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When deciding to order a custom slipcover, it’s important to measure your items correctly to ensure the best fit possible. Every manufacturer will want you to measure and communicate your findings correctly and accurately, so you receive a slipcover that fits perfectly. We share a comprehensive, step-by-step sizing guide that explains how to measure furniture for an easy ordering experience. Here is a brief description of how to measure for a sofa slipcover.

Custom couch slipcover

When purchasing a custom couch slipcover, go to our website and choose your preferred fabric. Click “Price or Order,” and it will redirect you to an interactive page that will help you find your perfect fit. First, let us know if you have T-shaped or square seat cushions on your couch. Next, tell us what the back of your couch looks like—there are photo examples to make this process easy. After this, you’ll need to select your couch’s arm style. Then, our convenient tool will start to walk you through the measurement process with graphics to help you visualize the measurements needed. Measure all parts in inches—do not round or change actual dimensions. Here is the order to measure in:

1. Seat length
2. Cushion height
3. Base length
4. Arm to arm
5. Base depth
6. Arm depth
7. Base height
8. Desired skirt height (if any)
9. Back overlay
10. Arm width at the top
11. Arm width at the bottom
12. Arm height
13. Seat depth
14. Back height
15. Measure of sofa
16. Measure the top to the lowest point of furniture back
17. Backing width at the bottom
18. Backing height
19. Backing width at the top
20. Backing height in front
21. Width of the back of the sofa
22. Floor to top
23. Floor to top of the back of the arm
24. Floor to top of the front of the arm
25. Length of the front of the couch at arm level

While this is a lot of measuring, it is well worth it when your brand new, custom made, perfectly fitting slipcover arrives just a week after ordering. After you complete the measuring process, decide if you want pleats, options for a sleeper, and separate seat cushion covers. Further, let us know if your back cushions are detachable or not. Then upload photos of your couch, and we can handle the rest. We provide many other custom products to match your exact needs. From sofa slipcovers to custom pet bed covers, we have what you need to create a cohesive and attractive environment in your home.

Velvet furniture is a bold and fun choice to add color, class, texture, and style to your home. Adding velvet to your home is a great way to upgrade your aesthetic and customize your living space without major modifications. Velvet is notoriously delicate and requires regular care and maintenance. Here is an easy guide on how to care for velvet furniture—and what to do about spills and stains, should they happen.

Regular care

Velvet is prone to marking and matting, so it’s important to regularly care for your furniture to preserve its life and look. You should clean your velvet furniture on—at least—a weekly basis. Once a week, vacuum your furniture with the upholstery attachment on your vacuum. Take care to be gentle when doing this, as velvet can mark easily and vacuuming too roughly can cause damage to the delicate fabric’s weave. After vacuuming your fabric, remove any covers or cushions to shake them out. Once both tasks are completed, gently brush your velvet furniture with a soft-bristled brush or a fabric brush to prevent matting issues.

Spill and stain maintenance

Spills and stains happen to all furniture, and a small spill doesn’t have to be devastating. All fabrics need different care to properly prevent or get rid of stains, and velvet is no exception. With velvet, being gentle is key to maintaining the fabric’s integrity and preventing any irreversible damage. For larger spills and deeply set-in stains, consider a professional velvet cleaning service. For smaller stains or less severe ones, you can handle it yourself with a few easy steps.

Spills

Try to address the spill as soon as possible after it happens. Take a dry cloth and very gently dab the spill location—take as much of the substance out of the furniture as possible to prevent it from setting into the cushion. Be careful not to rub or apply too much pressure, as these actions can severely damage the fabric. If this isn’t effective, try the method to remove stains.

Stains

Just like with spills, don’t rub the stain. Begin by choosing a cleaning substance. Many people choose to stick with a simple soap and water solution, while others opt for upholstery cleaners. Whichever cleaning method you prefer, make sure to test it on a small piece of your furniture that isn’t easily seen. This is to check how the solution will affect your fabric. Once you know how the solution affects your fabric and are pleased with the results, apply the cleaning solution to your stain by gently dabbing it. Once the stain is lifted from the fabric, dry the area with a hairdryer—but make sure to hold the dryer at a safe distance. Once the velvet is dry, brush over the spot with a gentle bristled or fabric brush to prevent matting and encourage the spot to match the rest of the furniture. If you’re thinking about getting velvet furniture but aren’t sold on the idea yet, consider getting a velvet wedge pillow cover to test how you like the look and feel in your own home. Plus, if you decide you do want to invest in velvet furniture, your wedge pillow will help tie your home together!

