leather sofa might be another story.

DO SOFA COVERS LOOK GOOD

That’s probably more of a personal preference but I am completely amazed with the quality and feel after putting on the slipcovers. I know they are not perfect but the alternative was buying a new couch.

These covers were fairly inexpensive and are machine washable. To me, they look and feel brand new without being obvious that they are slipcovers.

Benefits–

• Machine washable (pet and kid friendly)
• Easy to install
• Match existing furniture or try a fun design
• Inexpensive
• Styles for both stretchy and relaxed fit

Tips-

• Be sure to measure properly
• Find a slipcover that matches your type of sofa
• You can help keep the slipcover tucked in using Tuck Tight Strips (Be sure that it can’t get into the recliner mechanics)
• Upholstery pins are also another way to keep the slipcover from shifting.
• Take your time with putting them on and get your seams lined up and tight.

So keep the tired old sofa and try these recliner slipcovers instead. They were easy to install and are machine washable. Making them pet and kid friendly. Just what I needed for another 5 years before our decade is up and it’s finally time for some new furniture.

Best Wishes ~Sara

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