Dining chair covers: The easy dining room makeover hack

Tired of your old, drab dining chairs that have been the same shade of dirty beige for as long as you can remember?

Then, it may be time for your to invest in some custom dining chair covers for your dining area and give it the lift-up that it deserves.

Whether you like the ultra-chic modern farmhouse-styled, long-skirted dining chair covers or if you prefer the snug-fitting dining chair covers, we’ve, well, got you covered.

Not only can you get a slipcover for your weary, aged chairs, but you can also put your own spin to it.

Here are some ideas that you can use to make your own custom dining chair slipcovers that suit your style and decor.

#1 Piping/Cording

Piping are a fun way to make your dining chair covers stand out. You can play it safe by going with matching piping options. If you’re feeling a little bold, opt for contrasting piping, which would look especially amazing on dining chairs with armrests.

#2 Bows

Comfort Works X Freckled Laundry Project

Bows are just perfect if you’re looking for sweet, demure touch to add to your custom dining chair covers. You can add the bows along the back of the chair as slipcover ties. Definitely a perfect choice for those looking for the shabby, farmhouse look.

#3 Pleats

If you’re looking for a classic, cottage-style look for your dining chair covers, then you can try adding pleats to them. Longer pleats give you a polished look while shorter pleats add a bit of a daring and fun streak to your slipcovers.

#4 Buttons

Image Credit: Greenlaureldesigns@Etsy

Ever heard the expression, ‘cute as a button’? That’s exactly what buttons do for your dining chair covers, make them even cuter. You can add them to the spine of your slipcover or even on the side of the seat as an adorable addition.

Design Your Very Own Dining Chair Covers

Now that we’ve given you some ideas to toy around with, go crazy and run with it. You can always drop us an email at info@comfortworks.com.au and ask us which style and customization would be best for your dining room.

If we missed any of your favorite detailing on custom dining chair covers, let us know in the comments below.

 

 

The complete IKEA outdoor sofa review

Looking to get an IKEA outdoor sofa where you can envision yourself lounging under the sun, or even beneath the stars at night?

Let’s find out which IKEA outdoor sofa is the best for you.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  1. Applaro
  2. Solleron
  3. Bondholmen
  4. Nammaro
  5. Segeron

1. Applaro

white-IKEA-outdoor-sofa
Image credit: IKEA

The Applaro is made of hardwood and that itself gives it the effortless, relaxed look that makes it fitting for the outdoors. This range is very much suited for patio decoration and it has a wide range of furniture besides seating units. This series has outdoor grills with cabinets right up to outdoor dining table sets. 

Design-wise, the Applaro has the stereotypical outdoor design: wooden finishing, square slits and an overall squarish outline. It’s a fairly modern design and interestingly, is armless. This gives you a more fluid seating layout which you can re-shuffle whenever you need to. You can also remove the cushions and use the sections as they are, for a full-on outdoorsy feel.

The comfort factor for this IKEA outdoor sofa series is in that it has additional cushions for its sofas and loveseats, in place of the armrests. The movable cushions are also an interesting feature, allowing you the freedom to get creative with them. Convert the seat cushions as floor cushions on your patio, just for lounging around. Cool, huh?

The Applaro can be used interchangeably outdoors and indoors, owing to its design style. Its knife-edged back cushions make up for the stiff and unforgiving feel of the wooden frame, giving you just the right amount of support you need.

UPGRADE YOUR IKEA APPLARO SOFA

2. Solleron

Grey-outdoor-couch
Image credit: IKEA

The distant cousin to the discontinued IKEA Arholma, the Solleron is similar yet subtly unique. Despite having the same modular design as the Arholma, the Solleron stands out due to its typical, wide, square arms and its single, statement-piece sections.

The Solleron has a comparatively limited fluidity, a contrast to the endless sectional combinations promised by the Arholma’s design, and this is mainly due to its chunky armrest design. But, this also gives the Solleron its ability to stand out and fill the room with only a few pieces, instead of needing to construct a giant sofa in order to decorate the outside of your home.

The Solleron and the Arholma earned similar scores for comfort. The Solleron, however, has a slight upper hand. The seat cushions are much wider, providing more uniform back support, no matter where on the couch you decide to sit on.

A Solleron 3-seater is $1,095, a bit on the higher side. The price does not really justify the design and comfort, seeing that it closely resembles the Arholma, which is comparatively cheaper.

UPGRADE YOUR IKEA SOLLERON SOFA

3. Bondholmen

grey-outdoor-couch-patio
Image credit: IKEA

Compared to the previous 2 models, the Bondholmen comes in a cool-toned grey instead of a warm brown colour. Although it’s a neutral that’s easy to fit into all kinds of spaces, there’s also a possibility that the Bondholmen could look dull.

