Slipping into Slipcovers

Need a change but not sure you're ready for the commitment of upholstery? Or maybe you want the flexibility & option to change the look of your room.

....Or perhaps your style is loose; comfort is the name of the game & traditional uhpholstery just feels too rigid, confined! Just as we love to slip into something cozy and comfy at the end of a long day.... slipping into a slipcover might just as well be the cozy your couch or chair needs!

We all know the wear-n-tear the furniture can take from our pampered pets and children-will-be-children bouncing, throwing, eating, sleeping, crying and .....well, we really don't need to continue. The point is: slipcovers can be taken off, washed and dried (although we do recommend professional dry-cleaning for most covers) - a great melt-down saver when that fruit-punch or red-wine spill happens.

And lets just talk about fit. How's that waistband feeling? Don't you think your sofa wants to let go and let it all hang out sometimes too? One of the greatest attractions to slipcovers is the ability to play with fit and tailoring. We can create covers that are shabby, loose-fitting (and even wrinkled) or we can tailor it to look just like upholstery.

Which Slipcover are you? A tailored fit, collage/mix&match style or shabby chic?

Tailored Slipcover:


Photos above: Stunning slipcover design & fabrication by Leslie Fehling




Collage/Mix&Match:
Photos above: slipcover design & fabrication by Leslie Fehling


Shabby Chic:

So what do you think? Ready to try on a slipcover for size? Take a look at some of our favorite looks and I bet it just might tempt you to redesign a few pieces.

You can add details that most upholstery does not offer, such as bows, buttons, fringes or other embellishments. These are the types of details we infuse into our own designs too, take a peek here: Storibook Designs Gallery.


The length of a skirt and the width of the pleats can make all the difference around the hips, don't you think? Its no different with slipcovers. The styling of the skirt can completely change the look of a piece!

Do you know any slipcover diva's? I do! And I would be remiss if I even thought about writing a blogpost without highlighting the talent and amazing work of Leslie Fehling, of Prosperity Pennsylvania. I consider Leslie the Queen of Slipcovers (and custom couture details). I feel blessed to have been a student of Leslie's at one of her Summerhill Weekend events and I am continuously inspired by her creativity and excellence.

Just take a look through Leslie's albums and you will have to agree with me that the level of detail she puts into her work is awe-inspiring, as showcased below.

Photos above: slipcover design & fabrication by Leslie Fehling

Check out more designs at Leslie's artistry in her Picture Gallery.

For information on her Summerhill Weekends:

And we are quite proud of our own work as well, so don't forget to take a peek in our Gallery too!Here are a few pics from those albums:

And what about you? If you have some inspiration slipcover photos - your own work or "loves" that you've seen elsewhere and bookmarked, share the links. We'd love to be inspired by you too!

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Refresh, Revitalize, Renew: Upholstery

Do you have an old piece of worn-out furniture that your on the fence about? Not sure if upholstery is the right option?
Sometimes envisioning an old piece as a restored beauty is the roadblock that could be holding you back. Sometimes not being certain if it is "worth" it from a cost perspective could be holding you back.

A good guideline: does the piece hold sentimental value? Is the piece of solid construction and weight? Is the piece of a silhouette, size and style that you love and have not been able to find in the current market?

If your answer to any of the above is yes, then we say "go for it"!

Many of the furniture styles that are popular today are recalling the nostalgia of days gone by. This is great because you may now see pieces that remind you of the antiques you've been holding on to and it can inspire you for rehabbing your piece. A great example is the photo above from the French designer Pascale and her blog, L'atelier du Cap Gris-Nez who re-upholstered this chair. It has a beautiful antique wooden frame and the new upholstery is modern yet very elegant. I especially love the use of the solid on the outside and the pattern of the fabric to match it on the inside. It's easy to find a chair and use your own style to inspire a new piece from it. We encourage you to check out more from Pascale's blog, her pictures and her work are amazing!

A room can easily be transformed with new pieces of furniture. So why not fix it up now? Take that old worn out couch that you or a family member might consider throwing out and transform it to fit your space. A piece of furniture can be upholstered to your own personal style and be made to fit in the room by using color, texture or mixing of colors & patterns.

And with today's importance on being friendly to our environment, upholstery is a wonderful green alternative. Look around your house: is there some hidden potential in an old antique couch or a chair you once loved.

Upholstery has another great benefit too; just as with window treatments, you can create something amazing that you can't find in a store. One of a kind, custom made for your space and custom made for your style!

