Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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Adding Some Linen Slipcovers

Remember back when we got our conference room slash hotel-ish parsons chairs on Craiglist for $25 a pop?

DChairs Vertical

We always envisioned cheerful apple green ones (and even tried a crazy chair-painting project with limited zero success) so in the end we admitted that slipcovers or reupholstering would be the way to go.

And after a long a$$ time spent going back and forth between the merits of slipcovers and reupholstering we decided that slipcovers would ultimately be the best choice for us (since we love the idea of tossing them into the wash). But we didn’t want anything fussy and long for fear of taking the dining room from hotel conference room to hotel banquet hall. So first we did some serious slipcover seeking and found a silhouette that we both liked. We landed on a no longer sold Pottery Barn option because we both appreciated the clean-lined mostly-fitted look and the short skirt for that show-me-some-leg effect

But alas, they weren’t the green tone that we wanted and they weren’t the right measurements to fit our chairs. Oh yeah and they weren’t even sold anymore (and when they were they weren’t in our budget anyway). After a bit more digging we came across some off-white ones from World Market with the same basic silhouette and they were a lot closer to our chair’s measurements. Although they didn’t come in a happy apple green color (and instead were off-white) I’m no stranger to dyeing things (like my wedding dress), so I thought it might be fun to give green dye a shot.

But of course being the cheap-o that I am, I hemmed and hawed and didn’t even show them to John at their original $60 for two price tag. I know, I know- $30 per slipcover isn’t a bad price but for some reason I was just too scared to pull the trigger. So that tab remained open on my computer for a while without me taking any action- not even just the show-your-husband-and-see-what-he-thinks kind. Then I got an email from World Market saying that a lot of their dining stuff was on sale. Dining stuff? Does that include slipcovers? Off to that always-open slipcover tab I flew, and hit refresh. Bam, $20 off!

Slipcovers World Market

Instead of $60 for two they were marked down to $40 for two (just $20 a pop). Heck, I doubt I could have bought fabric and thread to DIY my own slipcovers for that price (especially if you factor in a laaaaarge margin of error and hours spent screaming into a pillow). And my nightmare was ending up with eight slipcovers that were wonky and abnormal (since repeating the same steps eight times would surely yield some being looser or longer or weirder than others).

Yup, $23 slipcovers definitely sounded like the perfect complement to my $25 chairs. So I did that little tap-your-man-on-the-shoulder-and-tell-him-you-found-something thing and then waited to gauge John’s interest. And he proved that I know him well, but not that well. His response? “We should get ten instead of eight. That way if we have any dyeing issues we have extras on hand and if we don’t need them we can return the extras to the store to avoid shipping fees (World Market is nice like that).”

I’m used to him saying “we don’t need that.” So I can’t argue with a man who wants to buy more of something. Especially such a practical man with such good points about dyeing and returning the extras if we didn’t need ’em. Alrighty then. Ten it was. The total for all 10 slipcovers including shipping and sales tax came out to $232, which made each slipcover just $23 a pop (with a possibility of recouping $40 if we didn’t have any dyeing issues and returned the extra two to the store – for a total of $192 spent).

So we ordered them and waited what felt like forever for them to show up (in reality it was probably around 2 weeks) and then I excitedly unwrapped one to slip it onto our chairs to judge how good the fit actually was…

Slipcovers Loose

Talk about a womp-womp moment.

I realized I could probably attempt to tailor them myself to get a better fit, but that’s still waaaaay outside of my beyond-beginner skill set (I know someone will tell me it’s easy and I can do it but I’m all about working up to stuff like that and messing around with idiot proof projects like pillows and runners while I build up my confidence). So instead I decided to take the easy way out and wash one in hot water to see how much it would shrink up. Just as an experiment. Into the wash it went and I waited for the beep to signify that it was time to toss it into the dryer about a half hour later.

