How To Give New Life To An Old Couch

Are you thinking about updating your old dark or patterned couch? In this post, I will show you how I update our couch slipcovers on a budget.

I hope you’re staying healthy and well. I can’t wait until this quarantine ends. I miss friends and family. Could I add shopping to that list?! Would that be wrong?

I’m thankful for Amazon Prime delivery whose vans I see daily in our neighborhood. Couch shopping is safe, fun, and requires no mask — so there are still good options!

Hubby’s 15-year-old couch predates me. I inherited it. I’ve been wanting to replace the chocolatey behemoth for a couple of reasons. It’s too big for our living room and it’s dark. The one upside of the dark is it camouflages dirt and, having kids, that’s something.

The couch will one day be replaced. Right now the kids are slobbish — crumbs, smears and spills are regular events. The argument, I believe, is to wait for them to grow up a bit. I just don’t if I can wait that long!

A couch defines a space because it’s the broadest brushstroke on the canvas.

Having a chocolatey couch has limited me to light pillows and throws. I like other things, like buffalo plaid pillows in season, but they just don’t go. I’ve been trying to figure out, apart from getting new furniture, how to make the room feel bigger and brighter.

On Room to Improve Dermot Bannon said, after the kitchen, picking the right couch is top priority. It startled me. What’d he mean? Then it dawned on me that a couch is the biggest piece of furniture in the living room and what you choose is bound to make or break the space.

Imagine walking into a living room and seeing a floral couch. It’s your grandma’s couch. Like bad wallpaper, it’s going to date the entire room. A couch defines a space because it’s the broadest brushstroke on the canvas.

Not fond of your current couch? Let’s give it new life.

I discovered on Pinterest that some people paint their furniture. Can you believe it? That’s a non-option. Paint dries hard, right? I can’t see how it’d hold up well. Dismissed.

FULL DISCLOSURE: THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS.

What I did find was a slipcover with great reviews. There are different kinds of slipcovers but I liked this one because it was a fraction of the cost of custom. It has 4 pieces for a regular-size couch and 3 pieces for the loveseat.

It has one very important feature: machine washability. I did say my kids were slobbish, right? I don’t even want to tell you the kind of crud I find when the cushions come off — nuts, raisins, old goldfish crackers. If you have pets, same problems. Machine washability is a must.

It’s velvety soft and feels good. I’m picky about feel. I don’t want to lie on a couch that’s not comfy. Fabric is key. I can’t stand wool sweaters and coats. Scratchy. Not a nice feel. I’ll take cotton any day.

I love the slipcover. It’s transformed our living room into a brighter living space. The pillows pop against the ivory white. It’s a new couch to my eyes. It’s doubtful we’ll see that teddy bear brown anytime soon. If anything, I may look into other colors. Had light gray been available, it’d have an instabuy!

I’ve dealt with a few spills and, with a damp cloth, it wiped off just fine. It’s been a month and I’ve yet to wash it. Still looks great.

Tip: Measure your furniture before you buy to ensure a good fit.

Thanks, Hubby, for entertaining all my ideas. I’m tickled with our new slip cover. In lieu of a new couch, it’s a terrific compromise. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to breathe life on an old couch.

I hope this post inspired you to give your living room couch a refresh on a budget. If you’ve found other ways to rejuvenate a couch, I’d love to hear from you.

Jennabel

Related Post: How To Pick A Couch (Lessons We Learned From Buying A New Couch)

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