It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful
The Albans House family room design by the talented Joni Webb
Joni’s own home.
Today I thought I’d ask you your opinion on white slipcovers and while I was quickly searching for a photo I knew I wouldn’t need to search further than Cote de Texas. Lo and behold, if Joni didn’t have a new post up featuring a home she just finished complete with white slips.
I’ve become infatuated with all things white, especially slipcovers.
What about you, do you like white slipcovers?
[...] If you love white slipcover but think you can’t have them because you have kids and animals, read about Pink’s experince with white slipcovers. She’s had them for years. However, it is a commitment to wash them from time to time. Here are a few comments from the post I did the other day when I asked if you like white slipcovers. [...]
[...] you been seeing all the white slipcovered sofas around the design blogs lately (like this post by The Nester)? I visited my friend Ainsley this summer and I can attest that she appeared totally zen about [...]
I've got a secret that will unlock creativity and hope for your home. Ready? Here it is:: It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful. Yep. That's it. All you have to do is believe it. [Read More …]
I love them, but they scare me!! If I wear anything white, my food ends up all over it!! White and I have had some issues!
I do… very much… but I have grubby small children and it’s just not practical at this stage in our lives. If I had a formal living, or a parents retreat, I would probably use them there. But I don’t. So I… don’t. ;)
I Love them and I’m planning on having some made for my sofa…so clean looking and my kids are grown and gone, so no getting dirty issues ;-)
White isn’t my friend either! I love the look but I can’t keep a black shirt without spots. Add in 2 boys 4 and under, a puppy and a landscaper husband and there’s NO WAY I’d attempt it!
I love the white slip covers. I was just talking to hubs about that this weekend. We have some older furniture that I would like to replace or get slip covers for.
ABSOLUTELY!!!! While I don’t have any white couches/chairs…I do have all-white bedding on every single bed in my house. We (my husband, me, two ROWDY babies) all sit on top, eat, drink, jump, read, lounge, sleep, etc. all over those beds, and they still look just as good as they did 5 years ago. I can’t imagine not having all white bedding … like sleeping on clouds. I also use all white towels and bathmats and handtowels, they always look clean and fresh. People always seem so wary of white…but I looooove my whites. (FYI … my fave stain remover … Fels Naptha soap … I keep a bar beside the washing machine … The Best Ever.)
I love to look at them, but couldn’t imagine using them. I know a little bleach would bring them back to life, but we LIVE on our furniture. So, so pretty to see, though!
Well, you already know I’m lovin’ the white slipcover look. ;-)
Besides, what’s that Ikea saying? “Be brave, not beige”…or something like that?
Follow your heart friend!
Layla
I love them too, but with an almost 9 month old cat…..but I do ♥ them a lot.
PS. BUT indeed, slipcovers can be washed, so who knows…someday I just might try it lol. I’d LOVE to ♥
I’d love to cover my livingroom furniture with crisp white slipcovers, but I have two small boys, so they’d be beige in no time.
It looks beautiful, but NO WAY would I do that in my house (And we’re really pretty good about not staining furniture considering I have 4 kids under 12.)
I love white and I fear it! How do you keep it clean? Cats .. kids… husbands?!
I’m with Gina – I love looking at the homes with all white. I savor the pics but the thought of doing white slipcovers (even though they would wash)…not in this season of life. It would have to be a weekly washing with my guys and the idea of just having to unzip everything and then stuff the cushions back in…I’m prioritizing getting all the sheets done first. ;)If I can do that completely regularly, I’ll move onto white…cuz it’s the most beautiful look ever.
I love them but realize they are not for my home. My favorite designer is probably Lauren Ross – I love her home(s) and she has white slips on most everything!
I toyed with the idea of a white slipped loveseat for our sunroom, but have not found what I want thus far. Ikea is too far LOL. Thought about them for our great room, but on a sofa that is used daily, I just think they’d end up too rumpled/wrinkled looking and that would bug me after a while. For now I’m compromising with a slipcovered ottoman in the sunroom and possibly a slipcovered chair in our bedroom (IF I can find the right chair). I found a woman who makes beautiful, custom (meaning well fit) slips for a very reasonable price.
tina
I have them in my playroom.. and I LOVE them! I just pull them off and wash them (hang dry) when ever they get dirty. The room is real light bright and airy.. plus I can just switch out the pillows for a new look. My couch is Pottery Barn. I bought the first set of slipcovers in red. However, the IKEA slipcovers fit and at under $100 each I changed out the whole look by buying white.
I’ve been wanting to slipcover my sofas in white. Even with two dogs and a 3 and 4 year old – I am willing to go for it and I don’t care if they get dirty as long as they are washable.
Where can I find decent ones?
help!help!
