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.
Monique says
OK…I admit it…I loved the green slipcovers but then I am drawn to bright colors. However, your brown slipcovers look great too. Can’t wait to see how you complete the dining room.
Heather says
My roomate in college had to wear all black to Cosmetology school, so we spent a lot of time dying anything she had black. ha Anyways, my first project will be my wedding dress. It’s short and would look amazing in a darker color I’m thinking I’ll do dark blue then black. Thank you so much for the inspiration!!
Jordan@the2seasons says
It has been fun watching the process for the chairs. Good choice on the brown and thanks for sharing about the dying process. I didn’t know it was that easy.
Catherine says
I was initially really worried that you were going to stick with the green which just looked totally wrong. The brown however looks good and I think with the curtains it will be very slick! Nice work, as usual!
Elizabeth says
Sherry – the chairs look gorgeous, but I’m actually obsessed with your gorgeous grey former wedding dress. Is there a post where you detailed how you dyed it? I’m wearing a silk Catherine Malandrino dress for my August wedding and have visions of it becoming a gorgeous dark purple for future occasions. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Yup- here’s that post for ya: https://www.younghouselove.com/2008/10/i-wanted-to-dye/
Good luck!
xo,
s
Leah says
I’m a newsubsriber and after a week I can genuinely say that I look forward to my morning email from YHL with a new post!
Big win with the mocha. Came out great.
Hollie @ I'm Busy Procrastinating says
Ohhhh … I love that Robert Allen fabric. Can’t wait to see the resulting curtains. Great job on the chairs. I think you made the right call on the color, especially considering the future curtain fabric.
I’ve got a pair of jeans that I want to dye darker and I’ve had two colors of dye to mix together that I bought 6 months ago but I’ve been procrastinating about it. That task is on my ever-growing to-do list.
Vanessa says
Two comments:
I love the way the brown on brown turned out. Soft against hard, matte against shiny, texture against texture. Our dining set is 100% wooden, and all exactly the same shiny, hard surfaces. I feel a quest for used fabric chairs coming on.
I also randomly love that the stitching remained creamy white, rather than dying. Makes the stitching almost look like the hand stitching in expensive cars with leather trim. Added bonus.
Rachel says
I love that curtain fabric – wish I could gather the courage for some bold color curtains like that.
And now you have me thinking about dying the slipcovers I need to make for a couch and chair I need to makeover . . .
diane says
I like the brown ( although I liked the green idea as well) but they still need something. How about gluing some nailhead trim to the bottom edge just to finish them off?
YoungHouseLove says
I always love nail head so you never know! I think I’ll let the room develop a little more and see where I end up (patterned curtains plus a big chandelier and an opening to the kitchen might be enough going on in the end).
xo,
s
Amy L. says
I woke up this morning thinking Navy Blue (similar to the back of the built ins might look nice. Why it was one of my first thoughts today, I’m not sure, but there you go.
Kristen in Hawaii says
Love the brown…you’re right, the apple green was poppin’ and not in a good way! As for chandeliers…have you seen the sputnik-style chandelier that Jenny at Little Green Notebook DIYed from an Ikea Maskros? I know you already have a Maskros…but something like this would look SO COOL.
http://pinterest.com/pin/27555415/
YoungHouseLove says
Yes it’s amazing!!
xo,
s
Carrie says
I’ve seen all the recommendations for white chair legs but I think they would look totally sweet the same bronz-ish spray paint color as Ed’s legs. The white could look awesome but I think they might be too busy.
YoungHouseLove says
I definitely love ORB legs like Karl’s! When it comes to all of the chair legs in the dining room we’re just planning to wait for the room to come together more and then make the call.
xo,
s
Elise says
I’m sure you’ve answered this question already, but where did you find the fabric for your curtains. I LOVE it (possibly more than a person should), and I’m thinking it would look great in our dining room.
Just love your blog – it has been very inspirational to my husband and I as we just bought our first house!
YoungHouseLove says
We found it at a local fabric store called U-Fab, but it’s Robert Allen fabric called something with peacock in the name. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Danielle McClure says
Love the room and really love your table. May I ask who makes it and where you got it, thats it you didn’t make it yourself :) You have a great site and have definitley inspired my husband and I. Thanks for sharing.
YoungHouseLove says
Here’s that table post for ya: https://www.younghouselove.com/2011/02/table-talk/
xo,
s
Annie says
They turned out great! We have no dining room chairs yet, but I want to get the Ikea slipcovered ones. I think I’ll have to dye mine in my front-loaders too, so thank you so much for this post! Right now my color preference is “not the Ikea colors” so I’ll have to make a trip to the craft store!
Lisa Allen says
Good job on the chairs. For someone who had only dyed once (that sounds bad) you rocked! I absolutely love the curtain fabric. How do you score such great deals? You must be shopping all the time.
Love your blog!!!
Anne says
Talk about magic chairs!
