Remember how we envisioned modern and cheerful green leather parsons chairs around a chunky wood table from pretty much the moment we moved in? And how we decided that dyed-green slipcovers were pretty much the same thing when we found chairs for $25 and slipcovers for $23? Well, we were wrong. I dyed two of the chairs green and they were just not “it” (even if we altered the shade of green, we just knew it was the wrong way to go for us as soon as we saw these babies):
Especially considering that there would be seven or eight of them around the table at all times (and we have the bold built-ins going on in the background and dreams of chic patterned curtains, a huge cut out opening to the kitchen, a giant chandelier above the table, etc). It suddenly dawned on me that of all the things in the room that there were going to be there, the chairs were not the things that I wanted everyone to be staring at. In fact, I decided that I wanted the chairs to blend in. To become best supporting actors items to a few other things that we’d love to be the stars (namely the built-ins, the bold patterned curtains, and the showstopping chandelier that we can’t wait to bring in).
But let’s rewind to two of the four colors that we considered before we reached for the dye at all. First we thought long and hard about whether we wanted to dye them in the first place. We mentioned that the off-white tone of the covers looked dingy in contrast to the glossy white trim and built-in shelving, but even so we still wanted to live with them a while before doing anything rash.
So we did. And we definitely didn’t like the clashy off-white tone any better after the weeks ticked by. It was time for action.
Next we considered trying to somehow bleach them white. That way they wouldn’t look dingy and would tie right into the white trim and those white built-in shelves. But the more we thought about one of our major goals (for this house to be kid-proof and not make us into uptight fearful hosts) we realized that even though white slipcovers can be bleached they’d still show dirt more on a daily basis. Even dark denim could leave a blue tint behind on them (which is something that we never thought of, but some light googling brought to our attention). And if something a little darker could hide a bit more dirt (resulting in less frequent washings and kid-related heartburn) we’d take it. Function first. Plus we felt like white covers would stop the eye and call attention to themselves since they’d be so contrast-y next to the table (which wouldn’t fulfill the blend-right-in goal that I’d eventually come to reach anyway).
So it was back to the green chair idea that John and I thought would be just the ticket (and later learned… not so much). I’m actually a dye novice. In fact I’ve only dyed one thing before (besides my hair throughout middle school and high school- yes I once was a blonde). That thing that I’ve dyed? Oh yeah, it was my wedding dress (so I could wear it again, like to other weddings):
I can’t believe I had the guts but it worked out so I guess I have a soft spot for dye. It’s a great, easy, and affordable way to breath new life into something you wouldn’t wear otherwise. I’ve dyed everything including shirts, sweaters, and even jeans! It hasn’t let me down yet.
Anyway, here’s how I dyed those two slipcovers just in case you’re about to take the d-y-e plunge. It was actually really easy thanks to the type that I used this time. A bunch of readers and even a few relatives recommended iDye (we found it at JoAnn). It was under $3 for each pack (and I could use each pack to dye two slipcovers at once). It’s meant for natural fibers like linen and cotton and silk (jackpot: our slipcovers are linen and cotton). When it came to picking the color, there were a ton to choose from (which is soooo much nicer than just one tone of green or blue, which is the case with a few other dye brands). In fact there were at least five different green tones (green, olive, kelly green, emerald, chartreuse, etc) so we narrowed it down to these two:
We liked that chartreuse would be modern and fun, but worried that it might end up looking a little too neon and highlighter-ish. And we liked that kelly green would probably be a bit more green and less yellow, so we ultimately decided it was the way to go for that apple green look that I wanted from day one.
Although there were some simple directions on the pack, I’m waaaaay too neurotic to settle for those. So I went to their site for a lot more instruction (aka: hand holding). The fact that this dye worked with front loading washers was a huuuuge perk for me. And it was simple. Burger could have done it if he could reach the dryer buttons.
