apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

It's hard to tell from the photo--are the cushions attached to the frame? If not, maybe a futon cover would work. I've never seen sofa slipcovers that worked with that kind of frame. A big rug might help brighten up the room generally.

Wasn't this posted the other day?

Well, I think that if you get a couple of cheap pillows and tie them to the arms with rope or something; preferably tying them to that vertical part below the arms, then you'd have cushioned arms under the slip-cover that you put over the whole thing.

I also thought this was posted the other day, am I going crazy? For the record, a friend of mine purchased a cover for her futon mattress and that worked fine. Not sure of the dimensions of that couch but I imagine you could find something similar, even if all the cushions fit inside the one cover.

If you're a little crafty you could sew covers for each of the cushions, you'd just need some cheap sheets/tablecloths in whatever color/pattern you like, and a sewing machine.

I also would not cover the arms. I just think you'd have to go to great lengths not to make it look a bit odd, and even then you might not succeed.

Buy some brightly patterned bold fabric -- Ikea has bright and cheap fabrics or Urban Outfitters has bright bedcovers -- and just cover the cushions, tucking the fabric underneath. (Or actually sew it, if you're crafty). I think something bright pink and orange or red would look good with the dark wooden arms.

Something that ugly has to get more ostentatious to look good.

How about playing up the log cabin look with some antlers, or some other campy decor, and an oil painting a la Bob Ross? These "ugly" things can be bought dirt cheap at thrift stores and garage sales.

What about covering the cushions and then painting the wooden frame? White always works, or you could go bolder depending on your style.

the Burnt furniture by Maarten Baas is what comes into my head...

I like Lucy's idea of painting the wood; if not white, maybe black? (That is IF the hand-me-down furniture is not on loan, but is yours to keep now).

THEN... you could measure all the cushions, and then if you don't want to make new cushion covers, go out and buy some new cushions that size at something like a Pier 1 or Ikea or something and use those instead!

- Curtis

If you're not handy with a sewing machine, and don't really care about the couch, try covering it with fabric, but use a staple gun and/or glue gun. Its pretty quick and it can look better than just draping material. I did this once to an old couch using a really great red, ribbed material. It only took a few hours! I'd look online (ebay, reproductionfabrics.com, or reprodepot.com) or at Ikea for fabric.

there are also terrific upholstery pins that usually have clear plastic heads attached to little corkscrew pins that you twist into the upholstery underneath, securing whatever fabric/sheeting/etc. you want to cover the cushions. those work great and stay in place.

I agree with the above suggestions to paint the wooden parts....perhaps you could pick a bright color to make it look bold and intentional, and then use a completely matching upholstery fabric to cover the cushions....so that it looks like you planned it that way....think about those new bright solid color baroque upholstered chairs that seem to be the rage (can't find a link right now). Could look really hot if you played up the "early american" vernacular with other totally solid colored shapes, like silhouettes, eagle convex mirrors, and fancy porcelain.

Of course if you have to put money into this monstrosity, couldn't you just ditch the couch and buy something inexpensive from ikea? they have some sofas that aren't bad for the price...I have one in my playroom I got from the "as-is" and paid less than $200 for and it has lasted 6 years now....and that's with 4 kids bouncing on it every day!

If it belongs to you now, you have three good options.

A) Paint the wood parts and cover the cushions, as suggested above. I'd paint the wood a really bold color, and cover the cushions in a neutral. A neutral with a tone-on-tone pattern would be especially nice.

B) Cover the cushions as stated, but instead of painting the wood, you could upholster it. You can get quilt batting in sheets from a fabric or craft store. wrap the wooden parts in batting, and affix it to the frame with a staple gun. Then tightly staple your chosen fabric over the batting. Look online for DIY upholstered bed frame how-tos to get a good idea of how this works.