I cant wait to see how the room comes together. Have you thought about an old wagon wheel for a chandelier? Maybe paint it white and hang some light wine bottles or those poofy things off it?
YoungHouseLove says
We haven’t even begun go think about it yet, but fun idea!
xo,
s
Candy from Candied Fabrics says
Hooray! Glad you had such great results! I dye all the time – it’s my thing! Although I’m usually dyeing fabric to use in my art, I’ve also had great luck with dyeing plain white Ikea slipcovers…here’s a post with my “as is” chaise of my dreams after I dyed it
http://www.candiedfabrics.com/2009/06/15/ta-dah-slipcover-complete/
It’s my “mom throne”! :-)
YoungHouseLove says
Awesome mom throne! Love it.
xo,
s
Dayna says
I am going out on a limb, but I don’t hate the off white. I like it. I also like the brown and once you have the curtains it won’t be so separate. Now it looks like the table and chairs blend, but not with the beautiful built in bookcase for a cohesive look. The fabric for those curtains will be fantastic. I love the slipcover idea because when you get bored you can just switch it up…now I need to dye something. You all are fabulous as usual.
ashley jensen says
I am a dye virgin here. I have some burgundy drapes I want to dye either brown or khaki and am slightly afraid of jacking them up. I cant really find any info on how to lighten such a dark color. Any tips?
YoungHouseLove says
I’ve never lightened stuff but I would go to a craft store like JoAnn and just see what they have (and check the packaging and the site for more info). I hope it’s as easy as a bleaching agent that you wash them with and then a dye treatment. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Sophia says
I just purchased the same exact fabric a few weeks ago! It was a special order swatch, and I had been back and forth to the fabric store debating (with a %50 coupon, it was still $25 a yard!)… somehow luck was on my side and I found it in the clearance bin for $4 a yard! I will be using it for living room curtains.
On a side note, my fiance and I just purchased our first home, and I have really been enjoying your blog over the last couple of months! Very inspiring, thank you!
echoes of home says
Hi guys,
Heaps better than the green, although I love green, the mocha looks great!
Kelly says
Hi guys.
I love that you break down your decorating into the ‘real’ process of finding what works and what doesn’t. I’ve always been too scared to personalise my space for fear of getting it wrong but you guys have given me the confidence to go ahead and try.
I am now officially addicted to your blog.
Andrea says
The chair covers look fab – from a distance they look like suede! Wish we had such great dyes in the UK. Mine always come out patchy or streaky Boooo!!
Emily says
Where did you score that curtain fabric? Its crazy great!
YoungHouseLove says
I got that at a local store called U-Fab but it’s by Robert Allen and it’s called Khanjali Peacock. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Emily says
oops…should really read ALL the comments before commenting :) definitely have to check out ufab…but maybe AFTER payday…
Kellye says
What about some small apple green or Sue the napkin, lumbar (rectangle) pillows in the chairs/ Maybe just one or two for a dash of color you like. Great job!
One time I dyed something pink to be a waitress for Halloween. Not a success.
YoungHouseLove says
I’m not sure about pillows on the chairs just because I wonder if they’ll all get tossed on the floor or not really used (I’m a sucker for function) but I’d love to use them to set the table and add color that way!
xo,
s
Karina says
I would have really liked to see the chairs in a gorgeous dark green or even purple, but the brown looks good too!! I just think that the whole chair/table set looks a bit too brown, maybe paint the chair legs white??
YoungHouseLove says
We’re going to wait to see how the room comes together. I think adding some greenery to the vase on the table and a colorful runner might break up all the brown. Should be fun…
xo,
s
Janet says
In the photos where you are dying the chairs, there is granite counter top. What color granite is that?
YoungHouseLove says
We actually have no idea. We inherited it with the house and I would describe it as cream and brown flecky stuff. Anyone know the name?
xo,
s
Ana says
So not sure if anyone mentioned it yet, but in a rerun of “Candice Explains It All” she used that exact fabric for living room curtains. She did a kitchen and dining room for a couple with kids so everything had to be durable. It looked great.
YoungHouseLove says
Yay durable! That’s definitely the goal! I love everything Candice does so I’d love to catch that specific show one of these days! Might have to set the DVR…
xo,
s
Holly says
Thank you so much for this post! I have an IKEA slipcover that I was DYING to make gray. I was very nervous with a front loading washer! It worked great (a little greener than I wanted, but nothing a few pillows can’t fix). Thanks for the step by step visuals!
PatC says
Love the look of these slipcovers! Thanks for the link.
:o)
The room is really coming together nicely between the now dyed slipcovers and drapes you just put up. I just can’t believe the transformation!
And I’m so proud that you’re putting some miles on your oh brother sewing machine. Great job. (…there’s no stopping you now!)