As versatile as it is, going with the few neutral cushion covers from IKEA may make you feel like there is a need for more spice to your Bondholmen. In comes the Summer Vibes Collection, with a wide range of vibrant-coloured couch covers for you to choose from, complete with stain-resistant, liquid-resistant, mildew-resistant and UV protection for the best indoor-outdoor use.

upgrade your ikea bondholmen sofa

Everything about the Bondholmen screams summer, including the way it’s built. It is made out of eucalyptus wood, which has a naturally high oil content that helps protect against weather, wind and mould. Plus, its plastic feet keep the furniture dry in case it comes in contact with damp surfaces. 

The Bondholmen makes storing easy too as you’re able to stack 2 armchairs on top of one another to save some space. 

Priced at $809 for a 4-seater set that comes with a table, we’d say the price of the Bondholmen matches its value because of what it offers.

4. Nammaro

Wooden-outdoor-couch-white-cushion-backyard
Image credit: IKEA

A new one in the market, the Nammaro looks great whether it’s with the Kuddarna or Duvholmen cushions. As it is a current model, the Nammaro is available in several variations such as the 2-seater, 3-seater, chaise, armchair, table etc. Although each piece is different, the similar designs allow you to mix and match all the items in the series easily, according to your preference and the space that you have.

Made of high-density acacia wood, the Nammaro is durable and is definitely going to last years. Durability aside, we like how it’s designed to look so casual and inviting, as if it’s telling us to go sit down and relax on it, all the time. However, the IKEA cushions that can be used with Nammaro may not be as comfortable due to the fabric. 

We have what they don’t – the Summer Vibes Collection. Colourful and comfortable to the touch, these couch covers bring the fun into your home this season. Available in 14 different colours and 4 different fabrics, you will be spoiled for choice.

UPGRADE YOUR IKEA NAMMARO SOFA

The Nammaro 4-seater conversation set is priced at $645, which we think is quite affordable, especially because it comes together with a table. In this set, only the individual seats have armrests, whereas the 2-seater does not. However, they do have the Nammaro backrest sold separately, so you can just add them to the seats for support if you’d like.

If you want the Nammaro sofa for a lower price, then you should look at the 3-seater (with backrests attached at the sides and the back) that costs only $485 for the Kuddarna cushion option.

5. Segeron

white-outdoor-couch-backyard
Image credit: IKEA

Powder-coated in white, the Segeron steel frames can transform any outdoor space into a spot of elegance. Although stylish with the beige or dark grey Frösön/Duvholmen cushions, we think that outdoor sofas could be so much more fun with vibrant-coloured, stain-resistant and fade-resistant sofa covers from our Summer Vibes Collection.

upgrade your ikea segeron sofa

Another thing we like about the IKEA Segeron is that you’re able to combine different seating sections according to how you want it. Whether it’s because of the space you have, the style in which you prefer it to be or the shape that floats your boat, it’s easy to design the space with the Segeron.

Priced at $1,025 for the 3-seat conversation set, the Segeron is a little more hefty compared to the other outdoor sofa models mentioned above. However, we think the IKEA Segeron looks really good and so we’d say it’s like paying a huge amount for its aesthetics.

As pretty as it looks, there are still flaws to the IKEA Segeron. The seat and back cushions may be comfortable, but they slide off easily from the frame. We recommend getting anti-slip cushion pads or even tie-back cushions so that you’re not sliding off the sofa every few minutes.

Now that you’ve got the complete IKEA outdoor sofa review, let us know which one will be your pick!

Don’t forget that you can always change the look and functionality of your outdoor sofa just by slipping on sofa covers.

Transform my outdoor sofa for the summer

Buying furniture: What’s worth splurging on and what’s not

So you just moved into a new apartment and don’t have so much as a bed to your name.

Should you just go to IKEA and load up your car with everything you need there, or head to a fancy-ish furniture showroom to buy some pieces that have the potential to put your bank account in jeopardy?

Yes, the cost of furnishing a new home can add up pretty quickly, but buying cheap furniture that will likely fall apart in just a couple of years won’t necessary cost you less in the long-run.

Likewise, investing in sturdy, timeless pieces that you can move with from the get-go can end up saving you more money as well as a ton of misery, time and energy in the future.

With that said, how do you decide which items to save on and which ones you should splurge on?

Here’s our breakdown of your next moves:

FURNITURE THAT YOU SPEND THE MOST TIME ON: SPLURGE

Photo: Toa Heftiba / Unsplash

It can be tempting to splash your cash on a shiny new TV the minute you move in, but if you barely have time to watch TV, it’s probably worth making room in your budget for something else instead.

To start with, consider the areas of your new home where you plan to spend the most time in.

For example, you’d typically spend 7-8 hours a night sleeping, so it would make sense that your bed frame and mattress should deserve a healthy slice of your furnishing budget.

