Having dogs for all of my adult life, I have learned that even with the best intentions, life can be messy and so can dogs. From a puppy chewing a pen on our leather sofa so wet, dirty paw prints on a seat cushion things happen. I’ve long imagined a world where our sofa looks beautiful all the time because when life does happen, I can slip off the cover and throw it in the wash. But, is it that easy?
The goal of the beach cottage is a light and airy space despite its small size. That means that not only will the walls be light and bright, I want the same life and casual feel for the furniture. For the sofa, I’ve been picturing a slipcovered option that can easily be cleaned if all the fun we are having leaves the furniture looking a little ragged. I’ve never owned a slipcovered sofa though and question if it’s actually as easy as I picture it.
B and I have started collecting decor and furniture for the beach house because we are quickly approaching the point where things are going to move pretty quickly. I knew very early on what furniture I wanted for the living area and that included a slipcovered sofa in a light colored fabric.
Now that we are starting to buy furniture, I’ve narrowed down my options and am sharing them here today but I’d love to know if any of you out there have ever owned or currently own a similar sofa and if they are as easy to clean as I have imagined.

My instinct is to try the inexpensive Ektorp from Ikea to see if this is an option we’ll like more long term. I’ve had my eye on it for years, I love the traditional, rounded arms and it’s not a huge investment if we find that the slipcover doesn’t stay in place, looks messy or doesn’t clean as easily as we thought.
I would love some input if you have or have had a slipcovered sofa. Leave a comment below.
Leave a Reply