Couch Facelift

Our den is family-central….mostly because the furniture is comfortable, and the big TV lives in there. One of the reasons the couch is so comfy is because it’s so old. It’s been worn down to softness, and the pillows have been beaten into the perfect form-to-you shape. And even though we prefer to keep food in the kitchen, we’ve all gotten lazy about eating and drinking while lounging on the couch because everyone knows they won’t get in trouble for spilling.

This couch was one of the first big purchases Mr. Sugarplum and I made, and we’ve been together for almost 16 years…so I’m just sayin’.

It needs to go, but buying a new one isn’t on the list of priorities right now.

I didn’t say it looked good either! But it was ‘stylish’ when we bought it….or at least, we thought it was. I painted my den a deep terracotta color to give it a cozy vibe, so I’ve been able to hide this dark couch in this dark room for awhile. But it was time for some light….and cheap.

I went with this slipcover from Target:

It’s a nice thick twill, and comes in two pieces so you can custom fit the seat cushions separate from the base. Here’s the old beast after a little nip-and-tuck:

(I swear I ironed it! We never have the overhead lights on, so I didn’t notice the wrinkles until I took these pics!) The arms of my couch are oversized, so it’s not a great fit, but certainly gives it the facelift it needed. I’m hoping the twill will relax and mold to the shape a bit in time. There are two panels along the bottom that allow you to adjust and customize to your sofa’s shape.

The back is certainly not pretty (there’s quite a bit of rigging involved), so I wouldn’t recommend it unless it backs against a wall. But the little front pleat is cute and gives it a more upscale look.

The pillow covers are from Ikea, and expertly karate-chopped by my boy (I went with a fresh, youthful print to help brighten and liven up the room). You probably noticed the little peek of zebra in the ‘after’ pics….that’s from the rest of the room makeover that the slipcover inspired. I’ll show you more soon.

Warning: I washed and dried this slipcover first (mmmmm, smells like detergent!). It comes out a wrinkled mess. You will sweat, curse, tug and pull more than humanly possible to iron it and get it on your sofa!! I think it counts as your workout for the day.