If you love curling up on your sofa to read for hours a day, then a long-lasting, beautifully-made sofa could be a priority for you.

Love cooking? Investing in a kitchen that will allow you to nurture your passion for whipping up home-cooked meals for friends and family should be on the top of your shopping list.

STATEMENT PIECES: SPLURGE

Photo: Tim Wright / Unsplash

These are pieces that catch your as soon as you enter a room and showcase your unique sense of style as well personality.

They’re the ones that make any space feel like yours, and you want to keep even as you move on from one property to another—the beautifully-embroidered armchair that reflects your love for all things intricate or the vintage coffee table that reminds you of your grandma’s living room.

While it’s important to take functionality first and foremost into consideration, never discount the way you feel about a piece of furniture before you drop cash for it.

STORAGE: SAVE

Photo: Brina Blum / Unsplash

Now that you know where to spend your hard-earned cash, let’s dive into the areas where you should pull back a little more.

Our first recommendation? Items in your home where pure function takes precedence. These include rugs, throws, cushions, shelves, cabinets and hidden drawers in your closet.

Remember: Some of these items will eventually break down, get soiled and need replacing, or you’ll likely outgrow them altogether, so it makes sense to look for affordable deals at IKEA, Target or sites like overstock.com rather than spend a pretty penny on them.

OCCASIONAL-USE PIECES: SAVE

Photo: Jeff Sheldon / Unsplash

Unless you’re living with family or like to throw frequent parties, it’s best to save on items that don’t get much traffic like bedside tables, dining chairs as well as garden and guest room furniture.

If you’re on the market for old, hardwood pieces but are on a tight budget, consider skipping the furniture showrooms altogether in favour of thrift and discount furniture stores, as well as sites like Craigslist, eBay or Freecycle, where you can score used gems for cheap or even free.

Should you choose to go down the used furniture route, be sure to examine the pieces you’re considering for damage, wear and tear, and pests so that they don’t hitch a ride home with you.

Now that you’re armed with the dos and don’ts of furniture shopping, it’s time for you to start shopping around so that you can make the best call for your space and budget.

Remember: Cheap won’t always save you money and expensive won’t necessarily cost you more.

Have fun and good luck!

Got a sofa you love that needs a fresh, new look? Make it look as good as a new upholstered sofa with one of our handmade slipcovers :) You can order fabric samples right here.

Feature photo: Karolina Szczur / Unsplash

Save space with sectional sofas

Feeling the need to redecorate but have very little real estate to work with?

No problemo.

We have all the hacks you need to re-decorate small spaces using sectionals.

#1 Use Sectionals As Dividers

Use L-shaped sectionals as a divide between the rest of the room and the seating area. This gives you your own cosy and private corner for social events or family time.

#2 Mix and Match Sections

Combine different sections to fit your living space and lifestyle. It’s really just like playing Tetris, but with furniture.

#3 Take Up Corners

Use sections to fill up corners. This makes the room look bigger and it creates more space for other decor items.

#4 Use Footstool Seats

Footstool sections make great backless seating, especially if you have friends over and the sofa is already spilling over with people.

#5 Go Armless

Image Credit: Vcfideas.com

Armless sections can fit just about anywhere and in any configuration. This gives you more flexibility to change up your living space whenever you feel like it.

#6 Use Corner Units

Image Credit: Pinterest.com

Bring out the corner unit and use it as an armchair. Pair it with a footstool and you’ll have a cute chaise.

#7 Use Multipurpose Sections

Use sections that can double into something else when not in use. Footstools with storage can double as seating area, a coffee table and storage space when not in use.

With some careful planning and Tetris skills, you should have something that looks like this:

Or this:

Maybe even this:

Bonus: If you’re getting bored with same old color for your IKEA sectional, check out our IKEA sectional sofa covers with over 70+ fabrics to choose from!

Now that you have all the secrets to using sectionals in small spaces, put them to the test and let us know how it went in the comments below.

Sofa struggles? We've got you covered.

From pet mishaps to everyday spills, our sofa covers tackle life's little messes effortlessly.

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Stuck with a stained sofa?

Stuck with a stained sofa?

Spills happen, but they don't have to stay. Our stain-resistant, machine-washable slipcovers make cleanup effortless.

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Need an outdoor-friendly couch cover?

Need an outdoor-friendly couch cover?

Sun, rain, and spills are no match for our UV-protected sofa covers, designed to handle the elements in style.

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Pets love your sofa a little too much?

Pets love your sofa a little too much?

Claws, fur, and accidents won't ruin your space. Our pet-friendly sofa covers are tough, stylish, and easy to clean.

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Moving in, but your sofa doesn't fit the space?

Moving in, but your sofa doesn't fit the space?

Update your sofa to match your new home with a sofa cover that changes the style without replacing the frame.

Revive your sofa