If you live in an area that experiences all four seasons, you know the struggle of trying to keep your outdoor furniture safe and intact during the constant weather shifts and precipitation variation. Check out this brief guide on how to protect outdoor furniture during all seasons.

Fall

In the fall, the main threats your outdoor furniture faces are rain, leaves, and dirt. To help your outdoor furniture survive the fall, check out these tips and tricks.

Rain

If your outdoor items have cushions, make sure to put them away when you’re done using them. This could mean bringing them inside before each rainfall or putting them in an outdoor storage space such as a garden bench or deck box.

Leaves and dirt

In the fall, leaves are bound to find their way onto your furniture—and they bring dirt with them. A great way to protect your furniture from the elements and dirt is to use slipcovers for outdoor furniture. These are easy to clean, and they come in fun colors.

Winter

The winter is a difficult time for people with elaborate outdoor spaces and a lot of outdoor furniture to take care of. Between the snow, cold, and ice, your furniture may suffer if you don’t properly care for it.

Snow

Snow is just as damaging as rain—especially as it begins to melt and turns to slush, which helps dirt seep deep into your cushions. Treat snow like you treat rain: simply take your cushioned furniture out of the elements.

Ice

Most types of outdoor furniture should be able to stand up to the ice. However, you’ll have to store cushions and fabric furniture inside and away from water, if possible. If you don’t have the storage space, then consider getting furniture covers or even a deck box to help protect fabrics from hail and ice.

Cold

Cold conditions are generally safe for most patio furniture. Just make sure to properly secure or store lightweight items in case of cold, harsh winds that could potentially damage your frames.

Spring

Springtime means it’s finally warm enough to use your outdoor furniture—but it still needs protection from rain and dirt buildup.

Rain

Just as in the fall, keep an eye on the forecast, and move your cushions off your furniture to avoid soaking them.

Cleaning

Participate in spring cleaning. Wash the frames of your outdoor furniture pieces, and clean the cushions and fabric. This can prevent rust, dirt, and other issues from piling up and leading to your furniture’s early demise.

Summer

Summer is the time your outdoor furniture will get the most use, so protect it properly.

Heat

Heat won’t damage most of your furniture, but some materials could burn you if they get too hot. Keep furniture out of the sun if it’s made from a material that heats easily, such as metal.

Sun damage

With the extra sun exposure in the summer, furniture covers and slipcovers for outdoor furniture are perfect for preventing the sun from fading your furniture.

Futons are great additions to any home. Their multifunctionality makes them ideal for small spaces with occasional overnight guests—they can act as couches by day and beds by night. A high-quality futon can get expensive, but protecting it with a slipcover helps extend its life. Here we provide a few tips for how to install a futon cover properly.

Choosing a cover

A futon cover simply encases your futon in fabric and protects it from outside elements. A skirted futon cover protects your entire futon, extending to just above the floor. It covers the front and back of the frame and gives your futon an upholstered look. These types look natural and, when fitted properly, seamlessly fit in with your futon’s design. The first step in properly installing a futon cover is making sure you have the right size, type, and shape of cover for your specific futon. Be sure to properly size your futon prior to purchasing a cover for it. Next, you need to decide on a material that best suits your needs. Patterns and bright colors are perfect for children and teens, while leather may fit a more formal home. Once you’ve decided on a fabric and color, it’s time to order a cover and then install it.

Installation

To properly install a futon cover, skirted or not, remember to always start from the back. On your slipcover, you’ll see a label that reads “center back.” Use this as a guide and drape the cover over your futon with the label as close to the center of the back as possible. Once you’ve draped the cover over the futon, use the seams on the cover as guidelines. Lay these on the actual futon’s seams to keep the look consistent. Make sure all the sides of the slipcover hit at the same length—this is especially important for skirted futon covers. Lastly, smooth the excess fabric into the creases. A helpful tip is to use a kitchen utensil such as a spatula or a spoon to deeply tuck in the excess fabric. For all your slipcover needs, whether you need a simple zippered futon cover or an L-shaped couch slipcover, contact us today.

Many people strive for a cohesive décor style, but they often overlook color schemes and the way they can affect a home. Making sure your furniture complements your wall color isn’t as involved of a process as you may think—in fact, you can use slipcovers to easily update your furniture color without the hassle of painting the walls or purchasing new furniture.

