Adding Pizzaz with Shabby Chic Sofa Slipcovers

Sofa slipcovers are a perfect way to make something old seem new again when it comes to your old sofa. When going for the shabby chic look, worn furniture can be camouflaged easily with slipcovers that do not even have to be that elaborate or even perfectly match with the rest of the room.

A sofa slipcover is often the economical choice for those who want to hold onto a sofa but want another, less expensive choice other than a complete reupholstering job. Slipcovers labeled "shabby chic" are in many stores thanks to this trend, or you can make your own very inexpensively. There are a lot of possible ideas and a few things to remember when deciding on this choice of slipcovers.

Shabby Chic

This style combines comfortable furniture with vintage, elegant details and accessories. The base colors of a shabby chic room and its furniture are white, off-white, or other light neutrals. Common accent colors are pale pinks and greens, and these can easily appear in your slipcover.

Floral and pastel fabrics are popular, and many patterns are often combined when it comes to slipcovers, throw pillows, and the like. The only real rule thumb to follow is to keep the background color consistent and to repeat one thread of the same color throughout the rest of the patterns. This is advised to keep in mind when selecting the fabric of your slipcover.

Coordinating

Shabby chic is a lived-in but neat look for any room. Sofas are overstuffed and definitely do not have to look perfect. If you plan to buy a slipcover, look for one that coordinates with the basic tones of the rest of the furniture but by no means has to exactly match it. Some DIY-ers opt for more than one slipcover pattern that can be changed with the different seasons. Popular choices are white or other solid light neutrals for spring and summer, and then stripes, floral, or Jacquard patterns in warmer colors for the fall and winter.

Fashion Your Own

If the choices of shabby chic slipcovers you find in stores are a little high in price and you don't love any of the designs, another option is to make your own slipcover. A recent trend is to recycle a fitted white bed sheet or even a white quilt. Sheets provide more than enough fabric for most overstuffed sofas, and they often don't even require cutting and sewing seams. Simply tuck all edges between the sofa cushions and pin in place where necessary.

If your fitted sheet is a bit of a stretch, wash and dry it. Remove it from the dryer while it is still quite warm and cover the sofa with it right away. This will reduce excessive wrinkles as well. The same process applies if you use a white quilt; you just may need to safety-pin in more places due to the lack of elastic edges. Cotton sheets or quilts are recommended for those with pets, children, or careless roommates. An additional option is to use sheer white curtains as a slipcover if there is less chance of spills and stains on your old-but-new-again sofa.