Remember back when we got our conference room slash hotel-ish parsons chairs on Craiglist for $25 a pop?
We always envisioned cheerful apple green ones (and even tried a crazy chair-painting project with limited zero success) so in the end we admitted that slipcovers or reupholstering would be the way to go.
And after a long a$$ time spent going back and forth between the merits of slipcovers and reupholstering we decided that slipcovers would ultimately be the best choice for us (since we love the idea of tossing them into the wash). But we didn’t want anything fussy and long for fear of taking the dining room from hotel conference room to hotel banquet hall. So first we did some serious slipcover seeking and found a silhouette that we both liked. We landed on a no longer sold Pottery Barn option because we both appreciated the clean-lined mostly-fitted look and the short skirt for that show-me-some-leg effect
But alas, they weren’t the green tone that we wanted and they weren’t the right measurements to fit our chairs. Oh yeah and they weren’t even sold anymore (and when they were they weren’t in our budget anyway). After a bit more digging we came across some off-white ones from World Market with the same basic silhouette and they were a lot closer to our chair’s measurements. Although they didn’t come in a happy apple green color (and instead were off-white) I’m no stranger to dyeing things (like my wedding dress), so I thought it might be fun to give green dye a shot.
But of course being the cheap-o that I am, I hemmed and hawed and didn’t even show them to John at their original $60 for two price tag. I know, I know- $30 per slipcover isn’t a bad price but for some reason I was just too scared to pull the trigger. So that tab remained open on my computer for a while without me taking any action- not even just the show-your-husband-and-see-what-he-thinks kind. Then I got an email from World Market saying that a lot of their dining stuff was on sale. Dining stuff? Does that include slipcovers? Off to that always-open slipcover tab I flew, and hit refresh. Bam, $20 off!
Instead of $60 for two they were marked down to $40 for two (just $20 a pop). Heck, I doubt I could have bought fabric and thread to DIY my own slipcovers for that price (especially if you factor in a laaaaarge margin of error and hours spent screaming into a pillow). And my nightmare was ending up with eight slipcovers that were wonky and abnormal (since repeating the same steps eight times would surely yield some being looser or longer or weirder than others).
Yup, $23 slipcovers definitely sounded like the perfect complement to my $25 chairs. So I did that little tap-your-man-on-the-shoulder-and-tell-him-you-found-something thing and then waited to gauge John’s interest. And he proved that I know him well, but not that well. His response? “We should get ten instead of eight. That way if we have any dyeing issues we have extras on hand and if we don’t need them we can return the extras to the store to avoid shipping fees (World Market is nice like that).”
I’m used to him saying “we don’t need that.” So I can’t argue with a man who wants to buy more of something. Especially such a practical man with such good points about dyeing and returning the extras if we didn’t need ’em. Alrighty then. Ten it was. The total for all 10 slipcovers including shipping and sales tax came out to $232, which made each slipcover just $23 a pop (with a possibility of recouping $40 if we didn’t have any dyeing issues and returned the extra two to the store – for a total of $192 spent).
So we ordered them and waited what felt like forever for them to show up (in reality it was probably around 2 weeks) and then I excitedly unwrapped one to slip it onto our chairs to judge how good the fit actually was…
Talk about a womp-womp moment.
I realized I could probably attempt to tailor them myself to get a better fit, but that’s still waaaaay outside of my beyond-beginner skill set (I know someone will tell me it’s easy and I can do it but I’m all about working up to stuff like that and messing around with idiot proof projects like pillows and runners while I build up my confidence). So instead I decided to take the easy way out and wash one in hot water to see how much it would shrink up. Just as an experiment. Into the wash it went and I waited for the beep to signify that it was time to toss it into the dryer about a half hour later.
As I went to put it into the dryer I decided to check the tag to make sure it was ok to put it on high heat (for maximum shrinkage). That’s when I saw that the tag said “dry clean only.” Whaaaaaat?????? Who the heck sells slipcovers that have to be dry cleaned? Isn’t the whole point of slipcovers to be easy to just toss into the laundry pile?
Perhaps in an act of defiance (or sheer lunacy) I decided to high heat dry it. I had already washed it in hot water so I just went for it. I was hoping it would come out fitting really well and then I’d know that I could continue to machine wash them at home (because dry cleaning slipcovers isn’t an option for someone like me – I mean I can machine wash my sectional’s slipcovers, so why would my dining chairs be allowed to be high maintenance?).