First I put two cups of hottest-possible-from-the-tap water into a big bowl. Then I dropped in the dissolving dye envelope from the dye kit. And I stirred it up.
Then I added one cup of salt (since that’s what they recommended on the dye site for cotton & linen fabrics, which is what the slipcovers are).
Then I stirred again. Oh and I used a paint stick.
The next step was to pre-wet two slipcovers before adding anything to our front loader (this shot shows how not-white the slipcovers were – sort of oat-meal-ish in person).
Then came the heart-stopping step. Pouring my bowl of hot water and dye and salt into the bottom of our front loading washer. Is it weird that it made me a little queasy?
Then I tossed the pre-wet slipcovers into the washer and started things up right away. The dye instructions on the site said to wash them in hot water and mentioned that adding an extra rinse cycle would help the color develop more. So I set it on “heavy duty” (which used hot water) and clicked the “extra rinse” button before hitting start.
About an hour later things were looking pretty green! Happily they were super even and there weren’t any streaks or dark spots (which was my worry). They looked like green slipcovers you’d buy in a store. Sidenote: how much fun would a store completely devoted to slipcovers be? I’m picturing roaming aisles of every color and shape imaginable. Like the big wall of flip flops at Old Navy.
Oh but before I could take them out and dry them, I did one last wash with cold water and a bit of mild detergent (as recommended by the dye site) which basically entailed clicking it to “normal” (and making sure it was cold water) and adding a smidge of Seventh Generation detergent. The second wash with cold water locked in the color and rinsed out any excess dye. Then I dried the covers on delicate (low heat) so they didn’t take too much of a beating since they were originally dry clean only and I didn’t want to press my luck (like I did here).
As for the color that they came out vs. the color on the pack, I thought it was a pretty good representation. My vision was flawed, but the kelly green pack really did produce a nice kelly green-ish (or apple green-ish) color.
Sadly it just wasn’t “the one.” Onward!
The fourth (and final!) color that we contemplated was good old fashioned mocha. Or as the dye pack called it: brown. We went back to JoAnn and stared at about twenty options and it just seemed like the best way to go. They’d hold up to stains and fall back nicely to let other items in the room be the stars. And the contrast of a chunky wood table and upholstered chairs is a sweet little casual choice (we worried the room would look too formal with eight wood chairs pulled around a matching wood table). So even though it would be brown covers with a brown table we knew the plush chairs vs. hard carved table would be a nice pairing. And by going with the same tone as the table they’d slip in and have less of a “hiya-we’re-a-whole-bunch-of-chairs-so-look-at-us!” vibe (which would have been an issue with green, off-white, or white in the end).
When it came to the actual dying process, again it was the same dealio. Except I used a brown pack to dye two slipcovers at a time instead of a kelly green one.
In went the dissolving pack into two cups of hot water…
… followed by a cup of salt…
… which was then mixed and tossed into the wash with two pre-wet slipcovers. One hot wash and one cold one later, I had yummy mocha covers to enjoy. Oh and it’s worth noting that many fabrics take to dye better than the most-likely-synthetic stitching (which often remains the color it always was). Luckily, white stitching with the mocha = cool with us.
Once again our covers came out looking completely even and didn’t have any dark or light spots or streaking. And after the warm and cold wash the color was set (the color doesn’t rub off at all or anything, even if you’re wet and you sit on the chairs). Oh but one quick note about cleaning your washer after you’re done dying everything: mine was sparkly clean (after one extra rinse cycle as advised by the iDye folks) except for the rubber ring that’s right next to the door, so I just ran a few paper towels across it until they were no longer slightly tinted brown.
Ta da (don’t mind the wrinkles, I let them sit in the dryer far too long before tossing them on the chairs and quickly snapping these pics this morning):
We love how they tuck right into the room (no more of that look-at-all-the-chairs thing is going on) and how they don’t blend too much thanks to the subtle variation in color and of course the hard vs. soft thing thanks to the carved table and the fabric slipcovers:
Most of all I think we’ll love how much dirt they’ll hide when compared to lighter slipcovers.