If we haven't convinced you yet, here is some inspiration for you:




I love this furniture set and how it's focal point of the room. The pieces have a classic look and the patterns on the furniture is so sophisticated. The upholstered furniture just completes this room entirely and everything ties in together.


This piece of furniture is beautiful! I love the pattern of the fabric and the style, it's a great piece to fit in any room. If you have a piece like this, where it's a perfect piece to fit in your space but the material is shabby or doesn't match, get it upholstered! It's something you won't regret. We actually upholstered a piece similar to this which you can see at our Storibook Designs Gallery.
This piece is gorgeous! You don't see these pieces everyday anymore. If you have or even come across an old style antique piece like this, a simple way to fit it into your home is to restore or redesign it to make it your own. You won't find a contemporary piece like this very often anymore so if you do have one, give it a coat of paint and re-upholster it, it will look good as new, or at least as new as an antique can get!














This wonderfully re-upholstered chair is from the before & after section of Design Sponge!

Look at how easy it is to give an old worn out chair can an upgrade. This pink chair is adorable and perfect to brighten up a room. Who knew before it was a run down red and dark chair that wouldn't be so flattering to the eye. Simple changes to a piece of furniture can make a world of difference! Check out our own before and after chair at The Storibook Design Gallery which we restored and looks beautiful!
Ready for your upholstery project? Call us here at Storibook! Our number is 978-230-2239

Sitting Pretty- Outdoors!

One of our personal favorite parts of summer is sitting out in the sun having a nice cold glass of iced tea. We try to put our outdoor furniture out as soon as possible once the weather warms up. We want our outdoor furniture to be stylish and comfortable and able to endure the rain and thunderstorms summer brings (especially the ones we have seen this summer!) We love the style and color of these Gypsy Basket chairs and the retro construction of the chair. We also love the retro fabric which is available through Schumacher.

Extending your living space to the outdoors continues to be more and more popular. With the broad selection of acrylics, Sunbrella and Outdura fabrics, your porch, patio, sunroom or deck has many options for adding color and pattern.

Don’t settle for old cushions that don’t flatter your outdoor space in the summer. This could add a whole new vibe to your outdoor environment and make it even more comfortable to relax this summer. Try some of these fabrics!

Obviously any of these Duralee Fabrics can be purchased here at Storibook!

Adding color to a room is one of the easiest ways to make a room more appealing and offers more of a personal feel to the room. The fabrics, pillows and accessories on this sectional couch makes the couch even more appealing to the eye than with plain and simple cushions.

A simple wicker chair can stand out just by adding color. A pop of red or a pop of teal can make a piece of furniture like these chairs much more attractive and can make your outdoor area more colorful and friendly.

I love the dark wood used on these pieces of furniture, and the different shades of green just seem to stand out in the room.

I really liked the style of this furniture set as well as the fabric. It mixes a fun print with a plain print in the same color as well as tying it in with the rug. It looks like someplace you could sit and relax during those warm summer days or even nights.

Whether you make your outdoor space as extravagant as the one above or as simple as adding bright fabrics and an accent rug, your outdoor space should feel as comfortable as your indoor space. It's so simple to add and change colors and pieces and create a room outside your home. Being only July it really isn't too late to redecorate. Wouldn't you love to have a home away from home right in your backyard, back deck, porch or right by the pool? Looking just at the picture above, those hot summer nights wouldn't be so bad after all.

Adding Playfulness to Your Room Design

(Source: Jonathan Adler)


We just fell in love with this lamp when we saw it! Simply adding accent pieces is such an easy and trendy way to add your own personal touch and style to a room, like this giraffe lamp we came across. It looked so playful with the giraffe poking its head up over the lamp shade yet still had a sophisticated approach with the black/white and sleek design. We could see this lamp added to a contemporary room with bold colors and modern décor. This lamp could easily replace a different boring lamp you might otherwise have in its place, and in any room boring just isn’t acceptable.

A room demands personal touches. We could see this piece getting a second glance from someone who may ask, is that really a lamp shaped like a giraffe!? We believe that playfulness in a room can be added in the cleverest yet most subtle of ways. Having uncommon pieces in a room just adds personality to it.

At Storibook Designs we’re always trying to find a way to make a room more interesting and appealing, and especially enjoy incorporating your own personal style to a room. This lamp could go with so many different fabrics and different designs yet still is an original piece. We think personal style is what makes a home a home and finding that unique style is what something we aim for.