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Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Go Ahead and Dye

It's been almost a year since the fire, and I saw no sense in washing my slipcovered sofa until the dust had settled. For the most part, it has. The denim covers, however looked a little pale.
So let's do the sensible thing and just get it all done at once, shall we?
First, The Teen Minions removed all if the slipcovers, and we freshened the cushions with Spring Rain Room Spray and let them air out. That took care of the faint scent of smoke.
I wrangled the eddies of fabric into three piles...
...and called in the big guns.
Several hours later, we had a fresh deep blue sofa again, and we're ready for Family Movie Night. Care to join us?
Let's lower the lights a little and I'll give you a mini tour. And yes, that dresser still needs to be redone, but I think it may just stay right here as the sofa table
 
The area is tight, which I why I chose a sectional. It gives everyone plenty of room to stretch out together while gathering us and defining the space and creating a seperate entryway. I like slipcovers because spills, rough housing, animals, and nacho incidents are no match for my washer, and denim because of its casual beach house vibe and superior durability. Repairs are easy, and if something can't be fixed, I can just whip up a new piece on the sewing machine.
The TV cabinets were from Target. I liked their sleek look and the clutter-busting storage they provide.
The dye job really breathed life back into color.
We ran a power strip under the sofa so that the kids can plug in anywhere, because although homework is serious business, designing costumes while chatting on Skype is not.
In the top left, you'll see an unsettled corner of my life.
I'm working on it!
So, how are we doing here? 

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20 comments:

Unknown said...

A definite improvement! Gotta love slipcovers. We don't have any at the moment, but I'm definitely considering some for our black faux leather couch in the living room - slipcovers are so easy to clean and wash, or even dye and change 'em up if you want. :)

~Chelsea

Heather said...

Keep up the good work:) Great idea to dye slip covers. I have lots of "unsettled corners" here!

Sue said...

You are the second person this week that I've seen use Rit Dye to make such a difference in something. What happens if you sit on it in white pants...does it come off? I've never used the product, but I'm impressed with the outcome!

Thanks for your visit:)

Life in Rehab said...

Chelsea, Ive always loved that my furniture can look like new again in just a few hours.

Heather, does it EVER end? LOL

Good question, Sue! I let each load soak for a half hour in the dye bath, then let the regular wash cycle go through, then wash it again. By the time it comes out of the dryer, the color is set!

I've been doing this for years since I slipcovered our old living room myself in denim to foil the children's attempts to wreck the upholstery, and it works like a charm.

Meg said...

Huge difference! Great idea. It must feel good to be so clever!

Heather{Our Life In a Click} said...

Wow!! That is so cool! We have two sets of slipcovers for our PB Basic sofa but that one isn't used as much these days so I've never had the need to dye. It's looking great Sunny!!


heather

Sara @ Russet Street Reno said...

Dye is the best invention. It is up there with caulk.

Kirsty Girl said...

Great job! I'd never thought of changing a lounge by dying it!

michelle@somedaycrafts said...

I never would have thought of that! That is an amazing idea

Vonda said...

Dye, what a novel concept! Our market umbrella is looking really faded. After some clean up I wonder if dye would work as nicely as it did for your sofa? I may just have to try it out.

Life in Rehab said...

Vonda,
I've dyed market umbrellas before, and they come out great! I've also spray painted one that was pure polyester, and again, great results.

Olive said...

Your use of Rit Dye here showed wonderful results. My teen can pour all sorts of stuff on my sofa! olive♥

Rocky Mountain Woman said...

I love slipcovers! I have them on the sofa in my family room so I can change it up when I want. I have to buy the covers, though because I am sewing machine challenged.....

Susan Anderson said...

Your title should win a prize!

Great idea, by the way.

=)

Unknown said...

Really pretty blue! Good solution for that room. Great choice for the Idigo-theme!

Best wishes,
Anna

Anna's Indigo

Unknown said...

I love the shade of blue the cover came out in. This is wonderful.

H said...

I have throws over both of my living room chairs. With two teenage boys in the house, they are an absolute must!!

Jo said...

wow, i do like the colour the slip covers came out as!

Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis Hall said...

beautiful ....

Jenny said...

Wow, what a transformation! Rit dye is an amazing thing. I used to use it all the time to "freshen" things up.

And this looks like a perfect Rainbow Summer School post to me.

Creative and clever and filled with indigo images.

A+