When it came out of the dryer it was all warm and delicious and it didn’t look like the cover for a dollhouse chair or anything so I was semi-enthused. I ran over to one of my chairs and slipped it on. Holy bananas, it was almost a perfect fit. Still a tiny bit loose on the sides, but perfectly fitted nearly everywhere else and the slight imperfection of the semi-loose sides didn’t bother me (we’re down with the casual lived-in look, and actually worried that the dining room would feel too formal, so it was a pretty great place to end up).
This story will probably perpetuate the we’re-perfect-and-nothing-ever-goes-wrong-here-in-YHL-world stereotype (we’re so not – more on that here) but it was one of those “ahhhhhhh” sound effect moments where angels sang and the clouds parted and a beam of heavenly light shined down on the amazing little slipcovered chair. I have no idea why it worked, but I guess it was just one of those crazy risks that paid off. Whatever, I’ll take it. And just because I love a little side by side comparison, here’s a slipcover before I washed it (in hot water and high heat dried it) next to a newly washed and dried version of the same one:
And the great news is that the covers are super thick- so none of that crazy pattern beneath them shows through – even on the chairs in front of the window with the light shining down on them. Whew.
So although I definitely still have plans to dye them apple green down the road, it’s immediately nicer not to have all that crazy hotel pattern going on in there. Although with the white walls it’s all a little… white.
We’re actually thinking that we want to paint the walls before we dye the chairs, just to be 100% sure that once the walls get a soft gray coat of color that we won’t want to keep the off-white covers for some reason. We don’t expect that we will (since they look dingy in comparison to the crisp white trim and built-ins thanks to their off-white coloring), but you know, just in case. If there’s anything that this post demonstrates, it’s that I can take my time when it comes to pulling the trigger (and then I can snap and defy the washing instructions of said item with a devil-may-care attitude while furiously biting my nails the whole time). Lookout world, I’m a wild child.
Pssst- Oh em gee. Who watched Jersey Housewives last night? What do we think about the new girl (Melissa I think) vs. Teresa? Either way, Momma Manzo is always my favorite (I love to watch her & her boys hang out in that kitchen, throwing cold cuts and talking jibberish).
Jordan@the2seasons says
Washing in hot water and drying what a great idea. Glad it all worked out can’t wait to see the green.
Oh and Real Housewives of NJ is the best one LOVE IT! It is going to be a great season.
Cathleen Pearson says
Sherry & John- have you seen the cute green slip covers from Pier 1? I saw them in person today and thought of you. They are $59 each.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes they’re cute! But a bit too patterned and frilly for us – plus we’re too cheap to spend 60 x 8. Haha.
xo,
s
Michelle Z. says
You could really (really!) easily sew up some little pillows to place on each chair. Kind of like tiny neck roll pillows. You’d get some color, and could leave the slip covers alone until you get the room painted.
Heather says
Hey! Your patio looks awesome! That party looks fun and amazing! Your kid is lucky.
Abby says
You should just leave them white-ish so you don’t have to worry about the green fading over time when you hafta wash ’em….and paint the dining room a nice green apple……my living room was that color before we moved and I LOVED it. I can’t wait to see the finished room!
P.s…..mama Manzo rocks….and the new housewives haves upped the drama…,thankfully they aren’t as demented as Danielle
Kalie says
So pretty! I love World Market coupons! We saved 400 bucks on our dining room set during one of their sales. The downside is when you don’t check your email fast enough and realize you missed the sale on an item you really wanted! Anywho can’t wait to see what soft gray color you choose for your walls, and what you end up doing with the chairs.
YoungHouseLove says
Off to check it out!
xo,
s
Ann says
That is ridiculously awesome! I can’t believe those slipcovers shrunk to near perfection and they are thick enough to cover up the other fabric! I really like the looks of the white with the dark table too.
Maria says
Congrats on the happy…accident?
I L-O-V-E green and hope you go for it if the color still works with your paint color- I think it would look great with the tones in your table.