Room-feel

Keep in mind the psychology of color when you’re deciding what colors to paint your walls or what color slipcovers to purchase. Warm tones have an energizing effect suitable for a kitchen or living room, while cool tones incite calm feelings. A bedroom or bathroom may benefit from cool colors; neutrals are best for formal areas and hallways. Decide what you want from each room. It might be a place you want to come to relax after a long day or a place to host parties and gather with friends and loved ones. Don’t worry about keeping everything neutral if you like bold colors. It’s your home—decorate it in a way that makes you feel happy.

Home style

Consider the style of your home before deciding on your color scheme and matching complementary elements. If the interior décor of your home is modern, going bolder with your color choices can help preserve that contemporary feeling. On the other hand, if your home has a more traditional style, going too bold might feel out of place. In this case, stick to neutrals throughout your home with subtle pops of color in items such as rugs, decorations, throws, and pillows.

Color scheme

If your walls are already painted in a color you love, or if you’re set on a specific wall color, check out this guide on what furniture and décor colors to pair with your walls. A side note on monochromatic rooms: while they seem universally appealing and rather simple, they’re actually quite tricky to pull off. You may want to leave this style to a professional interior designer; consider consulting one if you’re set on a monochromatic home.

Blue walls

Keeping in mind the shade of blue and its undertones, consider furnishing your blue room with gold, white, mustard, or green furniture. Remember, you can use multiple colors in a single room—just beware of overpowering the room. Decide on a central theme: for example, if your room is painted royal blue with a mustard statement couch and white chairs, add more pops of royal blue with throw pillows and table décor.

Green walls

The shade of green will determine which complementary color you should choose for your furnishings, but even with a bold green wall, don’t be afraid to use a statement piece or brightly colored furniture. With green walls, try to accent with gray, red, brown, or pink furniture. Green and pink is a fun combination for a lively bedroom; try supplementing green walls with a patterned pink bedspread and a gray chair.

Orange walls

A bold orange wall makes any room feel exciting and bubbly. Keep that feeling going with furniture to match. White, off-white, teal, turquoise, or brown will highlight your walls and establish a complete color scheme. Be sure to arrange your furniture in a useful and aesthetically pleasing way. An easy trap to fall into is putting all the furniture up against walls. Move your furniture around to make your room feel brand-new (with a brand-new color scheme!).

Gray walls

Gray rooms have endless possibilities. You can pair almost any color furniture with gray walls, so this leaves lots of room for updates and changes. Gray living rooms are fun because you can go bold with a bright and vibrant couch. If you have a large living room with space for a sectional couch, consider brightly colored three-piece sectional couch covers that you can change out with the seasons. However, it’s crucial to address the undertones in gray shades. If your gray walls have green undertones, gray accent pieces with purple undertones will clash.

Pink walls

Pale pink is a subtle nod to a lively and fun home, while a hot pink suggests a daring and exciting room. Depending on the shade of pink, you can really get experimental with the room. Furnish your lighter pink rooms with lime green, gold, bright red, royal blue, or off-white pieces of furniture. Pale green, mustard, muted red, baby or navy blue, or white furniture may better suit a brighter, bolder pink room.

Red walls

Red walls can be intimidating or exciting, depending on the furniture choice. The color scheme can make or break a red room. Go with sage or pale pink furniture for a homey, welcoming interior. White or beige furnishings are great for a red-walled bedroom, as these complementary colors have an elegant and regal effect. You can also use brown, silver, or gold as an accent color to really keep a bold, old-style feel in your room.

Yellow walls

Yellow walls are welcoming and homey. Light, muted shades of yellow provide a hint of warmth, while a bold or mustard yellow gives upbeat vibes. Yellow pairs best with grays, blues, tans, and whites. If a bedroom has yellow walls, try a fun, patterned bedspread that’s mainly gray, and consider yellow sheets or pillow shams and a teal chair to pull everything together for a fun feel.

Neutral walls

If your walls are painted white, beige, or another neutral color, consider your home layout and style overall—and then dare to go bold. All colors look good with neutrals, so tone is the key to choosing the right one. Dark browns, reds, and hunter green will give you a woodsier and more rustic feel. For an elegant and classic look, black or muted tones can keep your rooms tone intact. As we mentioned above, if you don’t want to repaint or get new furniture, investing in slipcovers from Slipcover Shop can solve your color woes. No matter what colors you use for your walls, furniture, or décor, as long as you feel at home in your house, you’ve successfully created a cohesive and welcoming home.

Undecorated dorm rooms can feel like unwelcoming and impermanent structures. Turning your dorm room into a home, however, is easier than it may seem. With a few simple decorations and accessories, you can make it feel like home.

