How to Easily Update with New Chair Covers
New chair covers can provide your dining room or living room with an easy update that is affordable and not a huge commitment. Chair covers are fabric sleeves built to slip right over your existing chairs. They are like a poor man's version of reupholstering. They completely conceal your old chair, and depending upon the cover, may even slightly alter the shape of the old chair. If you already have some familiarity with chair covers, it is probably from weddings or some other type of reception. Wedding decorators will cover banquet chairs with tulle or linen chair covers to dress them up for special occasions. Chair covers are so inexpensive that most wedding decorators own sets in several colors so that the chairs can always be matched to the party's flower arrangements. These days, however, chair covers are not longer just temporary solutions for parties. Instead, you can get chair covers in all sorts of materials that are designed for durability and every day use. Some chair manufacturers are even producing chairs in plain, white canvas, then making dozens of chair covers to go with these chairs so that you could potentially change your chair's look every month. Redecorating your living room every month may not be in the cards, but covering your old chairs with new covers is a great idea for a quick, easy update.
Lots of young homeowners own furniture that was either a hand-me-down from grandma or something picked up at a secondhand store. Back when you were in college or your first apartment, you really could not afford to invest in your own furniture. Besides, you knew that you would not be in your dorm or tiny, shared apartment forever, so you did not want to buy nice furniture that you would have to move or may not even like anymore once you got your own place. Yet somehow, now that you have your own nice place, you still have that old, mustard-colored, chenille chair. It seems like quite a waste to throw it out, since technically it is still functional. It is so ugly that the Salvation Army might not even want it. Plus, grandma might not want you getting rid of a chair she's saved since 1962. A cool chair cover could be the solution to your problem.
If you just have one ugly chair that does not match any of your other furniture, turn it into an accent chair. An accent chair, just like an accent pillow, is cloaked in a bright color or pattern that complements the rest of the furniture in your room. While you may love bright colors and loud patterns, you may not want to invest in an entire sofa set swathed in hot pink or some jungle inspired print. You can incorporate these kinds of fun textiles into your room with an accent chair, though. A chair is just small enough not to give you a headache or overwhelm you with its upholstery. An accent chair is an especially great idea if you have all neutral furniture that you are beginning to find a bit boring. You can add your new chair cover, with its wild print, and change the whole look of your room. The best way to add an accent chair is to match it to the upholstery on your sofa. If your sofa is a print, choose the brightest color in the print and cover your chair in this color. If your sofa is a solid color, get or make a chair cover in a print that includes this color.
If you own a dining room set that includes several chairs with ugly upholstery, cover them all in matching chair covers. If you purchased an antique dining set, you may have been in love with the table or some hand carved wood details. Usually, though, the upholstery on old furniture does not hold up quite as well. If your dining room chairs are stained, discolored or even ripped, you can make them look as good as new with chair covers. Choose a luxurious fabric for your dining room chairs, like satin or velvet. You might want to avoid tulle because you do not want your dining room to look too much like a wedding banquet hall. Go with a classic pattern such as stripes or damask for your dining room chair covers. You can also cover them in white canvas if you are interested in a clean, minimalist look. If you still want to display the chairs' frames, go for covers that expose the legs.
No matter which design you choose, chair covers are an easy way to spruce up old furniture.
