Let’s talk about loose covers.

Back in the 1980s, loose covers became really popular. The idea was appealing, the sofa body was plainly upholstered in a base cloth, a calico for example and the cover pulled on with fixings at the back by ties or velcro. Some sofas came with two sets of loose covers so you could switch seasonally or fancied a change. You could order new loose covers too and we have made many replacement loose covers over the years. The downsides are that when washed the covers tended to shrink which made re-fitting a bit of a battle, once fitted they tend to lose the tailored look and looked a little miss-shapen and untidy. Avoid washing if you can, if you do, re-fit when damp.

Can we make new loose covers for a sofa?

Yes, we can make loose covers for any sofa or chair. We tailor make the covers to fit the furniture bespoke tested against each panel. We do not replicate using the original covers as a template. We can make loose covers for a sofa or chair that previously did not have loose covers and we can fully upholster a sofa or chair traditionally too rather than staying with loose covers.

Is there another loose cover option?

Yes, fully reupholster the furniture and add full-size arm caps and removable cushion cases. This option allows you to remove and wash the main fabric areas with the benefit of the fitted upholstered look.

Photos of loose covers we have made are shown below.