Make it cozy

Invest in some comfy additions to make your dorm room welcoming and homey. Most dorm rooms either have drab carpet or uninviting tile. Mask this with a fluffy rug. If possible, loft your bed and add a couch or some cozy chairs underneath for a cute reading nook-feel. Get a few cute throw pillows for your bed, a couch or futon, and a matching throw blanket for a cohesive color scheme. Bonus Tip: When choosing a color scheme for your dorm, opt for cool colors in light tones. These will make your space feel bigger and more relaxing—and come finals week, you’ll be thankful you made your room cool, calming colors.

Make it useful

College requires a lot of reading, studying, and time on your laptop. Make enough space in your room for school work. Make sure to decorate your desk—but most importantly, have pens, paper, and a laptop charger in reach. Sometimes, writing a lengthy term paper at your desk can get distracting, and a change of scenery can re-inspire your creativity. A wedge can turn any surface into a chic study spot. Push it up against the wall and utilize that fluffy rug for writing, or lay the wedge in your bed for a cozy and warm night of homework. Bonus Tip: College can get messy—make sure to invest in wedge bolster covers to protect your versatile wedge from spills, dirt, and more. These are also fun because you can switch out colors each season for a festive feel!

Make it yours

Fill your dorm room with things that make you happy. Take any décor from your bedroom that makes you feel at home. You can also head out to a thrift shop for cheap items that speak to you. No home is complete without photos, so hang pictures of your family and friends around your dorm. Bonus Tip: If you put things you like in your dorm room, it will feel like home. Fill it with things that make you feel welcome and cozy.

An apartment won’t fully feel like home until you’ve outfitted it with the proper décor. We’re likely to amass a collection of furniture and personal belongings over time, but one generally has to work from the ground up. It’s best to evaluate what to start with, and there are some necessary staples. Here we list some furniture your apartment can’t go without.

A Bed

While this should go without saying, we can’t make this list without including a bed. While needing a bed is obvious, which one you choose is incredibly important. This is the piece of furniture you’ll want to take your time finding, as a subpar bed isn’t going to do your sleep pattern any favors. If you must cut corners, consider getting a twin or full-size bed instead of a considerably larger one.

A Desk

While this may seem optional, we think it’s important to have a designated workspace in your home. Working from a couch or your bed can cause you to become easily distracted—and it may even make you want to take a nap. You can generally buy a small desk at a good deal, and you’ll find that it’s helpful for completing many projects.

Drawers

Be it a dresser or coffee table with storage beneath it, drawers can store not just clothes but any other items you may accumulate. It’s easy to find yourself among unintentional clutter. You’ll do yourself a favor by creating a storage plan ahead of time.

A Bookshelf

Next to drawers, a bookshelf is another useful storage option. It’s tempting to have boxes full of books sitting in your closet for the first few months after moving, so you’ll want to take care of these before they collect too much dust.

A Dinner Table

If your apartment is small, you don’t have to invest in a large table. A bar table is often a smart, space-efficient option. You can also make do with TV tables for a while until you have your décor completely mapped out.

A Couch

An ideal area for unwinding, a couch is a must-have in any apartment. Many people advise using your bed for only sleeping, but you’ll want to have another area that’s also comfortable. Additionally, this is essential for movie nights with your best friends. Though you may slowly work your way up regarding furnishing your home, you can still show your personality from the very beginning. One way you can do this is by using slipcovers that match your taste. Invest in affordable and aesthetically pleasing options, such as daybed wedge pillow covers. We have an endless assortment of slipcovers in our catalog, and they’re sure to give your apartment the personality it needs.

A slipcover is a handy way to put a new spin on old furniture; however, you may experience a few difficulties during application. It’s common for these covers to refuse to stay in place. While this can be incredibly annoying, there are a few ways you can navigate this issue. If you’ve been having a hard time keeping your slipcover secured, follow some of our easy tips.

Make Sure You’ve Bought the Correct Fit

The most important thing that you can do is make sure you’re initially purchasing the correct fit. A slipcover that’s too big is going to cause a lot of issues in the long run. If the current cover you have is notably large, you may consider investing in one that better suits the size of your furniture. You can ensure more accurate measurements by purchasing the covers for the cushion pieces separately.

Properly Tie the Strings

If your slipcover fastens via strings, make sure that you’re tying them correctly. You’ll want to ensure that they’re fastened tightly to the bottom edge. If the strings are long enough, and your furniture allows it, you can also double wrap them.

Tuck in Extra Fabric

Make sure you completely tuck in any extra fabric beneath the cushions using the proper tension. You may have to lift the cushions, as a weak tuck isn’t going to stay in place for very long if you’re constantly standing up and sitting down.