Lara says
oh, nice one. :)
I’d have to keep the extra covers, though, for those tomato/blueberry/beet/or red wine accidents…
Kirsten says
Don’t take the extras back. Clara will probably color/cut/stain at least one in the next while – you need extras.
Plus when you get bored of them you can use an extra as a pattern. I did that – the easiest sewing project ever.
Renee says
I’ve been waiting for you to re-visit the dining room chairs. We were in the Kaiser Hospital cafeteria in Fresno, CA a couple weeks ago and lo and behold….what do we see? The exact same upholstery fabric on the chairs…except in brown tones!
Thresha says
The slipcovers look awesome!! Doesn’t even look they are slipcovers!
Kristy Swain says
Yay!! So glad the dryer thing actually helped! Looks great to me!
Anna See says
I like them! I think they would be fun left white or dyed. I searched and searched for parson’s slipcovers that didn’t sag, until I found some at Ikea that fit very snugly.
Jenna says
I feel like your post made me more brave to try and wash things in hot water…
P.S. I absolutely loved the Real Housewives of New Jersey from last night! I’m not from New Jersey, but I am an Italian and I found it embarrassing and hilarious. With all the family fighting it was like The Godfather on crack!
Ange says
It’s been said, more than once – but I have to add my comment of surprise at just how much those covers shrunk & how perfectly it worked out for you. I love that you included the side-by-side as proof of the amazing achievement. I know everyone is a big fan of white, but I’m keen to see them in a bold colour. With those lovely windows you have the green brings the outside in. I think some people just prefer the classic colours over the more risky.I’d like to see “Sue the Napkin” feature as a napkin in a table setting too, once you settle on your final choice..please. ;-)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes- Sue will be at that table someday! Hopefully someday soon!
xo,
s
Monika says
I’m so glad the slipcovers ended up working out for you guys! The chairs look so much nicer in white than the crazy hotel fabric. I look forward to seeing what they will look like green.
I’ve used iDye and had good luck with it. They have a chartreuse color that could be interesting: http://www.jacquardproducts.com/products/dyes/idye/colors.php
Also, just wanted to pass on a dying tip I learned the hard way, if you are using a dye for all natural fabrics beware that most thread is made out of a poly/cotton blend and will not change color.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tips! We’ll have to check out iDye!
xo,
s
tiffany says
you.are.brave. i would have feared total
meltdown of the fabric shape & size and then
being out $20 per chair because it would be
to late to return… good karma on your part,
they turned out great! (:
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks! I wasn’t that brave though! I only washed one cover so I would have been able to return all the rest and only be out $20 if it was a bust. I’m too cheap to risk it all! Haha.
xo,
s
Megan Elizabeth says
The whole point of slipcovers is to be able to wash them! That makes no sense, but at least it turned out okay, and I’m sure they’ll look green a bright apple green.
Sheryl J says
I love the white. If you do decide to dye them, you will have to make sure the apple green will match your future curtains too.
YoungHouseLove says
But of course! We hope to bring in some pattern with the curtains so the green layers in with that.
xo,
s
Anne says
I would keep the two extras just in case you need to replace one (or two!) because of stains that don’t come off in the wash.
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, I’m definitely now leaning towards keeping the extras as “insurance.”
xo,
s
Aurelie says
Awesome turnout! Can’t wait to see what color you guys dye them (if you do). Already looks so much better than the crazy hotel pattern.
Ms. M says
I love this! I’m glad to see the hotel-print go, too!
Vicki says
Hi Sherry! I was wondering if you could explain what a wop-wop moment is!? I’ve seen you write a few times now.
The only thing I know ‘wop’ to mean is as a racial slur, which I’m sure is not the case!
YoungHouseLove says
You know in a sitcom when something sad happens and the music goes woppp-woppppppp? Haha. That’s what I’m referring to. I hear that noise in my head when I’m doing a project that looks like it’s going to fail. Haha. It’s like a bad sound effect I try desperately to avoid!
xo,
s
Colleen P. says
You know…I’m looking at these and I’m thinking you COULD keep these on, and just hem some fabric the width of the chair, big enough to go from the back underside to the front underside, in the desired shade of green, and velcro it to the bottoms of the chair seat.
You get color, extra protection for the white slipcovers that is easily washed, and a much less exasperating time trying to dye a whole lot of slipcovers at once-experience aside, you’d probably have to do it in batches and you almost never exactly match the color from one batch to another when dying fabric at home.
