Slipcovers

Slipcovers are an ideal solution to protect your furniture or cushions from the wear and tear of everyday life. 

Clients choose Details for their custom slipcovers for a variety of reasons: easy care for active lifestyles, busy children and pets, or second homes that are rental units.

The fabrics of choice are those that have good durability, are fade resistant, and are washable. We look for high wear ratings that are measured in both Wyzenbeek and Martindale abrasion/rub tests. These are the two methods commonly used to predict wear-ability by testing different properties of a textile. Wyzenbeek involves rubbing along the warp and weft of the fabric whereas Martindale is a figure-8 rub.

Fabrics for upholstery and slipcovers have double-rub ratings that are 25,000 rubs or higher. Contract or commercial environments require upwards of 100,000 double rubs.

Our goal in creating your slipcover is to replicate the original design of your piece. This is an exacting and lengthy process as each pattern piece is measured, cut, and pinned onto the furniture. Due to the time involved, we like to offer our slipcover projects during our slower periods.

Turnaround time can be six to eight weeks or more.

Slipcover Production

For larger pieces, we will make several trips to your home during the process. Smaller pieces, such as chairs or ottomans, are typically completed in our on-site work room.

We use heavyweight upholstery thread and serge or overlock on seams to prevent fraying in use or washing of the slipcover. For larger slipcovers, a commercial washer is best. Slipcovers should be dried at a medium temperature until just slightly damp and then put in place to finish drying. We find a zipper closure on the back is best, providing a simple and easy way for you to remove and recover your furniture. With skirted pieces, we apply a snap under the skirt to hold the cover in place. For those without skirts, velcro is meticulously hidden and used to wrap behind the legs and secure the cover.

Our in-store fabric library has a vast selection of fabrics for both upholstery and slipcover use. Residential fabrics have improved significantly not only in their quality and durability, but also in the availability of high-wear rated fabrics that offer many weaves and a softer hand, like that of a chenille. 

We highly recommend any Sunbrella fabrics or fabrics that are of Crypton construction. Crypton was specifically designed for the hospitality and health care industries. They are durable, stain-resistant, and most can be bleached. 

We also use a lot of cottons, preferring heavyweight twills. These perform like a good pair of blue jeans and have a wonderful casual feel. To ensure that there is no shrinkage after construction, we pre-wash and dry the fabric prior to beginning the project.