The Real Truth About White Slipcover Furniture

If you are in the market for living room furniture and considering white upholstery, you are going to want to read this post. Today, I am sharing my honest experience with white slipcover furniture.

During a time, long ago, my living room was comprised of an entirely white upholstery palette (documented in the photo below)…

Observing this space, complete with not only a white couch but white arm chairs, one might conclude I was a glutton for punishment. What mother in their right mind would commit to such a daunting furniture selection? Well…

As I reflect back on that time (about four years ago), I  first would have argued that the slip-covered nature of my furniture alleviated any potential risk for disaster- if a spill or smudge were to occur, I could simply remove the slipcover and wash the item.

And while that logic has proven mostly true, you have to realize I was at a completely different place in my life when I first formulated that kind of logic….

You see…when I purchased my white Ikea Ektorp furniture almost five years ago, I only had one child (an infant who couldn’t walk to be exact). There was no way I could have foreseen just what horrible slobs fully functioning children truly are.

While it wasn’t too difficult to keep up with the stains with only one child, reality hit me pretty hard after the birth of my second son.

In fact, as soon as I returned home from the hospital with my second bundle of joy, I noticed a giant yellow stain on my once pristine, white couch (toddler urine I presume).

When I was finally able to address the matter and remove the slipcover to wash it, I was completely unsuccessful in my efforts. Neither bleach nor Oxy-Clean would remove that unsightly sucker as I had simply neglected the stain for too long. Don’t judge… I was a breastfeeding zombie with a newborn and a toddler to care for. In survival mode, my slipcovers were the least of my worries. 

When I finally emerged from my postpartum haze, I decided to replace the white slipcover on my couch with a safer, darker choice…

After three years of owning the Nordvalla Dark Gray slipcover for my Ikea Ektorp couch, I can honestly say that darker colors are so much easier to maintain. Converting to the grey slipcovers was actually one of the smartest design choices I have ever made.

So….what about the white slipcovers on the arm chairs?

Given our couch receives the most use, our arm chair slipcovers have held up pretty well over the years and as a result, I decided to keep the white slipcovers in this zone.

Don’t get me wrong…unless they are freshly out of the washing machine, the arms are pretty much always dingy….

Nonetheless,  it’s something I can live with – mind you… pre-kid/OCD Erica would not have tolerated such an eyesore, but I have somewhat learned to pick and choose my battles. Come to think of it..exhaustion is a pretty legit cure for obsessive compulsive disorder.

To appear as less of a slob, if I know we are hosting company, I simply throw the slipcovers in the wash with a bleach/ Oxy detergent combo and all is well.

Unfortunately, after five years of abuse, the canvas fabric is starting to show its age. This devastating tear occurred the last time I washed the slipcovers…

The constant washing and stretching has finally taken a toll on the slipcovers (I am sure the strong use of bleach didn’t help matters either). As a result, I am now terrified of exacerbating the tear, and have come to settle for nasty a$$ arm chairs until I can figure out a plan b.

So…..what are my conclusions on white upholstered furniture??

Conclusion: My Honest Thoughts on White Slipcovers

Knowing what I do now, I would have gone with a leather sectional couch and accent chairs with darker, more forgiving upholstery. In a house full of rambunctious boys, my plate is already full with cleaning chores. Why complicate matters?

After five years of owning my Ektorp slipcovers, I can confidently say that white is not a good choice for my household or my relaxed lifestyle. Function over form, my friends!

I hope this review will help some of you avoid the hard-learned mistake I have had to come to grips with.

Now get out there and design some good vibes, babes!

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