How to Protect Outdoor Furniture During All Seasons

How to Protect Outdoor Furniture During All Seasons

If you live in an area that experiences all four seasons, you know the struggle of trying to keep your outdoor furniture safe and intact during the constant weather shifts and precipitation variation. Check out this brief guide on how to protect outdoor furniture during all seasons.

Fall

In the fall, the main threats your outdoor furniture faces are rain, leaves, and dirt. To help your outdoor furniture survive the fall, check out these tips and tricks.

Rain

If your outdoor items have cushions, make sure to put them away when you’re done using them. This could mean bringing them inside before each rainfall or putting them in an outdoor storage space such as a garden bench or deck box.

Leaves and dirt

In the fall, leaves are bound to find their way onto your furniture—and they bring dirt with them. A great way to protect your furniture from the elements and dirt is to use slipcovers for outdoor furniture. These are easy to clean, and they come in fun colors.

Winter

The winter is a difficult time for people with elaborate outdoor spaces and a lot of outdoor furniture to take care of. Between the snow, cold, and ice, your furniture may suffer if you don’t properly care for it.

Snow

Snow is just as damaging as rain—especially as it begins to melt and turns to slush, which helps dirt seep deep into your cushions. Treat snow like you treat rain: simply take your cushioned furniture out of the elements.

Ice

Most types of outdoor furniture should be able to stand up to the ice. However, you’ll have to store cushions and fabric furniture inside and away from water, if possible. If you don’t have the storage space, then consider getting furniture covers or even a deck box to help protect fabrics from hail and ice.

Cold

Cold conditions are generally safe for most patio furniture. Just make sure to properly secure or store lightweight items in case of cold, harsh winds that could potentially damage your frames.

Spring

Springtime means it’s finally warm enough to use your outdoor furniture—but it still needs protection from rain and dirt buildup.

Rain

Just as in the fall, keep an eye on the forecast, and move your cushions off your furniture to avoid soaking them.

Cleaning

Participate in spring cleaning. Wash the frames of your outdoor furniture pieces, and clean the cushions and fabric. This can prevent rust, dirt, and other issues from piling up and leading to your furniture’s early demise.

Summer

Summer is the time your outdoor furniture will get the most use, so protect it properly.

Heat

Heat won’t damage most of your furniture, but some materials could burn you if they get too hot. Keep furniture out of the sun if it’s made from a material that heats easily, such as metal.

Sun damage

With the extra sun exposure in the summer, furniture covers and slipcovers for outdoor furniture are perfect for preventing the sun from fading your furniture.

How to Install a Futon Cover

How to Install a Futon Cover

Futons are great additions to any home. Their multifunctionality makes them ideal for small spaces with occasional overnight guests—they can act as couches by day and beds by night. A high-quality futon can get expensive, but protecting it with a slipcover helps extend its life. Here we provide a few tips for how to install a futon cover properly.

Choosing a cover

A futon cover simply encases your futon in fabric and protects it from outside elements. A skirted futon cover protects your entire futon, extending to just above the floor. It covers the front and back of the frame and gives your futon an upholstered look. These types look natural and, when fitted properly, seamlessly fit in with your futon’s design. The first step in properly installing a futon cover is making sure you have the right size, type, and shape of cover for your specific futon. Be sure to properly size your futon prior to purchasing a cover for it. Next, you need to decide on a material that best suits your needs. Patterns and bright colors are perfect for children and teens, while leather may fit a more formal home. Once you’ve decided on a fabric and color, it’s time to order a cover and then install it.

Installation

To properly install a futon cover, skirted or not, remember to always start from the back. On your slipcover, you’ll see a label that reads “center back.” Use this as a guide and drape the cover over your futon with the label as close to the center of the back as possible. Once you’ve draped the cover over the futon, use the seams on the cover as guidelines. Lay these on the actual futon’s seams to keep the look consistent. Make sure all the sides of the slipcover hit at the same length—this is especially important for skirted futon covers. Lastly, smooth the excess fabric into the creases. A helpful tip is to use a kitchen utensil such as a spatula or a spoon to deeply tuck in the excess fabric. For all your slipcover needs, whether you need a simple zippered futon cover or an L-shaped couch slipcover, contact us today.

Matching Home Furniture With Wall Colors

Matching Home Furniture With Wall Colors

Many people strive for a cohesive décor style, but they often overlook color schemes and the way they can affect a home. Making sure your furniture complements your wall color isn’t as involved of a process as you may think—in fact, you can use slipcovers to easily update your furniture color without the hassle of painting the walls or purchasing new furniture.