Painting Slipcovers Wash

As I went to put it into the dryer I decided to check the tag to make sure it was ok to put it on high heat (for maximum shrinkage). That’s when I saw that the tag said “dry clean only.” Whaaaaaat?????? Who the heck sells slipcovers that have to be dry cleaned? Isn’t the whole point of slipcovers to be easy to just toss into the laundry pile?

Perhaps in an act of defiance (or sheer lunacy) I decided to high heat dry it. I had already washed it in hot water so I just went for it. I was hoping it would come out fitting really well and then I’d know that I could continue to machine wash them at home (because dry cleaning slipcovers isn’t an option for someone like me – I mean I can machine wash my sectional’s slipcovers, so why would my dining chairs be allowed to be high maintenance?).

When it came out of the dryer it was all warm and delicious and it didn’t look like the cover for a dollhouse chair or anything so I was semi-enthused. I ran over to one of my chairs and slipped it on. Holy bananas, it was almost a perfect fit. Still a tiny bit loose on the sides, but perfectly fitted nearly everywhere else and the slight imperfection of the semi-loose sides didn’t bother me (we’re down with the casual lived-in look, and actually worried that the dining room would feel too formal, so it was a pretty great place to end up).

This story will probably perpetuate the we’re-perfect-and-nothing-ever-goes-wrong-here-in-YHL-world stereotype (we’re so not – more on that here) but it was one of those “ahhhhhhh” sound effect moments where angels sang and the clouds parted and a beam of heavenly light shined down on the amazing little slipcovered chair. I have no idea why it worked, but I guess it was just one of those crazy risks that paid off. Whatever, I’ll take it. And just because I love a little side by side comparison, here’s a slipcover before I washed it (in hot water and high heat dried it) next to a newly washed and dried version of the same one:

Slipcovers Side By Side

And the great news is that the covers are super thick- so none of that crazy pattern beneath them shows through – even on the chairs in front of the window with the light shining down on them. Whew.

So although I definitely still have plans to dye them apple green down the road, it’s immediately nicer not to have all that crazy hotel pattern going on in there. Although with the white walls it’s all a little… white.

Slipcovers En Masse

We’re actually thinking that we want to paint the walls before we dye the chairs, just to be 100% sure that once the walls get a soft gray coat of color that we won’t want to keep the off-white covers for some reason. We don’t expect that we will (since they look dingy in comparison to the crisp white trim and built-ins thanks to their off-white coloring), but you know, just in case. If there’s anything that this post demonstrates, it’s that I can take my time when it comes to pulling the trigger (and then I can snap and defy the washing instructions of said item with a devil-may-care attitude while furiously biting my nails the whole time). Lookout world, I’m a wild child.

Pssst- Oh em gee. Who watched Jersey Housewives last night? What do we think about the new girl (Melissa I think) vs. Teresa? Either way, Momma Manzo is always my favorite (I love to watch her & her boys hang out in that kitchen, throwing cold cuts and talking jibberish).

Comments

    • tarynkay says

      A huge advantage of leaving them white would be being able to bleach them post inevitable kid accidents. All of the hardcore moms I know swear by white slip-covers for that reason.

    • Amanda says

      I agree with the white slipcovers. They’ll look great with the walls & that blue background bookshelf!

      But I have to ask … what constitutes a mum to be hardcore? ;)

    • Ashley @ DesignBuildLove.co says

      I, too, am LOVING the off-white slip covers! Can’t believe they shrunk up that much to fit so nicely (albeit not perfect, but very nicely)! Can’t wait to see the room painted before you dye the chairs. I’m sure they’ll look great either way, but would love to see the off-white v. green apple version, side-by-side (kind of like they’re dueling!!!). :)

    • Kate says

      I too love LOVE the off-white. I am swooning in anticipation of the gray wall/white chair combo!

  3. Stephanie says

    Looks awesome!! Glad that worked out. I would have been shipping them back not really thinking to try to shrink them, so good thinking. I’ve never been able to shrink anything I’ve purposefully tried to shrink.