Allison says
So I was inspired by your post to dye an $11 Ikea loveseat cover grey to match one that they offer for $239, and so far it has been a success! Well… except the main part of the cover turned out a bit lighter in shade than the cushions did…I can’t decide and was hoping for an opinion: should I use the whole pack of dye for a shorter amount of time (not heavy duty, but a normal or quick cycle?), or try to use only part of the liquid for the whole longer wash cycle? I worry about streaks with the first option and over-darkening the color (since it is probably only a couple shades off…) What would you do in this situation? Thanks for any thoughts.
YoungHouseLove says
I would go the second route. I think a full cycle is important to get the dye to hold. But another idea would be to wash the cushions a few more times with some soap to see if you can “fade” them to match. Good luck!
xo,
s
orangesugar says
I need some curtains for my porch and was thinking of dyeing Ikea’s cheap $20/pair white grommet curtains turqoise. I don’t want a super saturated color though. Does the iDye packet mention anything about fading the color or using less product to achieve something not so bright?
YoungHouseLove says
Maybe check the website? It had more tips and instructions than the package. You can always test out a white pillow case or something.
xo,
s
Alyssa says
Just an idea, I also had slipcovered chairs once, and I sewed a band of satin ribbon around the bottom for a dash of color. You could do that in one of the colors from the curtains if you ever decided the chairs needed a “pop” of color.
YoungHouseLove says
We’re definitely open to that idea down the line! We can’t wait to see how the room comes together.
xo,
s
Shelley says
Hi guys,
I am attempting to dye a slipcover navy today and I am so hesitant because I am afraid of staining the washing machine. I have the same brand of dye you used for the chairs and I also have a front loader. You said the rubber ring was a little discolored but were you able to wipe it down enough until ALL of the color was completely gone or does it still have a little tint left? Thanks so much!
-Shelley
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no, the rubber ring wasn’t discolored, it just had some wet dots of colored water sitting on it that we could wipe off. So no permanent coloring or anything! It’s just where water collects so if you wipe it down as soon as you take stuff out it should be ok! Our ring is gray if that helps!
xo,
s
Shelley says
Thanks Sherry! Our ring is gray too. It is almost the same washer as you have. I will cross my fingers and give it a try – my first attempt at dying (well except for a pair of Keds sneakers in high school…) Thanks for the quick advice!
-Shelley
YoungHouseLove says
Good luck!
xo,
s
Shelley says
Sherry,
Thanks to your advice the other day, I dyed the headboard slipcover with great success and my washing machine survived! Thanks again!
-Shelley
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! Congrats!
xo,
s
ashley says
Be sooo thankful you didn’t choose the chartreuse! I just dyed a klippan loveseat cover from Ikea; the color turned out EXACTLY as you predicted: highlighter yellow. Eeek! I was going for something a bit more green. I think I’ll give it a try for a while, knowing that it’ll primarily be an awful conversation piece, before I try dying it again or starting from scratch.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw man- here’s hoping you can over-dye it or learn to work it somehow!
xo,
s
Jeanette says
I just bought 6 chairs with covers at a used furniture store (very similar to yours) I am going to do the mocha. I love the way yours came out.
Julie Jones says
Never had tried to dye my dining chair slipcovers but I was thinking of doing so since my mom will be visiting us this weekend. That’s when I came across your article and got to see the process! Thanks for this! And by the way- your dining chair slipcovers looks pretty awesome. I would try this at home and hope mom would like it!
barbara says
i want to do the opposite. i have moss green (ugly!) sofa slipcovers and a chaise patterened slipcover on one side, light yellow on the other. can i bleach them and make them white? not easy, i am sure.
YoungHouseLove says
Anyone ever tackled this? So sorry, we don’t know how you’d tackle that. Good luck!
xo,
s
maggie says
Love it! Where did you get your slipcovers?
YoungHouseLove says
They were from World Market a while back. Hope it helps!
xo
s
Ellen says
Hi Again, I just googled how to dye linen and lo and behold my favorite blogger pops up!! I have a black linen slip covered couch, brand new which has a slightly faded look to it. Could I dye this to get a deeper black, or maybe there are professionals who could do it!!! Thanks, Ellen
P.S. Love what you did to your new patio.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Ellen! I would definitely think you should be able to dye it or get a pro to. I would go to the store and see if anything says it works for linen and google to find someone near you (maybe a tailer) who dyes things to get info from them as we’ll. Good luck!
xo
s
Angie B says
Yay! This is encouraging. A couple of years ago I bought a Hovas couch from Ikea in light green. I am now regretting that choice, as I’d really prefer an off-white now, but it seems the Hovas line has been discontinued, and I’d rather not pay $350 on eBay or a custom slipcover website for a new slipcover… so this is very encouraging!! I wonder if the iDye products are available in Canada. I will have to check it out and maybe grab a grey color and see what happens!
Andrea says
I tried this for my ikea dining chair slipcovers. Both chairs ended up streaked across the back. I’m not sure how I went wrong, but I guess I’ll just dye them again!
YoungHouseLove says
Good luck!
xo
s