Room-feel

Keep in mind the psychology of color when you’re deciding what colors to paint your walls or what color slipcovers to purchase. Warm tones have an energizing effect suitable for a kitchen or living room, while cool tones incite calm feelings. A bedroom or bathroom may benefit from cool colors; neutrals are best for formal areas and hallways. Decide what you want from each room. It might be a place you want to come to relax after a long day or a place to host parties and gather with friends and loved ones. Don’t worry about keeping everything neutral if you like bold colors. It’s your home—decorate it in a way that makes you feel happy.

Home style

Consider the style of your home before deciding on your color scheme and matching complementary elements. If the interior décor of your home is modern, going bolder with your color choices can help preserve that contemporary feeling. On the other hand, if your home has a more traditional style, going too bold might feel out of place. In this case, stick to neutrals throughout your home with subtle pops of color in items such as rugs, decorations, throws, and pillows.

Color scheme

If your walls are already painted in a color you love, or if you’re set on a specific wall color, check out this guide on what furniture and décor colors to pair with your walls. A side note on monochromatic rooms: while they seem universally appealing and rather simple, they’re actually quite tricky to pull off. You may want to leave this style to a professional interior designer; consider consulting one if you’re set on a monochromatic home.

Blue walls

Keeping in mind the shade of blue and its undertones, consider furnishing your blue room with gold, white, mustard, or green furniture. Remember, you can use multiple colors in a single room—just beware of overpowering the room. Decide on a central theme: for example, if your room is painted royal blue with a mustard statement couch and white chairs, add more pops of royal blue with throw pillows and table décor.

Green walls

The shade of green will determine which complementary color you should choose for your furnishings, but even with a bold green wall, don’t be afraid to use a statement piece or brightly colored furniture. With green walls, try to accent with gray, red, brown, or pink furniture. Green and pink is a fun combination for a lively bedroom; try supplementing green walls with a patterned pink bedspread and a gray chair.

Orange walls

A bold orange wall makes any room feel exciting and bubbly. Keep that feeling going with furniture to match. White, off-white, teal, turquoise, or brown will highlight your walls and establish a complete color scheme. Be sure to arrange your furniture in a useful and aesthetically pleasing way. An easy trap to fall into is putting all the furniture up against walls. Move your furniture around to make your room feel brand-new (with a brand-new color scheme!).

Gray walls

Gray rooms have endless possibilities. You can pair almost any color furniture with gray walls, so this leaves lots of room for updates and changes. Gray living rooms are fun because you can go bold with a bright and vibrant couch. If you have a large living room with space for a sectional couch, consider brightly colored three-piece sectional couch covers that you can change out with the seasons. However, it’s crucial to address the undertones in gray shades. If your gray walls have green undertones, gray accent pieces with purple undertones will clash.

Pink walls

Pale pink is a subtle nod to a lively and fun home, while a hot pink suggests a daring and exciting room. Depending on the shade of pink, you can really get experimental with the room. Furnish your lighter pink rooms with lime green, gold, bright red, royal blue, or off-white pieces of furniture. Pale green, mustard, muted red, baby or navy blue, or white furniture may better suit a brighter, bolder pink room.

Red walls

Red walls can be intimidating or exciting, depending on the furniture choice. The color scheme can make or break a red room. Go with sage or pale pink furniture for a homey, welcoming interior. White or beige furnishings are great for a red-walled bedroom, as these complementary colors have an elegant and regal effect. You can also use brown, silver, or gold as an accent color to really keep a bold, old-style feel in your room.

Yellow walls

Yellow walls are welcoming and homey. Light, muted shades of yellow provide a hint of warmth, while a bold or mustard yellow gives upbeat vibes. Yellow pairs best with grays, blues, tans, and whites. If a bedroom has yellow walls, try a fun, patterned bedspread that’s mainly gray, and consider yellow sheets or pillow shams and a teal chair to pull everything together for a fun feel.

Neutral walls

If your walls are painted white, beige, or another neutral color, consider your home layout and style overall—and then dare to go bold. All colors look good with neutrals, so tone is the key to choosing the right one. Dark browns, reds, and hunter green will give you a woodsier and more rustic feel. For an elegant and classic look, black or muted tones can keep your rooms tone intact. As we mentioned above, if you don’t want to repaint or get new furniture, investing in slipcovers from Slipcover Shop can solve your color woes. No matter what colors you use for your walls, furniture, or décor, as long as you feel at home in your house, you’ve successfully created a cohesive and welcoming home. Furniture With Wall Color guide