    Reply

  4. Allyson says

    Woah, they look so much better already! I can’t wait to see the final product. Will you do a step-by-step process when you do eventually dye the slipcovers?

    Reply

  5. heather says

    Ahhhgg!!! I LOVE them! They fit perfect. Ok, first off – out of nowhere they get 20 bucks off right when you’re looking at them – and then second they shrink to near perfection. My mother would call that a fabric God blessing. Seriously – super stoked for you guys.

    Reply

  6. Amanda @ Our Humble A{Bowe}d says

    That’s amazing that the covers shrunk that much. And yes, dry clean slip covers? What’s with that? Would it be possible to add a little velcro to the under side of the chairs and covers to get a nice, tight fit? Looking better already, but a tailored look is great. Just a thought.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I think from now on if I don’t wash it on high heat (and high heat dry it) and just do cold wash and tumble dry low it should be great. Here’s hoping (of course I’ll report back)…

      xo,
      s

    • Lisa says

      I agree, I’d wash them in cold water the next time to be careful and if they need re-shrinking then use hot. But, are you concerned that the process of dying them might cause more shrinking or otherwise make the “dry clean only” fabric wonky?

      What is the fabric that they are “dry clean only” anyway? It’s not like it’s cashmere or silk or something, right? Insanity.

    • YoungHouseLove says

      It’s cotton and linen, so I think each one did all the shrinking it’ll do on those high heat settings (so I’m not worried about more shrinkage if I wash them in cold and tumble dry low them). Hopefully dying them won’t ruin them either- but I’m going to do them one at a time to be sure (since I have two extras I feel pretty brave- haha). I’ll keep you guys posted if it all implodes though!

      xo,
      s

    • Ruth says

      Yeah, I think it should be fine.

      The reason some linen is specified as dry clean only is because linen is crisper and fancier if it’s never been washed (while softer and more casual if it has been washed). Stuff that is sold as dry clean only has never been washed and stuff that is washable has been prewashed and preshrunk.

      Future washings might tighten them up a bit more, but not a lot so long as it’s just cold wash.

    • Lauren says

      In my experience, YES! I’ve done it with silk, cotton, linen. Once it shrinks, it is shrunk.

  8. kelsey says

    that is so great! i am so glad that the washing machine fixed them. i love those chairs and the table and EVERYTHING! And the wash-a-bility (is that a word?) of them will be so wonderful.

    Reply

  9. Elizabeth says

    Well look at that!! Bravo wild child! And speaking of Bravo, housewives was out of control last night! I almost feel gross (almost) for watching Theresa’s family self destruct right before our eyes…

    Reply

  10. Little Brick Ranch says

    Yes – I totally disagree with dry clean only tags! We bought a Karlstad couch at Ikea and it came with that Isundra grey cover that it DCO – I washed that bad boy pronto (though only in cold so it wouldn’t shrink) and voila – good as new! :)

    If you paint the walls the white won’t be so bad but you know those slip covers will show every little thing. I wish I could do white but my dog is black and the 2 just don’t mix. Can’t wait to see them dyed…if you do dye them, that is!

    Reply

    • Gaidig says

      As a spinner (as in, person who creates yarn from fiber), I agree with you — most fabrics aren’t dry clean only. Even silk and cashmere can be washed by hand — and it’s actually gentler on the fibers, as long as you use a gentle soap like Soak, or even shampoo. There are several reasons why manufacturers put “dry clean only” labels on things: 1) it’s cheaper for them to use the simple label for all their stuff, rather than lots of specific information about the special requirements of the fabric; 2) some synthetic interfacings and stabilizers will go limp once they are washed — look out for these on tailored jackets, etc.; 3) the fabric is prone to shrinkage or felting 4) many people will look at a “hand wash” label and throw it in the washing machine on the gentle cycle, perhaps in a lingerie bag. If the fabric is delicate like silk or cashmere, or if it is prone to shrinkage or felting, then it really does make a difference to hand wash it. The “dry clean only” label probably prevents a lot of returns headaches for them.

