Inspiration: Slipcovered Eames Chair for Summer

Slipcovers are a natural part of summer decorating. They're especially practical in a beach house where sandy feet and wet bottoms can quickly ruin the upholstery. When a friend wondered if she could give her Eames chair the slipcover treatment, my first thought was to answer her with a resounding 'No!" And then, I came across this picture…

This slipcover by Les Indiennes — an authority on attractive slipcovers — demonstrates how to work the look on a modern chair.

Start with a casual fabric with a bit of body to it: This appealing block-printed fabric achieves just the right balance of exotic and modern to work.
Keep it clean and neat: A closely tailored fit keeps the slipcover from overwhelming the chair.
Let the lines of the piece shine through: Allowing the chair's stand to show keeps the look fresh and cheeky.
Slipcover pillows separately: A separate slipcover for a pillow prevents the look from veering into sloppy territory.

Image: Les Indiennes

Comments (16)

I think this is ugly, and there is no way I'd cover a gorgeous Eames chair with it. If you are covered in sunlotion/perspiration/sand/whatever, don't sit in the chair until you've cleaned up. Really not hard. Don't make classic furniture suffer for your own bad habits.

No!! If you leave next to a sandy beach just refrain from the eames chair until you wash your feet or until your bottoms dry. If you do not leave next to a sandy beach and you have wet bottoms just wear a nappy, but in any case just do not slipcover it

A slipcover kind of defeats the point of owning this chair because it has such a classic design. BUT, I love it for a non Eames chair! Definitely digging those stripes!

OMG! Next you're going to tell me that you would like to see Heidi Klum in one of your grandmother's polyester house coats. This is a disaster.

That's not Eames Chair - or even an Eames Chair knockoff...

...it's a George Mulhouser "Mr Chair" by Plycraft

I think that this is very unattractive and do not understand the appeal at all, but it doesn't do any permanent damage (prevents it, in fact) to the chair so I'd say go for it if that's your thing. Personally, I'd opt for leaving the chair uncovered and placing it in a room that doesn't see wet bodies so much, or just avoiding it when you're fresh in from the beach. Alternatively, it might be worth it to have it reupholstered in a durable, easy to clean fabric.

I think it's fine for seasonal use! If your friend really wants to do it, it's her chair after all. It's nicer to see furniture being used. And the slipcover isn't bad at all.

I think some people are srsly underestimating how much some other people sweat in the summertime? Unless there's central air, any chair I sit on in the summer is going to take some wear and tear and I might be really worried about that on an heirloom piece! I think the slipcover takes all the guilt and worry out, from June-October.

Ew. The slip cover looks like it would dissuade anyone from actually using the chair, like it's supposed to be in storage.

Well, if I had a beach house, I probably wouldn't furnish it with Eames chairs. But slipcovers are nice for a beach house, for many reasons. You just can't guarantee everyone's going to be clean and dry. I helped my mom sew some covers for round upholstered chairs at her lake cottage, and it not only looks summery, but it's perfect for the climate. We used outdoor fabric and it's held up well.

That slip cover is criminal.

"...my first thought was to answer her with a resounding 'No!" And then, I came across this picture… and my mind was made up on the subject: It would have to be a cold day in Hell before I let my friend do that to her chair."

Friends don't let friend make ugly mistakes.

dustinstruckmyer you took the words out of my mouth. AT are you pulling out legs??

Sorry, but that's hideous. Move the chair to a place or home that's suited to the style/lifestyle and replace with a chair that can handle the sand and wet bottoms.