apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I had a hard time deciding whether or not I like this, but eventually decided I do. They look almost ghostly though -- not breezy.

Oh I like them a lot. And I think they'd be especially pretty in metallic sheers, and sherbet colors.

This is missing the choice for those who are wondering why on earth you'd put a slip cover on a perfectly beautiful chair.

Unless a chair is pretty much ruined, I just don't get putting slipcovers on dining chairs. it always looks to me like the house has been closed up for a long absence. These slipcovers only enhance that dust cover look.

i can't answer this survey because i hate slipcovers for chairs. these are nice chairs, i think if a chair is ruined it should be repaired or replaced. This looks like a caterer at a wedding set this up. They need to be ironed as well.

That sounds nasty, but I just really don't like slipcovers for chairs. But for those that do, I would agree that the sheer looks better than the opaque so you can still see the design of the chair underneath.

The structure of the chair may be cool, but the finish of the chair may not be. So, I think the translucent slip cover is a good fix. It adds a certain depth too. I don't think it looks like a dust cover. I think it looks more intentional than that. I dig it.

not a fan, but it's not horrible.

That art on the wall is really, really cool though. Looks like thin pieces of agate.

very post modern, takes me back to the 1980s when i first saw this. still looks good in the right room.

i despise slipcovers!!

they just NEVER look good. no matter how translucent they are - unless, hmm, invisible??

I love the art behind the table. Can anyone tell me the artist, or is it pieces of glass hung together?

I'm not a fan of this at all. I think it detracts from an otherwise lovely room.

Gorgeous room. The lightly slipcovered chairs just take it to a whole notha' level for me. I actually think the rumpled/wrinkly fabric makes it even better, too.

I *usually* hate slipcovered dining room chairs, but I seriously love this, and am bookmarking this page for my Future Dream Dining Room.

I have to say I'm not a fan of slipcovered chairs and the translucent quality of these makes me think of dustcovers like several other people have said. Maybe if the chairs were thrashed.

I think these are really ugly. Actually the whole room is a disaster, in my opinion.

I do not understand slipcovers. It makes it obvious to everyone who sees them that you are hiding something.

not a fan of slipcovers but i love the ghostly look of these. they are especially striking against the bold artwork. nice contrast.

I'm typically not a fan of slipcovers and these do nothing to change my mind.

This is definitely one of those trendy decor things that we'll look back on in ten years and laugh about.

I'm at an age where I've tossed a lot of stuff that I once thought was very hip. I've acquired immunity, I guess. Stuff that is new and different just the sake of being new and different does nothing for me.

Very interesting, but on the fence as to whether I actually like it or not. But, I bet slipcovers with a silhouette of a fancy chair printed on them would be a hit - in the ironic-twist method of design. That way you could elevate cheap chairs, rather than hide nice ones.

Screw the covers, I want more info on the art installation!!

Slip covers are normally used to keep furniture clean these don't add anything and seem unnecessary to me.

I think slipcovers on chairs are silly, but at least you can still see some chair with these... And I suppose it is a good easy way to change colors without painting potentially valuable wood chairs...

To get the effect right, more phantom, I'd imagine a sheer fabric could be used.

Otherwise, I'm on the slipcover-on-good-chairs hate train.

For that matter, tho I like the ideas, I've never seen satisfactory executions of fabric cover-overs (like for kitchen cabinets, doorway-nook covers, slips that go over real furniture. The sort of soft, craftsy look doesn't look like it ever belongs with the hard edges.

yes. i don't really know about the slip covers, but I LOVE the art work. any ideas to what this might be??

I'm guessing the artwork is panels of warm glass?

I am with sally305--hideous room! And horrible art glass.
I do like the ghostliness of the slipcovers, though.
Finally you have, IMO, a hot-or-not that's not ridiculous,
like a sex chair or a lamp made out of beef.

I think this room would look a lot better without the slipcovers, but I could imagine a setting where they would work. Bedroom, candlelight, windows thrown open to the breeze, champagne and chocolate on a small round table flanked by two of these chairs. All of the participants in their beautiful lingerie, even the chairs!

They look like ghost chairs! They should be in the "Haunted Mansion" ride down at Disney World. Probably would work in a purposefully spooky setting, like if you were going for a full on Tim Burton-Beetlejuice look. But here they just look silly, particularly with that style of artwork on the wall.

I've always hated slipcovers for dining chairs because they look like one is covering up ugliness with cleaner, newer ugliness. I can see some situations that could require them such as one can't afford better chairs, or can't afford to have their chairs professionally redone (i.e. DIY is not their strength), but generally I say no to slipcovers.