  11. Bobi says

    Great deal! I love the nice calming white, but I am sure whatever you decide to do will end up looking great:) I think it is definitely a good idea to paint first though, good thinkin!

    Reply

  12. ka says

    They sure brought the crazy last night! Those outfits for the christening?!? If I ever wore something like that into a church, I’d be afraid to be struck by lightning as soon as I walked in! OMG.

    Reply

  16. Robin @ our semi organic life says

    I love World Market – although have gotten director chair replacement fabric that was the wrong size accidentially – boo. These look awesome! I agree I’d be soo hesistant about dying them – for now they look great!

    Reply

  17. Andrea says

    Talk about success! They look fantastic AND they probably won’t shrink anymore when you wash them again. Well done!

    I was never a “Jersey” girl (preferring the “New York” group) but I got sucked in during yesterday’s marathon. Out of all of the bad behavior, fist fights, and table pounding, my jaw only dropped when Melissa said her house was 15,000 square feet. I mean really? Who needs that much space?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      John and I paused the TV. Turned and stared at each other with our mouths open for a minute. Then closed our mouths and resumed the show. Insane!

      xo,
      s

  18. Jennie M says

    Have you sat in the chairs with the shrunken slipcovers? Do they ride up & show the original material?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yup, I did the seated test and they work great! The slipcovers fall about 3″ below the bottom of the upholstery so even with me standing on them (don’t ask) there’s not a trace of the other patterned fabric. Thank goodness!

      xo,
      s

  19. Allison says

    I can’t wait to see the room painted, the white slipcovers look like they were meant to be. If the dyeing of the fabric does not work out, you could always just add apple green trim to the hem/bottom to bring in some color :)

    Reply

  21. Kim S says

    Woohoo what luck! The “after” looks just like it was made for your Craigslist chairs! Love it. :o)

    Reply

  22. Erin says

    You’re right. You’re perfect and nothing ever goes wrong for you. Damn you!

    OK, I know that’s not true and I’m happy for you that it worked, but let’s just say that kind of stuff never happens to me.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I think it was a case of just having one that I could experiment with. I never would have tossed all ten into the wash (risking all that money!!!) but one $20 slipcover seemed worth experimenting with. So have faith that sometimes “gambling” with a $20 something can work (but even I’m not crazy enough to gamble with $200 worth of stuff). Haha. I’m waaay too cheap for that.

      xo,
      s

  24. Jane in STL says

    Sherry, If you want the covers to look a tiny bit more fitted just place something under them on the back-fluffy towels? a thin layer of foam? fiber-fill? somthing like that to take up more room and maybe make them a little more cushy.
    I don’t know but it might work.

    Reply

    • RebeccaNYC says

      I actually did this with very similar slip covers. They were just a smidge too big, so I got some quilt batting at Michaels, draped it over the chairs, and TA-DA! perfect fitting slipcovers. The batting has not moved an inch (yet) and we have had about 3-4 dinner parties since then.

  25. Amy L. says

    I love that you do a chair on a chair for Clara. We’ve tried to convince people that they don’t need a giant piece of plastic (high chair) in their kitchen, but it usually falls on deaf ears. Anyway, random, yes, I saw it in the B-day post, but since this was about chairs I figured… Love the slip covers, but I also didn’t mind the hotel pattern in pics. Must be different up close.

    Reply

  26. Amanda Wells says

    LOVE the slipcovers! I never think to check world market for stuff! I always forget how affordable they are.
    I love that you watch RH, because it’s totally my guilty pleasure. I have last night’s recorded, have to prepare myself before I take in the craziness that is jersey housewives.

