apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I've seen a shop on eBay that makes great covers and pillows out of vintage styled fabrics...

I recommend the bedspread/tapestry things they sell at Urban Outfitters. They're cheap ($32 at most, cheaper if they're on sale), come in fun patterns, and hold up really well even if you wash them all the time.

if you can sew at all you can make pillows pretty easily and inexpesively. based on the rest of your apartment, there are some nice basic patterns (I like the blue/white utility-like stripe and simple gingham plaid) at Ikea. maybe make one of them long and thin to mix it up.

Just get a nice sheet for gods sake.

That little white metal Ikea cabinet pops up everywhere. I think it needs it's own blog...

I think your couch is great! Just needs a few contrasting pillows and an area rug and you're set. I would suggest that you move it out of that corner though, and rearrange your living area pieces.

Sara--

A little harsh...
...but it does seem that there are alot of questions posted here that could be easily solved with some simple Googling

I actually like the couch. Get some nice pillows for it.

Surefit ( http://www.surefit.net) sells really inexpensive washable slipcovers that stretch for all kinds of sofas. They've just recently added covers for sectionals. You could change this sofa several times a year.

I think you're worrying about it way too much! Put a couple of cute throw pillows on it, or a slipcover that you like, and it will be fine. Better yet, hang a piece of art above it that brings out the colors, and I think you would like it much more.

bepsf, sara -- yeah, or that quaint, old-fashioned device called the Yellow Pages. It's not as though San Francisco is exactly short of shopping opportunities, including one of the better-known fabric stores in the country. (That would be Britex, for those without access to phone, internet, or other reality interface device.)

Frankly, some of the question-posters here (not singling anyone out) don't seem to be regular AT readers; they remind me of those kids in high school who were always begging to copy other people's homework.

Hi Milena,

I have a very similar couch that I bought with my husband almost 3 years ago.

The great thing about this sofa is how simple and light weight it can look. I think the major source of the problem might be that it feels pretty crowded in that corner. What if you centered it between those two fantastic windows?

Then you can center the white IKEA locker along the adjacent wall that previously housed your crowded couch.

If it's the red color that you don't like (personally, I love it!), you can always get a nice throw blanket to drape in the center, or you can get a couple of square throw pillows. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Its hard to tell from the pic what shape the fabric is in, but I like the colour and I like the lines. I'd add a sharp white blanket or throw over the back to break up the big chunk of red. Then add a whole bunch of 14" square cushions, in print fabrics combining that same dark red, some white and maybe a third colour that dies in with your decor. And as pointed out by someone earlier it has got to come out of that corner, and be anchored by one or three pieces of art on the wall above it.

Your sofa also looks like it might be the right size for a single-bed-size fitted sheet, for a cheap or temporary fix?

glad someone mentioned high school, because lately, with some of the harsh comments posted here, i've been feeling like i'm in the front row of some brutal h.s. catfight.

kinda gives me a stomachache.

I agree that the sofa isn't so bad. I think you need a rug to anchor and then add the pillows and you are good to go.

I'd guess we're all capable of Googling, but I like to read other people's suggestions and ideas. Isn't that the whole point of this site?

Milena, hope to see a pic of the finished room. And now I'm going to Google that little Ikea cupboard - love it!

A lot will depend on the size of your sofa. Is it, by ANY chance, remotely close to the size of a full futon mattress? Could it take one of these slip-on futon covers? It says "envelope design" but I don't know how MUCH is enveloped, and it doesn't say. Nor do I know how/where your sofa is attached to the frame.

Two "natural" colors in Damask:
http://www.stretchandcover.com/cart/product.php?productid=345&cat=259&page=1

Solids:
http://www.stretchandcover.com/cart/product.php?productid=337&cat=259&page=1

I checked Overstock, and all I see are ones for sofas with ARMS:
http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Slipcovers/Sofa,/cover-for,/1457/cat.html

SureFit doesn't seem to have armless either:
http://www.surefit.net/cart/include/size_cht2.cfm

Custom gets pricey:
http://www.beforenafterslipcovers.com/armlesssofa.html

Sheets can work, which I did use on my futon when I had a futon, but they always feel like sheets. Not so anymore, there are slip-on covers that are like fitted sheets, made out of heavier material, I just found these for you:
http://www.slipcovershop.com/Product_List/fitted_mattress_slipcover.asp

They have 228 items/materials. Some of the materials are pretty scary. But I won't point the ones *I* don't like, because someone else will like them. Meanwhile, I kind of like this one with which I would want to go all ethnic/tribal:
http://www.slipcovershop.com/product_detail/fitted_mattress_slipcover_aruba_tapestry_chenille_geometric.asp

They have solids and tropical florals, English florals. There are these styles that seem to be quite popular currently:
http://www.slipcovershop.com/product_detail/fitted_mattress_slipcover_weatherall_bukhara_outdoor_floral.asp
http://www.slipcovershop.com/product_detail/fitted_mattress_slipcover_weatherall_spree_outdoor_stripe.asp

It's that Moroccan/Moorish style.

Like these at Pottery Barn:
http://www.potterybarn.com/products/p10733/index.cfm?pkey=cprwrugwoo

But neither of those may appeal to you. They have tons of great solid colors and the prices aren't all that scary. And they have free swatches too, so if you were torn between two, you could get a swatch to help make up your mind.

With summer approaching, you could totally cool off your room with Cobalt Blue:
http://www.slipcovershop.com/product_detail/fitted_mattress_slipcover_twill_cobalt_blue_cotton_solid.asp

Or white:
http://www.slipcovershop.com/product_detail/fitted_mattress_slipcover_twill_white_cotton_solid.asp

And, yes, they DO have ready made pillows. So you can mix and match.

maybe some of IKEAs futon slip covers would fit it?