Our perfect sofa

In our last post on choosing a sofa we discussed how to choose the ideal sofa for your home. Once you’ve got that sorted (easy, right?) we want you to consider one more thing… Maybe we should have discussed it first, as it really takes away a lot of the aesthetic decision making stress, but there’s a process here folks! So what are we on about?

Image by Benz

The slipcovered sofa. WHAT we hear you scream? That ill-fitting disaster my granny has, that elasticated monstrosity that never quite sits right and can’t be near a naked flame?

Slipcovered sofas have come a long way. Think form fitted, gorgeously ruffled or elegantly skirted. It’s the one recommendation we make to our clients again and again, and not one of them has ever regretted it. So what is so great about the slipcovered sofa?

Image source Pinterest

Let’s start with the obvious. Your sofa gets used a LOT, which means it is the backdrop to popcorn-fuelled cinematic experiences, red wine and chocolate dinners, afternoon naps, doggy daycare and gymnastics performances, and all of these things can lead to stains. Yes, spot cleaning and stain resistant treatments all help, but there is nothing as effective as a removable and washable cover. We always suggest machine washable, but dry cleanable is a great runner up.

Secondly, the colour and pattern you choose for your sofa can really define the style in your home. Removable covers give you the option to switch this up when you need a change or tire of your first choice. Lots of companies will allow you to buy second and subsequent covers at a lower price when you order your sofa. And if an Ikea sofa has taken your fancy, there are companies specialising in selling covers for these sofas in an exhaustive list of colours and patterns. You can even switch from fitted to skirted if you have a complete change of heart.

Finally it gives you the opportunity to be a little bolder than you might otherwise be with such an investment piece. We love a neutral sofa, we really do. But some clients and some homes are just begging to be bedecked with a beautiful bold sofa. Whether it is playful pattern, fun floral, rich velvet or a colour pop; a removable cover gives you the opportunity to be bold in the knowledge that you can always tone it down at a later stage, without buying a whole new sofa

Image by Benz

So there you have it. Food for thought. Slipcovered sofas have come a long way since the elasticated covers of old. And as always, we’ve pulled together a few beauties, just in case you’re in the market.