    P.S. – I know you love cute stationery – I just posted about some of my new faves – http://www.amandadovewells.com/?p=464

    Reply

  27. Clarissa says

    In honor of Jersey Housewives…*mumble mumble* slipcovers *mumble mumble* look good! Glad to hear that your risk led to reward rather than any table flipping!

    Reply

    • Lydia says

      i LOVED that part in the show too! their relationship is awesome.

      i felt so bad for that family. to be on tv like that…i mean joe was obviously wasted! i. could. not. look. away!

  28. Andrea says

    Holy shrinkage! Glad that worked out so well. Who makes ANYTHING dry clean only? I hate that!
    Also, you could EASILY use one of those as a tracing pattern to make your own covers down the road. Just sayin’!!

    Reply

  29. Rebecca @ the lil house that could says

    Ooh I like the slipcovers, even just in white! Maybe paint the walls apple green! I kid, I kid, but white chairs would look great with bold walls :)

    I was slightly nervous this story would have a waited so long to pull the trigger that they were no longer sold ending. I’m really good for that move myself!

    Reply

  31. Stephanie Phillips says

    Cannot believe that worked out! I’d have been scared to even attempt washing them, so my take-away lesson is that big risk can equal big rewards! They look great!

    And RHW-NJ? I’ve never been a fan of Theresa, but her SIL is NOT NICE. Holy heck! I definitely sense that she is the wedge between Theresa and her brother. And what a SCENE at the Christening! Craziness!

    I lurve Mama Manzo. They’re such a cute family.

    Reply

  32. Liz A. says

    Score!!! I love it when things work out that way. Also, I am so happy that you are a Bravo fan, I basically tell people that I am watching whatever Bravo tells me to, but I am happy to see that those RH of Miami dont seem to be coming back any time soon…

    Reply

  33. Willow says

    In our economy especially, it can be rather scary to bite the bullet and go for it, as you did with the hot water and high heat, but what a wonderful turn out! It may not always turn out with the desired results we want, but WOW… thanks for proving that taking a deep breath and forging forward is sometimes a risk worth taking… they look fantastic!!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I think it helped that I could just use one cover as a guinea pig, so in my head I was repeating “I can return the rest and get almost all my money back if this is a bust and it’s worth a try” – so glad I went for it!

      xo,
      s

  34. T.D. says

    Too cool this worked out for you. My advice is not to worry so much about people thinking you guys are perfect, you guys just deal with situations way better than others ;).

    P.S. It’s also nice you kept this one a secret (as I somewhat expected some type of post about the privacy wall or something). You guys are awesome, keep up the amazing hard work. You guys are truly inspirational!

    Reply

    • T.D. says

      I did think of a question though:

      Do the slip covers hide the pattern well in person? The fabric in the pictures seem to say ‘we-hid-the-conference-room-funky-pattern’ very well.

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yup, nothing shows through at all! It’s really thick material on the slipcovers so even the chairs in the window with the sun shining in on them don’t even hint at the pattern underneath. Whew.

      xo,
      s

  35. Kristen says

    You guys never fail to amaze me! I’m so glad they shrunk up well.

    Would you consider keeping the extra two slipcovers just in case one eventually rips or gets a spill on it? I’ve had too many thing I loved that ended up getting discontinued.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      John has mentioned that but I think we’ll have to see. I’m on the fence about if $40 is better to get back or just worth spending on the extra “insurance.”

      xo,
      s

    • Lara says

      Some extra “insurance” might be nice, especially if you are going to use the table for kids crafts. My daughter went through a cutting phase…

    • Lauren says

      I was going to suggest the same thing. It sounds like you’ll be using them a lot, so it may be good for your peace of mind to have at least one “extra”.
      Also, you didn’t ask for fabric dyeing advice, but . . . I’ve found it is really hard (near impossible) to get the same results twice, so maybe dye all of them in one big batch. Or maybe you already thought of that!

