Slipcovers, the Old-School Sofa Refreshers, Are Finally Getting a Refresh
Gone are the saggy, neutral slip-jackets that swallowed up 1990s sofas. To cloak a couch stylishly in 2023, mix contrasting fabrics or add a kicky short skirt.
2 min
YOU MIGHT think of slipcovers as a saggy, dun-coloured signature of shabby chic, that ’90s decor style. In 2023, however, designers are rethinking the concept, with tailored box pleats, clever closures, contrasting fabrics and kicky short skirts distinguishing the best examples. “Slipcovers are experiencing something of a revival just now,” said Ben Pentreath, a London-based interior and architectural designer. Here’s a strategy guide:
The Appeal
Imagine you couldn’t change your clothes without professional help. Such is the sartorial fix in which upholstered furniture finds itself. One workaround: removable slipcovers tailored to fit over sofas or chairs, and give them a new attitude. “A slipcover can change the mood and feeling of the piece itself,” said Cris Briger, interior designer and co-owner of Casa Gusto, a home-design shop in West Palm Beach, Fla. She clad a pair of stuffy, traditional settees in a jaunty striped cover whose flirty skirt still shows a bit of wooden leg and whose tie closures make no attempt to be discreet. “The slipcovers gave them all this personality they could never have with upholstery,” she said.
Such covers both hide existing wear and protect furniture that typically sees far more action than, say, a guest bed. “There’s something so infinitely practical about being able to take a cover off and get it cleaned,” said Mr. Pentreath, “especially for any sofa which dogs sleep on, which is all sofas.”
The Tips
The best makeover candidates? Sturdy, high-quality seats that simply need a refresh. Ideal fabrics include washable cottons, canvas, linens and classic chintz. “I’ve always done slipcovers seasonally,” said Ms. Briger. “When you’re covering up a wool sofa, it’s awfully nice to do polished-cotton stripes for the summertime.”
To ensure his covers don’t shrink catastrophically upon cleaning, Mr. Pentreath prewashes at a high temperature the material that will be used. The process has a bonus flattering effect on “most chintz fabrics,” he said. “It gives them an instant sense of that elusive and much dreamed-of age.”
Slipcovers, impermanent by definition, also free you up to experiment, he notes. You can forgo the long-term practicality of safe performance fabrics and give your sofa a polka-dot-cotton spring or a tweedy, textured fall.
The Caveats
Beyond the cost of fabric, labor to make a sofa slipcover with cushions can cost $1,200, an armchair $500. And some upholstered pieces are ill-suited for a wardrobe change. “Tufted furniture looks bumpy with a cover, so I wouldn’t recommend it,” said Albert Nakash of Bettertex, a New York City textile workshop. “Slipcovers can work for most shapes, but pieces with straight lines make for a nicely tailored fit.
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Dolly Parton’s former Hollywood Hills residence has hit the market for $7.95 million. The nearly 4,700-square-foot home features four bedrooms, panoramic city-to-ocean views, a pool and spa, library, media room and private outdoor spaces.
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A residence in the Hollywood Hills that was once home to the late Dolly Parton has hit the market for $7.95 million.
The country singer and her late husband, Carl Dean, bought the house in 1985 for $750,000 and sold it in 1990 for $1.2 million, according to listing records.
The property, aptly known as the Dolly Parton House, hasn’t been on the market for 25 years, according to the listing with Edward Tinney of Nourmand & Associates and Kurt Rappaport of Westside Estate Agency.
It’s unlikely Parton and Dean would recognize the house as it stands today though; it was rebuilt in 2009, and upgraded further in the years since, the listing said.
Across its almost 4,700 square feet, the house has living and dining rooms with walls of glass that frame the views that stretch across the city to the Pacific Ocean.
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There’s also a library and media room, a family room and an eat-in kitchen. There are four bedrooms, including the primary suite, which has a coffee bar, a fireplace, two bathrooms, a space for an office or gym, a walk-in closet and a private deck.
Outside, there’s a pool and spa, with space for outdoor dining and entertaining. Plus there’s a two-car garage, electrical infrastructure for an EV charger and a Zen trail, according to the listing.
The seller, who couldn’t be reached for comment, paid $2.05 million for the home in 2001, records with PropertyShark show.
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Parton died on August 25 at the age of 80 after a battle with cancer.
She released 50 studio albums over the course of her career—resulting in 27 gold and platinum albums—and starred in films including “9 to 5,” “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” and “Steel Magnolias.”
A philanthropist, she was behind the Imagination Library, which donated more than 200 million books to children around the world. In 2020, she helped fund early research for Moderna’s Covid 19 vaccine with a $1 million donation to Vanderbilt University.
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