C) scrap the wooden frame and make an improvised lounge area with the cushions (add lots more cushions, too, if you can get them, and maybe create some structure with a twin sized mattress, a platform of some kind, one of those big beanbag things, or something else unconventional and fun). You're 18! This is probably the only time in your life you'll be able to rock having a pile of pillows instead of a couch.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/good-questions/good-questions-help-me-save-my-first-apartment-031217

THROW IT OUT

Forget sewing - too much work. If you can remove the cushions just cover them with black denim. Just wrap the cushions like Christmas presents and use electrical tape on the backs and bottoms of the cushions. That way you can remove the fabric and toss it in the washing machine whenever you need.
As far as the frame, sand it, prime it and paint it white.
Toss on some pillows with a graphic print and you are done - all in 2-3 hours and less than $50.

I've covered cushions with bedsheets and it works pretty well, at least good enough for college. If you can fit a futon cover over it, you should be able to get a basic one for $20.

If you really want a more "couchy" type couch, you could wrap pillows around the arms (tape them in place) and use a regular slipcover. I lived in an on-campus apartment that came with similar type couches, and my roommate used this approach with them. They did look a lot better and were more comfortable, but be warned that you spend a lot of time readjusting the slipcover. I'd recommend a three-piece slipcover set, which has a separate piece to wrap the lower cushions and an adjustable skirt to go around the bottom. I got a nice one from Target a year ago and it really stays in place.

Set it on fire (outside of the apartment for safety purposes.)

why did you ever accept that thing. It may have worked in someone elses house but in an updated apartment like yours, its just hideous. At first I thought that you could paint it white, then try to use large pillow case covers to cover each piece. Then I thought that you could paint the thing a nice bright orange, Frieda Khalo style the cushions with some kind of bright print, but then I remembered the space. It is very modern. Ikea is the way to go here. for about 200 or 300 bucks you could manage to get more appropriate.
Of course, its nice to have these ill fitting pieces in our lives. 10 years from now, your friends will say, " Remember that couch?" It's got a dark heavy presence that will take up space in your mind forever and ever.

This was posted the other day and I find it very annoying that it's been listed again considering it's one of the least interesting posts ever.

Yep, it was posted on Sept 5 with a different title: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/good-questions/good-questions-help-me-save-my-first-apartment-031217

Editors, please don't do this again.

I didn't see it the first time, but now that I see that the first version has appeared on the Hot Posts, it seems like it got kind of a lot of play the first time. Well, the asker of the question certainly won't suffer from a dearth of ideas.

I say paint all your wood furniture the same colour including the couch wooden parts - maybe cream or white. Keep the brown plaid cushions - they are almost funky now.

Or - I have seriously heard of people painting couch upholstery with latex paint. If you did all of your furniture in the same colour of white and did the cushions as well, it could look kinda cool. Then add a thrift store blanket for colour and to make the couch feel less icky.

I HAD THIS COUCH IN COLLEGE!
awww, nostalgia.

i covered it too- at different times, i used either a zippered futon mattress cover or a cheap duvet cover from ikea, safetypinned shut.
put the case on the floor, place all 6 cushions inside, close 'er up, and off you go.

i wouldn't bother painting the wood, it'll just chip off because the wood is varnished already, right? and who the hell wants to sand that thing? just pick a cover colour that will match the dark brown. maybe dark blue, to match your other couch.

I don't think this post is "annoying" because it is a true test of creativity...

Instead of focusing on how to change the couch, you could consider how to build your room around the couch ~ in essence, embrace it ~ You could focus on changing the couches' surrounding ~ consider a larger than life mural from ebay such as

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-7-5FT-Asia-Bamboo-Forest-Wallpaper-Mural-WALL-DECOR_W0QQitemZ290118926608QQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116


http://cgi.ebay.com/Forest-Of-Life-Window-Wallpaper-Mural_W0QQitemZ120302186361QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item120302186361&_trkparms=72%3A1163%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

then add some pillows to 'pop' and paint the other wall and get some cheap fabric to throw on the futon at a local fabric store. maybe some faux fur.