Bromeliad says
Oh, I love that happy ending. I feel the same way about DC slipcovers. It’s like drycleaning a bib. What’s the point?
Kristyn says
You may have heard of this service in your area… if not, this is a cheap way to refinish chairs: http://richmondthrifter.blogspot.com/2011/04/shhhhh-best-kept-home-decor-secret.html
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah- someone told me about that recently. Who knew?!
xo,
s
Denise says
I actually bought these SAME chairs from that craigslist guy back in the day.
I was wondering if you did anything to the legs…they look darker than the ones that are on my chairs.
I’d love to get them darker, so if you had an “easy fix” for that, I’d like to hear it.
Thanks!
Denise
YoungHouseLove says
We didn’t do a thing to them! Haha. They match the table (they’re actually medium toned and not too dark just like our table) so we’re planning to leave them as is for now.
xo,
s
Diana says
Luv! But one more step might be nice…remove the cover and wrap the back with some cotton batting. That will beef up the back, fill out the slipcover and add just a bit of poofy soft goodness. Just a thought!
Rachel says
Oh dang! I’m very impressed! Thats some crazy shrinkage… I’m excited to see the final product, i do hope you guys decide to go with the funky green… i think it would match your livingroom’s theme a lot better – as opposed to the off white which would match your last house. Hurry up and paint so you can start dying!!
Martina says
Glad that solution worked for you! Our IKEA sectional TYLOSAND (no longer available) has dry clean only covers, because of shrinkage, I’m assuming. But we’ve washed all the pieces in the washing machine and now we just hang them dry to make sure they don’t shrink too much.
Felicity @ Our Little Beehive says
Nice! How often do things work out that well!? I kind of like them the color they are, can’t wait to see what you decide after you paint.
Angel says
I am not sure how I missed this post but I did. I saw the picture of your dinning room on the Nesting Place blog and what surprised. They look really nice and am glad I got to read this post. You crack me up!
molly says
Oh man, that looks so much better already!
janae says
LOVE the slipcovers (and the table)! I DID watch the RHONJ and Melissa is a beast!
amandaj says
We have those exact slipcovers! (And the chairs that go with ’em.) I love the texture and how thick they are. And, yeah, I was really bummed when I pulled one off to wash it recently (toddler had smeared avocado all over it) and saw the “dry clean only” tag. But I threw it in the washer anyway, used cold water, and air tumbled dry (no heat), and it came out great and still fit fine! I’m glad the hot water/high heat shrunk them so perfectly for you. Can’t wait to see how the dyeing works!
Michelle says
I just bought these same exact chairs. When I told my sister-in-law about them she emailed me your blog. We are going to attempt to reupholster them. I found a great website that I could purchase linen fabric for eight chairs for $100. We will see how it goes! Your house is FABULOUS!!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so funny- what a small world. Good luck with everything! Linen sounds really pretty. Feel free to post a link to photos (or submit them on our Facebook page). We’d love to see them!
xo,
s
Emily Anderson says
Have you guys ever attempted dying these or other furniture slipcovers? I have a white Ektorp ikea couch that I want gray but I don’t want to pay $250 for a new cover (I’m probably even cheaper than you guys! lol). I just have never seen tutorials for dying something that big. Would love to hear your thoughts sometime. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Here’s a dying tutorial for ya: https://www.younghouselove.com/2011/06/a-four-color-process/
xo,
s
Emily Anderson says
Oh, I didn’t even see that. Sorry and thanks for the help!
YoungHouseLove says
No worries! Good luck.
xo,
s
Erica says
I am thinking about purchasing these same slipcovers but am kind of banking on the same shrinkage you guys benefited from, as my chairs are smaller than the dimensions given for the slip covers. Would you mind sharing the dimensions of your chairs? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, they’re bout 13″ wide and the seat part is 24″ tall (not counting the legs).
xo,
s
Erica says
Great, thanks so much!
Kim says
I love this blog and I actualy love the chairs before the slipcovers (though I think its cool that you shrunk and they semi-perfectly :)
I think the crazy pattern adds a bit of character and uniqueness to the space. I think its charming. And I think the colors in the pre-slipcovered chairs look really good agains the wood.