What about those two “extra” slipcovers that we dyed green (remember we got ten even though we only have eight chairs thanks to John’s genius suggestion since he worried about dye issues)? Well, we figured we had nothing to lose by trying to overdye them with brown (thinking they’d probably turn out a muddy olive tone, but it was worth a shot).
In a sweeeet turn of dye-related events, the brown totally took over and produced the identical color to the other brown covers (even with the green dye under it). So we have two extra brown covers on hand in case something catastrophic (sharpie, scissors, blood…) happens to any of the eight everyday covers that we have. Oh happy dye day.
In the end, it all came down to some basic math. Bold built-ins + patterned future curtains + a large view into the office + a large future chandelier/pendant + a large future punched out view into the kitchen + bright chairs = too ca-razy. So we’re down with brown. And we’re excited to let things like the built-ins and the future curtains/light fixture steal the show. Speaking of which, check out the designer fabric we snagged at a deep discount thanks to a slight imperfection that we can work around:
We love that it has brown tones (to tie into the table and chairs), white tones (to tie into the trim and built-in shelving), deep teal tones (which relate to the back of the built-ins) and pops of cheerful apple green (if it wasn’t right for the chairs, at least I’ll get it in the curtains). So it’s safe to say that we’re excited to get down to curtain making business soon. But most of all, we’re thankful that our chairs don’t look like this anymore:
Hallelujah. Oh and when it comes to the whole chair budget breakdown, here we go:
- Each chair: $25 (for a total of $200 spent for eight of them)
- Failed painting supplies: $10
- Each slipcover: $23 (for a total of $232 spent for ten of them)
- Six iDye packets from JoAnn (one green one and five brown ones): $18
- Total cost per chair: $57.50 (which also includes two spare slipcovers)
Have you guys dyed something around the house? Curtains? Pillow covers? Cloth napkins? Or are you a dye virgin who dreams of giving it a shot? I’d love to hear what you’ve been up to (or what you’ve been dyeing to do – har har).
Psst- We’ve had some pretty weird adventures with our $25 chairs. Here’s the post where we found them and here’s the post where I tried to paint one, and here’s the post about finding and shrinking the slipcovers.
Update: Check out how our dining room is coming together thanks to those curtains that we finally made here. Woot.
Val says
I dyed my white jeans bright purple for the last day of middle-school (it seemed like a great idea at the time). Mom wouldn’t let me anywhere near her washing machine with that box of RIT, so I had to stand out in the yard with a big bucket and a broom handle for two hours. Slave to fashion!
Those chairs are pretty stylin (even if they aren’t bright purple jean capris — Go Knights!).
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, your “slave to fashion” joke and the image of you in middle school dying your pants purple in a bucket outside is killing me. Hilarious!
xo,
s
Paulina J! says
Love it! This is the reason why I love your blog so much. You guys are not afraid to go for it and if the first time it doesn’t work, you try different things. Kudos!
Which is why I fixed the toilet while my husband was away and a few days before our home inspection. I was hesitant, but I took the plunge. It took two trips to Lowe’s, but the toilet was fixed, the husband was impressed and our water bill is lower. Now he trusts my “projects” :)
Necole says
I love the color for the chairs. The fabric for the curtains is fantastic. If you still wanted a punch of color for the chairs, you could always try a funky piece of fabric to hang over the back of the chair.
Janet C says
Did anyone else notice how the colors in the new curtain fabric are similar to the original covers on the chairs? Or is it just me?
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I noticed that when I put those pics next to each other in the post. The curtain tones are a lot warmer and less icy-blue and hotel-ish-ly geometric though. Thank goodness. Haha. But it’s definitely funny to see them next to each other.
xo,
s
Karen says
I think they are more comfy looking in brown, almost suede-ish. The fabric for your curtains is so bright, the chairs will help blend. Love it!