Got ‘em & LOVE ‘em!!! To all those who say they aren’t practical with kids and pets…got them too (2 kids, one dog). Plus countless friends & their kids. Plus they get eaten on, coats tossed on, slept on… and I have had my white couch slipcover for almost 2 years and *gasp!* haven’t had to wash it ONCE. I’ve used a Tide-to-Go stick on it a couple of times for some dirty paw print marks, but frankly, I’m a bit lazy and also just not concerned with a tiny mark here or there.
And my kids are NOT super neat. My youngest used red lipstick to draw on a different couch years ago, and that still didn’t deter me! LOL!! :) Yes, our white couch slips and our white/cream bedding works for us! And since it’s about time I wash my couch slip, I’m just gonna toss it in with some OxyClean and call it a day!
I say, if you love it, go for it! Design has to work for your family, but at the same time, if you really love something, don’t let that hold you back, you may be surprised what would really work for your fam!
It is a very fresh, spring-y look, but like many of the commenters above, pristine slip covers would NOT work for me!! Not living on 2 acres in Georgia with that rusty Georgia clay that stains everything – that and 3 kids and a big dog who loves to swim in the creek. I would be forever telling them not to sit on anything. I think it best to avoid the near occasion of sin and admire the white from afar:-)
I love the look of them and have been very tempted to purchase white slip covered furniture for our living room. Then I’m reminded of when we purchased cream colored furniture (before having kids) and it was impossible to keep clean even with the extra scotch guard protection. I can’t imagine trying to keep it looking nice with three kiddies and a dog.
Not right now, my reasons are 5, 4, 2 and 2 mo……:o) But the two rooms are lovely.
And, I do have a new laundry trick that might make me willing to try a light colored slipcover (if not actually white)…….for my last load of laundry at night I stick in anything that is looking really dirty or stained, pretreated with Oxy clean spray and then start the load with regular dtrg and powdered Oxy Clean dumped in and let it all soak overnight. Then in the morning I close the lid and finish washing.
This overnight soak seems to make a big difference keeping stuff stain free and fresh looking.
In a perfect world these slipcovers are beautiful but in reality….wives, husbands, children, dogs, guests, etc. they just don’t work. I always kid my husband that we should do everything in white linen but where would the kids live. :)
I love the look…in someone else’s home! I have 3 boys, it would never work :)
Please, please…someone convince we that I wouldn’t regret getting white slipcovers!! I have 5 kids…4 boys! I’ve always fantasized about getting them, but have been so afraid it would not work out for me.
I love them and in my dreams they would be beautiful. But they are just not a realistic decorating choice for me. I would be constantly cleaning them. Anything that I decorate with that ultimately makes me have to babysit was just a bad decision on my part.
Love the look, but know what my four little girls see when they see white sheets, blankets or anything else white…a big piece of paper!!!
Ah…maybe someday, huh?
Love white slip covers and would love to have them in our family room because our furniture doesn’t match LOL! But I would need something that could take regular washing (husband, three kids, two cats) and wouldn’t be a pain for me to get on and off.
I *love* white slipcovers. I have entertained the thought many times but with 4 kids living here, I don’t think it’s such a great idea. I have darker colored taupe furniture now that I paid the extra $100 for the stain protection. I’m so glad I did because I am constantly finding weird marks, something sticky or slimy, etc. Luckily it comes right off. Anyway, I really love the look of white slipcovers. Maybe when my kids are all gone away to college. haha
I’m currently making white duck cloth slipcovers for my ugly hand-me-down couch & loveseat. I have a black lab, a 2 & 1/2 year old boy and a baby on the way…it doesn’t scare me because white is SO EASY to get stains out of! I use all white sheets & towels so that everything matches (any sheet can go in any room) and bleach or Fehls Naptha soap is the BEST at getting stains out. I’ve found using colors in my towels or sheets means the stains NEVER come out and nothing matches. White all the way! Especially with little kids and pets!
I love the look — but I am too scared of them. Too many kids with dirty hands and cheeto faces…
love the look, but wouldn’t stay white with my kids! My questions is where do you find a slipcover that will actually fit right? My couch is SO old and I”m sick of looking at the pattern on it, but it is still in such great shape I hate to get a new couch.
I love that house Joni did. Gorgeous!
I have a white slipcover on one of my sofas–it was cheaper than buying a new piece of furniture, for sure. It can be a pain to take care of, tho. I dread washing it because it has to be ironed after it comes out (not an easy task because it’s so big) and then it’s tough to get it back on, adjusted, and looking right.
With two kids in the house, it’s nice that I do have the option of washing it, though! :-)
I love the look – if the person that has them keeps them clean. I guess you could say I like a washable white cotton slipcover. If I had a slipcover type of couch I’d have two slipcovers, a tan or taupe for fall and winter and a white/washable one for spring and summer.