Use Velcro

You can consider applying Velcro to the outside of the slipcover and the inside of the couch. Methodically adhere the Velcro to the slipcover to ensure the placement will hold. If you put it on the very end of the fabric, you’ll still have some excess that can slip out. If you’re covering a leather couch, consider attaching rug grip to the inside of your cover.

Reapply the Cover

If you find yourself consistently adjusting your cover, you may want to bite the bullet and remove the cover and start from the beginning. When you take it off, wash the cover to remove any wrinkles. Then, start from the beginning and pay close attention to how you’re fitting it. If you follow our advice, we’re confident that you’ll have a beautiful—as well as comfortable—piece of furniture. If all else fails, look to Slipcover Shop We’re a reliable company with competitive prices who can provide you with a custom replacement slipcover.

Whether you buy it new or used, furniture is still an investment. Ideally, you want to get the most out of whatever you buy. This isn’t just friendly to your wallet, but to the environment as well. That being said, everyone has a different living situation. If you have children or pets, you can expect regular wear and tear. Fortunately, no matter your circumstances, you can take certain steps to guard your furniture against deterioration and to expand its lifespan. Here we share a few tips on how you can achieve this.

Invest in Slipcovers

You can easily protect your couches and chairs by installing slipcovers. If you buy one of quality, it will keep your furniture in good shape for years to come. These covers are generally easy to clean, and some are even stain-resistant. When you take the time to explore your options, you can find anything from the perfect futon cover to mattress coverings.

Finish Wood Furniture

If you have any wood furniture pieces, we highly recommend applying a finish to them. This will protect them from environmental effects such as stains, scratches, and sun damage. It’s also advisable to reapply your finish every few years in order to keep the furniture in the best shape possible.

Use Coasters

Our parents always stressed the importance of using coasters for a good reason. It only takes a few minutes of a cup sitting on a wood table for that unattractive ring to form. If enough of these rings populate, your table will become an unwelcome eyesore. Invest in a set of coasters and keep them on your table so that guests know to use them.

Add Stuffing to Couches

Over time, the cushions on your couch will inevitably begin to deflate. This isn’t just an eyesore—it’s also far from comfortable. At this point, you may be tempted to drag your couch out to the curb, but you can be kinder to your budget by instead trying to rehabilitate the couch. All you’ll need to do is unzip the cushions and add in some additional stuffing.

Keep Furniture Clean

Make sure you keep all your furniture clean in order to prevent the elements from eating away at it. Keep an eye on the ingredients in your cleaners to ensure they aren’t too harsh. Depending on the materials your furniture is made out of, you may need to collect different cleaners—in this case, one size does not fit all. If you need a handy cleaning method for your couch, consider steaming it once in a while.

Tighten Screws

A loose screw can result in damaged furniture. Say your desk has a wobbly leg—apply too much pressure, and the entire structure can collapse. The impact can cause splintering, and the item may be rendered unusable. Regularly check for and tighten any loose screws to maintain your furniture’s stability.

Slipcovers provide an attractive and versatile option to protect your furniture and update its look. As with anything else, you will have to wash them from time to time. A benefit to slipcovers is that they’re far easier to clean than furniture with cloth you can’t remove. Maintaining your slipcover’s cleanliness will help them last longer, and we created a short list of ways you can do this.

When You Should Clean Them

As a basic rule, we recommend you wash your slipcovers at least four times a year. This may vary, of course, according to your lifestyle and where you keep your furniture. Patio furniture slipcovers, for example, may need more frequent maintenance.

Look at the Tag

While you can apply our tips to any type of slipcover, different fabric types may have additional instructions. Make sure you know the manufacturer’s instructions before you throw the piece into the wash.

Wash it All at Once

It’s handy to have slipcovers that come in more than once piece, as using separates such as zippered cushion covers can provide a better fit. If this is the case, do not wash only one piece at a time. If you do, the pieces may begin to fade unevenly. With this in mind, divide the wash into two different loads if you think you’ll overload your machine.

Pre-Soak Your Covers

You may be tempted to use bleach for tricky stains, but we recommend you try other methods first. Dab some mild soap on the stains, and do a pre-soak before the actual wash. If the stains stick around after this, we recommend you pay attention to how much bleach you use, as it can be too abrasive on these pieces.

Don’t Use Heat

We suggest using the no-heat setting if you choose to put your covers in the dryer. Heat can cause too many wrinkles and could potentially shrink your covers. You will also want to place the cover back onto the furniture while it’s still damp. This will help keep the pieces free of any wrinkles and make sure it fits back on your furniture when it dries.