(and so neat that the brown took over the green. Losing those two extra covers would have sent me over the edge, no matter the low cost. Makes me want to try to dye something. Maybe MY chair seat covers.)
Cherri T. says
OK, now I’m looking around for something to dye. I haven’t done that in years – not since dye came in messy containers and extremely limited colors. Great job – looks so nice.
SushiMama says
First off, love the brown- I agree, the green may have been a bit much. Second is a question- do you think dyeing something would cover up a stain? I have a pair of khaki pants that I love, that have a stain on the knee and I was going to just throw them out, but now I want to dye them!
YoungHouseLove says
I bet if you picked a dark enough dye it might work (ex: brown or gray or black). It’s worth a shot if you’re just going to toss them I think!
xo,
s
Stephanie says
I have dyed a lot of clothes, and stains will show up when you dye, even if you pick a darker color. The dye will adhere differently to the stain, which is why dyes always recommend washing first. I dyed a blazer a lovely teal hue, and it looked wonderful… minus the pit stains under the arms that I didn’t even know existed, but that showed up much darker than the rest of the blazer. Beware!
Kristal says
Definitely think mocha was the way to go. I agree that the green was just too much for that room…one chair would have been great but 8 is a little overwhelming! I do think the legs of the chairs would look great either painted white or darker brown (a la Karl!) Can’t wait to see that Ah-Mazing fabric turned into curtains. Wow!
Rachel @ Fit Fun and Fabulous says
I really like the chairs in their original state! But I can see how it would limit any other fun type of curtains or other decorative things…and plus, you guys obviously aren’t crazy about the pattern. But I think of all the different things you’ve tried, I still like the original fabric the best.
Angela says
Love!!! They turned out great.
I so wish we had Jo-Ann in Canada!
Susan says
This was one of the best postings I have read on anyone’s blog. It was so informative and your photos were great. It has been fun watching this room come together!
Ingrid says
Great job in getting crafty with the dye! I love the Robert Allen fabric you guys scored! I got a set of six antique chippendale-esque chairs for a $100 that I painted a peacock blue and re-upholstered the seats in that exact fabric, they look great! I just need to poly them now to get the high-gloss look! It will be a great pop of color and the curtains will look great!!!
Wrenaria says
The brown really warms up the room. I liked the pop of the green, but think the brown is ultimately a wise choice. Negates that “OMG HAI WE’RE A CHAIR ARMY” feel.
I see a lot of people suggesting white legs, but I think white legs might be distracting and break up the visual flow too much. Let the future light/curtains/art do the heavy lifting (visually). That room is gonna be gorgeous when it’s done. It’s fun watching your home evolve.
Lori P says
I’ve dyed lots of clothes in the past… (Even tie-dye during my college years). Never had any problems, and it’s always been kind of fun. When it came time for fixing an dusty-rose ottoman, I sewed a rectangle slip cover in some sale fabric from Joanne. And, when I did my dining chairs, I painted the wood frame a bright crisp white, and since the seats were padded, I used my handy staple gun to recover them.
Marla says
wow, your slip covers are so forgiving and well-behaved. They let you shrink them, dye them, redye them, and end up looking perfect! The fabric you picked for the curtains are going to look awesome. Thanks for the dying info. I want long yellow-green drapes in our bedroom and have concluded the only way I’m going to get exactly what I want is by dying them. Can’t wait!
Leah says
Great choice with the mocha! I have to admit, I gasped a little when I saw those green chairs in the room… not a good gasp. lolz!