You know, all my home decorating blogs I love the most are white fanatics. I love seeing the newest DIY display of what white spray paint can do. I’ve got my own box full of things waiting for white spray paint….or black. My home however sports a nice beachy pale blue accept my jewelry studieo and kitchen which are green (hubbies office resembles a car board box right now, but we’re working on that). My white at the moment comes in the form of painting the eggshell baseboards, door trim, doors and windows white. My cat and one year old dictate that leather furniture are the best options for now. White is only a dream for now.
I think they’re beautiful but also kind of bare and stark looking. I guess I prefer warmer tones. And yeah… keeping them clean would be no fun with my husband, 16 month old, and 3 year old. Oh, and the cat. At least with our leather sofa I can just wipe off anything weird that they manage to spill!
These are gorgeous. I love both of these rooms. My house has to have darker colors to “wear” well with Little Buddy. He’s all boy! I’d end up with “all boy” on “white.” Not so gorgeous!
I am looking for ideas on slips though. What’s in style in a darker tone?
I just had a white slipcover done on my living room sofa. I love it! I chose a washable white fabric. If you get a chance, you can check out the before and after on my blog {I believe I finally posted the finished sofa in January}. I can’t tell you though how many people in my extended family have said, “White?”. Hello – I said it’s WASHABLE. For some reason I don’t think they hear that part.
I absolutely LOVE my white slipcovers to death! People think they’re harder to keep clean, but I just rip mine off and throw them in the wash with bleach. They’re really quite easy! I wouldn’t have it any other way!
I had white slipcovers on my sofa long before it was “in”(about 6 years ago). And to save my sanity I sent the sofa to live with a friend. I loved how it looked – when it was clean. I have 4 boys and it just wasn’t practical for us any longer. I like to LIVE in and on my furniture without stress. I’m just too type A to not worry about the dirt. I know it seems like you can just yank off the slipcover and wash it real quick, but it really wasn’t as effortless as I thought.
We too have 2 bedrooms with white bedding and use all white towels. Those are SO much easier to manage.
I have decided to just love my red couch until my youngest is a little older and then we will revisit my long lost white slip covered sofa.
I have 5 kids (4boys) age 10 and under and I have them. It works ok for us. I toss them in the laundry every other month, or so. But I am a bit strict about eating in the formal living room, more relaxed in the family room. Nester, I love the Albans family room, these pale blue wallcollor has been growing to me lately, especially in combination with seagrass!
I love this look, but I know my son “The Messmaker” would have it covered in food bits inside of a week. And even my girls would manage to grind damp Cheerios into the fabric. It just happens. I know a lot of people say they snap right back with a good wash in OxyClean, but I have my doubts — I’ve just seen too many white shirts that my kids have christened with some unknown substance that then refuses to come out, in spite of OxyClean, bleach, Zout, Grandma’s, Energine, whatever. I also agree with the person who said the white can look a little stark — I guess it’s a look I like in other people’s houses.
First, I want to add a disclaimer here, I am only answering honestly because you asked. I normally wouldn’t add my two cents unless it was a nice pretty comment wrapped with a big bow. But here goes. I am a little tired of seeing white slipcovers everywhere. And I do mean everywhere. You really can’t pick up a decor magazine these days without seeing it….everywhere! I think there is alot to be said for some good old fashioned originality. And I believe that’s what everyone loves about YOU – your originality shows through in everything that you do ;)
I LOVE my new white slipcovers! See my post here: http://myhouseofgiggles.blogspot.com/2010/02/im-in-white-slipcover-bliss.html . I’ve had them for about a month now, and am having no problem with keeping them clean. I have two boys….granted, one is only 5 months, but my almost 3 year old is not exactly clean or careful. I haven’t had to wash them yet, and they look almost perfect. For some reason, I’m just not all that worried about them. :) I got them at walmart.com and they’re made by Surefit, so aren’t expensive. I love how they transformed my room!
Beautiful. But people with white slipcovers can not own dogs or kids. So I’m automatically disqualified. Boo!
I LOVE this look! But I have four wonderful little children in my home and that equals lots of dirty little fingers so this will never for me! ha~
I love white slipcovers, but with seven kids, it’s just asking for heartache. There are just some things that no amount of bleach will get out. Seriously.
i love them. i want white denim ones.
I had white slipcovered couches in my house for years. LOVE LOVE LOVE them, even with three dogs, a cat, and a family.
I love them. They make me smile. :) (see?)
I think they freshen up a room and give it a nice, clean look. But what I do not love is the shoe marks and sticky, crumby fingerprints my bebes would leave all over them. Maybe when I’m 60…..
I LOVE the look of white slipcovers, but I”m a neat freak, and I have five children! I read somewhere from someone that has white slipcovers that they “only” take them off and wash them once a week! I don’t think I’m ready for that. I have one chair that is a light khaki color that hardly ever gets sat on, and I’m constantly dabbing off dirt and food. That being said, though, I love white things that you have to clean all the time, because you KNOW that they are clean! I can’t say that about my brown couch! :)