    • Kaitlin says

      I was thinking keeping the extra two might be a good idea too. It would stink if something happened to one and you couldn’t replace it, then you’d have to replace all of them instead of just pulling one of the extras out. For some reason when I look at them, I envision some kind of pink glitter glue smeared across the back of one from a craft catastrophe, where it’s impossible to hide it. Not sure why I thought of that first, but all the sweet pictures of Clara make me think pink (or some other color) glitter glue might be in your future. Great find though!

    • Andrea says

      I vote that you keep them. It is a dining area and gravity seems to be particularly strong on things like ketchup, soy sauce, and anything likely to leave a grease stain. If one gets ruined, you can toss it without regret.

      Also, you can swap them out, keeping the chairs covered while you’re washing any dirty ones… Sort of like a slipcover understudy!

  36. Carol N. says

    They look great so far! I have been washing dry-clean only clothing for years and have only had one top that didn’t make it. I don’t like dry cleaning because of the expense and smell it leaves on things so if by some reason I buy something that is ‘dry clean only’ then I wash it anyway.

    Reply

  37. Shannon says

    I love them and good for you that they worked out. You and John take a lot of risks in your home that many of us would never attempt and work really hard on getting those risks to pay off. I’m reading a lot of posts lately where you apologize for being successful. Knock it off already and stick to being amazing!!!!!! (Meant in the best, more supportive way possible!)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We just always want people to feel like they can do it. Because we truly believe that if we can, anyone can. So we try to remind people that we’re not superheros or anything. Just regular people who try things until they (hopefully) work. You know? Hope that makes sense.

      xo,
      s

  38. ronda w says

    I love the off white and the fit is great. Good job once again. (But when you decide to dye, I will be interested to see them for sure!)

    Reply

    • Courtney says

      I seriously woke up at one point last night and thought, “That was so dramatic, I don’t know if I can handle watching this season.”

      I might just set the DVR and only watch on “bored days” to catch up.

  42. juliem says

    Loved reading this…your success brought a smile to my face (really!). I love how you fearlessly forged onward! Can’t wait to see how the whole room turns out.

    Reply

  44. Jeanne says

    Love the slip covers. Definitely a time where shrinking works in one’s favor! :)

    Oh and RHONJ…Melissa is a big witch with a capital “B”! :) Oh and who on Earth gets wasted at their child’s Christening? Out of all the series, I love the NJ girls, this season is going to be good, that is for sure!

    Reply

  45. Lia {sprightly} says

    I love how this turned out – they look great. You could always add some accent pieces that are green if you decide that you want to keep these guys white. Also – I fell asleep before RHONJ but cannot wait to watch it as soon as I get home. NJ is by far the best of the RH series!

    Reply

  46. mary says

    just felt compelled to write and say how great they look off-white! with the dark wood table it has a very natural, beachy feel.

    Reply

  47. April in CT says

    The first thing my eyeball went to on the screenshot of the webpage was “dry clean only” and I thought “oh my word, what is she thinking!” LOL Looks like it’s a good thing you didn’t notice it ahead of time because your happy accident wouldn’t have been!

    Reply

    • heather @ at home with h says

      I noticed that right away, too, April! I was wondering why you would ever buy a slipcover that says Dry Clean Only on the website! ;)

      Glad they worked out. I do like the off-white with the dark table but green may be cool as well.

    • Rebecca @ the lil house that could says

      For the record, I dry clean very few things, mostly formal dresses or jackets. I learned this one from my mother who put anything and everything in the washer… even wool suit pants. They turned out just fine (on gentle cycle and air dryed of course) :)

  48. Lindsey says

    Hotel slip-covered banquet chairs give me the willies….so glad it fit perfectly!!!! They look awesome!

    Reply

  49. Dawn says

    So glad to know that I am not the only one who loves RHONJ. I even have a friend that I text during the shows. Unfortunately she was at a conference last night so I was lost. My husband thought I had gone bonkers.

    Reply

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