Abby says
First, I LOVE your curtain fabric!! I do like the brown better than the green on the chairs. Maybe after the rest of the room is finished, you might consider stenciling the chairs with a pattern slightly lighter or darker than the brown. Right now they kind of remind me of nude hose–lacking some refinement. But I would definiltey wait until the rest is done–might make me re-think it!! Love sharing in y’all’s experiments!!
brigid says
I LOVE the fabric and think when the drapes go up it will all look amazing! I just made ikat drapes for my dining room and I couldn’t be happier with them. Will you be making drapes that are full enough to close? Will you be lining them? I am really looking forward to seeing this room put together.
YoungHouseLove says
Our curtains are always just for show (haha) – well for color and height and all that jazz. But we don’t use them for privacy or close them (we prefer white faux wood blinds or bamboo blinds for that sort of thing). As for lining them, I don’t think we will. Just because there’s a front porch in front of the dining room (so the sun doesn’t hit the window very hard at all thanks to the porch and the extra awning).
xo,
s
margie says
I have to wait and see how the room comes together before I make my opinion. I would have loved to see the chairs in dark gray. I think that would have been lovely
Suzanne says
And with the future hole-punched-into-wall, didn’t you say that would also probably be a brighter color?
With that, and the office as bookends to this room, you’ll have plenty of color without the green chairs.
Still..*sniff*.. for those chairs…
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, we’re planning to have a white cabineted kitch with a fun color on the walls. Maybe even apple green. So we’ll get it in there somewhere. Haha.
xo,
s
Molly P-H says
LOVE that designer fabric (and it’s price). Snap!! Where did you nab that bit of imperfect perfection???
YoungHouseLove says
That’s a local store called U-Fab here in Richmond. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Mary Beth says
Count me in as down with the brown! Love it!
Shelley @ Green Eggs and Hamlet says
Last summer I dyed a set of seen-better-days tan sheets. I used gray dye, hoping they’d turn out some sort grayish beige. Well, they’re purple now. Yes, their first turn through the washing machine made them the perfect gray color but the second rinse sucked out a lot more of the dye and they ended up purple.
Oh well, we’ve still used them over the last year (my boyfriend made a lot of fun of me until I finally admitted purple defeat). Just the other day I noticed the sheets have a couple of tears that cannot be mended so into the rag pile they go! Although, the fabric is super soft so maybe I could repurpose it in some sort of sewing project (I’m a NOVICE seamstress so we’ll see how that goes – ha!).
Robyn @ Imperfect Nest says
This was a great post for me today. ‘Cause you know it’s all about me ;) Just kidding. I hung a big white wall of drapes last night to cover up a closet full of my kiddos toys. I asked my husband what he thought. He took one look and said it needs color. A good old dye job just might be the ticket.
Thanks for the info!
Meghan says
Those slipcovers are amazing! I’m totally lovin’ the brown. Have you ever tried dyeing anything wool? I’m currently obsessed with the new trend of over-saturated dyed vintage rugs (http://tinyurl.com/3prar8a), but I haven’t figured out a good way to do it myself. Any ideas?
YoungHouseLove says
I’ve seen a few bloggers over-dye amazing vintage wool rugs! Just google around for a tutorial! And I think iDye works for natural fibers (like wool, silk, cotton, linen, etc).
xo,
s
Sherry says
Love the chairs! And I love the fabric. The whole thing will look very chic all together. Now to figure out what to do with my dining room chairs…
Carolyn says
Green is definitely way to bright! Not sure how I feel about the brown yet. I’m looking forward to seeing the rest of the room pulled together.
maria says
i like the brown! looks a little like suede or something :)
Lisa says
I have a Pottery Barn rocker that is looking worse for wear—the slipcover is pretty gross and stained. The rocker and slipcover have been discontinued, so my options are to try and dye the cover, or pay someone else to make a new slipcover. I want to dye it, but it seems like all the dye colors are very neon-ish, or brown. Have you guys come across any methods for making the color more muted?
YoungHouseLove says
I would just head over to JoAnn and check out the iDye. They have a ton of dark muted colors (olive, navy, charcoal, etc). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
betty in munich says
I didn’t unlike the original patterned conference room chairs, really liked the white slip covers and now LOVE the brown. Who knew?