However, seeing the chair peek through has made me lighten up a bit. To make this work I think the chair needs to have a good silhouette. Then the quality of the fabric and the level of translucency are important. It must be a natural fabric of high quality and it must be bordering on sheer.

But for what that is going to cost one, why not recover, refinish, or purchase?

"This is missing the choice for those who are wondering why on earth you'd put a slip cover on a perfectly beautiful chair."

My thoughts exactly.

Hating the "Art" installation too.

I like these, especially the ephemeral quality of the silhouette, which would be dependent on the angle of the light. I think they would be more effective in natural light. They do seem pretty scandalous, though. :)

There is the possibility that one might need slip covers in a household with small i.e messy kids, not to cover up stained ugliness, but to protect pristine prettiness.
That said, that is the ONLY excuse for slip covers, and these are a nice option.

Yes, not really getting the art, looks a little institutional to me.

For those interested, that art looks very like my friend r.r. lyon (similar if not his, which is often comprised of smaller but more numerous individual paintings on plexi):

www.lyonandlyonfineart.com/rrlyonll.html

Vicente Wolf has been using this type of sheer slipcover for years. I think it's quite beautiful.

Thanks Elizabeth!

This room is designed by Atlanta-based designer Kathy Guyton. This is her personal dining room. The table and espelier (the iron tree to the left) are from PierceMartin.

I'll ask Kathy who the artist is and let you know when I find out.

i think some of you might be missing the whole look. those chairs w/o the slip covers would have been way too traditional for that table base, take a closer look. this application tones that down and still gives you the wonderful lines showing through the linen gauze.

the art installation is glass! i've seen those before and they are beautifull up close or in person. too bad they appear as painted panels to some.

Ambivalent about the chairs.

Love the art.

Chair lingerie...sexy?

ART = 10
Chairs = ghost skeletons. This is a BAD.

I think this was a good effort and I tried to like them, but I just don't. To me, the slipcovers aren't working well in the room pictured. I think the room is neat, I love the contemporary art and the contemporary (?) glass table with traditional chairs and traditional wainscoting. I think these slipcovers over relatively ornate chairs adds visual noise without adding much appeal. I am not unilaterally opposed to slip covered dining chairs, I just don't think these work in this room.

I like what is happening relative to mixing traditional and contemporary. The glass top table with pedestal base is contemporary (although the base is bothering me. What the hell is that?). That dining room with the wainscotting and crown moulding is traditional. The chairs are traditional and not particularly interesting on their own (certainly not alone with that table). The slipcover effect helps them transition in that space and appear "worthy" to be there. I do not care for the ties on the slipcovers; that looks country and is off. Like the idea of translucent metallic fabric and have seen this done and it works. The art installation is very, very cool. I want to explore the rest of the house and see what other kinds of art might be about. The centerpieces seems country. Glass vases on a glass tabletop? Good opportunity to add a new texture, color, vibe and connect these disparate themes of modern and traditional. Wouldn't a collection of large chinese vases be cool?

It's great to have covers so that you don't have to dust that wood. I keep covers over my wrought iron patio furniture because it's too hard to keep them clean otherwise. Maybe these people wanted to keep the wood from getting dusty.

"Finally you have, IMO, a hot-or-not that's not ridiculous,
like a sex chair or a lamp made out of beef."
____

Baba Yaga--too funny!

I enjoyed both the book and film Less Than Zero. I just don't want to live in it.

Yeah, it's a trend-thing I suppose... I do like the eerie feel to it, but I'd take bare wood over cloth any day!

I think ther're beautful, and they soften the room.

Artwork is awesome. IMO, the slipcovers should cover only the back & seat, stopping at the bottom of the cushions, thus leaving the legs exposed; the "skirt" tends to ruin the effect for me. Funny, my first thought was the Haunted Mansion too.

I have been contemplating such slips for a 50's set dining chairs. I have already desecrated the chairs with an outlandish paint job ala 'MacKenzie Childs' which I'm growing tired of. I think a black paint job with sheer slips would create a pleasing silhouette with natural light passing through.

i can't believe there are so many slipcover haters here. i like using slipcovers to allow the furniture to sport different looks at a whim. it being a dustshield is incidental.

that said, slipcovers work better on pieces that are originally upholstered. in fact, if they are well-done, they won't even look like slipcovers. i'm not too keen on covering up wood, so i'm not exactly a fan of the slipcovers in this picture, whether they be sheer or opaque.

ditto on them looking like wedding reception setup.

Ha - this reminds me of when my old company put sheer slipcovers over clear Louis Ghost chairs in our showroom. Pretty funny.