Hayley says
I want to dye glider cushions. They are the same color as your off white slip covers. Any idea how that would work? Could you put the entire cushion in?
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, I think you’d toss those in and go for it. You might want to use two packs instead of one since it’s more fabric/batting (and just double the added things like water or salt, etc). They might address that on the pack or on the site. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Britt@knewlywifed says
Love the chairs! You have inspired me to use dye now. I’ve got a couple of things laying around the house I would like to change the look of. It looks like I might ‘give dye a try’! Thanks for the post!
Em says
Since the slipcovers and the dye are relatively inexpensive, it would be fun to have a few different color sets to be able to swap out when the mood strikes! Besides the brown set of slipcovers, you could also have a set in the original un-dyed oatmeal……how great would a set in forsythia yellow look in spring against the blueish-greenish color of the built-ins for a fun and easily changeable pop of color! Okay, I’m getting carried away!
Jess says
You guys are so lucky with this chair process!
1. great deal on chairs
2. great deal on slip covers
3. you were able to shrink them down to the P-E-R-feeect size
4. those green slip covers turned out to match the other shade of brown!
Worked out well!
Don’t worry I already knocked on wood to not jinx you…
:)
YoungHouseLove says
I know right? Someone commented that we must have magic slipcovers and I kind of have to agree. They worked with me through the entire adventure!
xo,
s
Donna Huebsch says
Wow! I’m surprised at the turn of events – from apple green to mocha, but you did the right thing – they look great! And I’m right there with you about putting the dye in your front loader the first time – that would have had me in a cold sweat :)
Vanessa says
I love the brown covers. I feel like you need a punchy patterned area rug to bring the room together and create a balance against the built-in detail and the monochromatic feel of the furniture.
I all of a sudden had The Big Lebowski deja vu… the Dude had home decor style you know ;)
katrina says
This is off topic, but I saw this and thought of you and Oh Brother: (includes step-by-step instructions with photos)
http://www.purlbee.com/lap-duvet/
For your next project with Clara’s fabric, this lap duvet would be simple and elegant.Instant sewing gratification! :)
YoungHouseLove says
So cute! Love it!
xo,
s
Claire says
Looooooooove the printing/CMYK humor in the subject line. Bravo.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, so glad. You and John might be the only ones to notice.
xo,
s
Christy says
How weird! My favorite local upscale furnishings store, which always has one-of-a-kind, amazing decorative items, has a square of that fabric framed (in a super modern silver and glass) for over $300 dollars! I’ve been trying to hunt down that fabric for over a year, but there was little to go on with no brand to Google. And then, out of nowhere, here it is, on your blog, complete with a handy dandy tag with the name! Didn’t see that one coming, lol. Thanks for the unintended help!
Kristen says
Hi Sherry & John, I love your blog!
I have a question… can you still use that dye if you have an old fashioned washing machine? I don’t have a fancy front loading washing machine yet :(
Thanks!!
YoungHouseLove says
Yup! That’s actually the default way to dye (top loading) so front loading is a bit more rare. You’re all set! Just read the top loading instructions as opposed to the front loading ones. Good luck!
xo,
s
Elisa says
Great… Now I’m gonna have to dye something when I get home! Errrggh.
GreenInOC says
I’m curious – did you use Photoshop first to see if you would like the apple green color? Just wondering if you did, and then didn’t like it “for real”?
A suggestion in case you haven’t already but “knowing” the two of you, you already have – I would go buy 5-10 packages of iDye in Mocha. Keep them in your drawer for when there are spaghetti stains, finger painting adventures, blood or other miscellaneous minor disasters. Company’s change formulas, colors, ingredients or go go out of business and then you are covered!
YoungHouseLove says
Nope, I got lazy and didn’t use photoshop at all. I just though I could “see” them in my head. But nope. Haha. Wrong-o. As for the extra dye suggestion – it’s great! Gotta have some backup!
xo,
s
Hilary @ My So-Called Home says
I’m really loving the brown and think you made the right decision. Awesome choice on the curtains too- I have the very same fabric used a couple places around our apartment! Candice Olson also used that fabric (I’m sure it was the real deal $$$) for curtains in a room she just did. You can see mine and her’s here:
http://www.mysocalledhome.com/2011/04/hilarycandice-bff.html
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! I love it! Both in your room and in Candice’s makeover. She’s the best. Thanks for sharing the link!
xo,
s
Melissa @ HOUSEography says
Oddly enough, I think that same Candice episode was on today! I caught the last 5 minutes so only saw the reveal but did a double take when I saw the curtains!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so funny! What a crazy coincidence.
xo,
s
Paige says
I’m so surprised that I didn’t love the green. I’ve been totally on board with that idea since day one and was so looking forward to that addition…but it was kind of a womp womp moment. The brown looks awesome though–love the choice. And the curtain fabric…#%^#$#@!!!@@@!!!…LOVE IT. I can’t wait to see them completed!
Mallory says
The green would have been fun but I think you’re right going with the brown. I got some that look a lot like yours w/o the slip cover. http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Microfiber-Parson-Side-Chairs-Set-of-2/2216230/product.html
They end up being about $66 per chair. I have not dyed anything but looks like you got great results. I might be too scared to put that in my washing machine!! Scared I’d have green underwear for a year! ;)
Julie says
I dyed our 600 thread ct. cotton sheets from lavender to deep blue a couple weeks ago! I used Dharma Trading co’s procion-type fiber reactive dyes based on a rec from my textiles professional aunt. It cost about $25 and I did it in my top-loading washer. Sadly I let half the dye bath drain out after the first agitation cycle cause I wasn’t watching it closely enough and I had to water it down for the remaining 40 min of dyeing, so instead of an inky indigo, it turned out royal blue/warm navy. Still works ok with the decor especially since the queen bed we’re in is temporary :)
Ashley @ DesignBuildLove.co says
what an awesome dyeing adventure! I LOVE dye but have little experience! I’m totally going to start with clothes and them move my way into household items! :) And definitely going to try that brand!
PS – OMG, I am sooooo in LOVE with that curtain fabric! Nice snag! I have the hardest time finding a good fabric store in my area. :( I really want to DIY some curtains, but until I find awesome fabric… it’s a no-go.
Kristin says
The brown looks great! I have a slipcover question, since we’re on the topic. Have you ever slipcovered a barrel chair? I’ve got an intensely 1970-s orange crushed velvet barrel chair (you’re jealous, right?)that I’d love to cover with khaki or ivory fabric. Unfortunately, I’ve yet to find a barrel chair slipcover. Any thoughts/advice?–Kristin in RIC
YoungHouseLove says
We’ve never tackled that. Hmm, anyone have advice or a link to share with Kristin?
xo,
s
kelsey moore says
those look great! i am impressed that dye was so right on with the green though according to the package!! so on another note, i dvr’d million dollar decorators on bravo last night, watching it during nap time, so excited! oh and i have light slip covered chairs in my kitchen and it is horrible with the children, so your brown is the way to go.
YoungHouseLove says
I DVRed that too and can’t wait to watch it! Maybe tonight (along with my NJ Housewives). Can’t wait.
xo,
s
Krystal says
I really like the brown slipcovers, I think they really work with the room. I liked the idea of the green chairs since you first mentioned it, but I agree that it would have been too much…or maybe that’s just my memory of my high school’s headache-inducing decor. My high school’s colors were kelly green and bright orange, and the school board wanted every surface (walls, floors, lockers, bleachers, chairs, etc.) to be one of the two. They even made a rule that sports teams couldn’t wear uniforms that contained colors other than orange & green. I itch just thinking about it.