A Fresh New Look: Our Living Room Slipcover Sofa Makeover with Calico

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There’s something magical about a room that feels brand new, especially when all it takes is a fabric change. Calico helped me reimagine our living room with a slipcover sofa makeover.

For months, I have known our living room needed a little refresh, a more formal, year-round aesthetic with a hint of color. While I’ve always loved our off-white slipcovers, I was ready for something that felt more tailored and polished. That’s when I turned to Calico for help.

A woman stands at a wooden table looking at fabric samples in a showroom with textiles and sample books on display shelves behind her.
A bright, airy kitchen with white cabinets, wooden dining table, and wicker chairs. Sunlight streams in through large windows, highlighting yellow flowers on the table and counter.

A Fresh New Look for Our Living Room with a Calico Slipcover Sofa

A bright living room with white sofas, brown and white pillows, a rustic coffee table, fireplace, large painting, and a window letting in natural light.
Before – time for a change!

When Calico reached out and asked if I wanted to partner on a slipcover project, my dreams came true! For someone like me who loves to keep what works and elevate it seasonally, this was the perfect solution.

You don’t need new furniture to fall in love with your space again. Thanks to Calico, our living room is getting a tailored upgrade, and it all started with one dreamy fabric. For both of our sofas!

A newly refreshed living room with light couches, furniture, and accents.

Calico streamlines the custom slipcover and reupholstery process, making it simple to achieve a look perfectly tailored to your home. Slipcovering and reupholstering are quick, environmentally friendly, and budget-conscious ways to transform the aesthetic of any piece without the need to buy brand-new furniture.

Choosing the Right Style and Color for a Slipcover Sofa

A cozy living room with a lit fireplace, two white sofas, a rustic coffee table, built-in bookshelves, and framed artwork above the mantle.
Before – the casual Farmhouse look from 15 years ago

There were two things I wanted to change about our living room sofas … style and color.

The first big decision was color. I knew I wanted to highlight sage green, a tone I’ve fallen in love with over the last decade. Sage is calming, neutral enough to work for every season, and versatile enough to blend beautifully with my holiday decor and seasonal updates. It also adds a layer of sophistication that off-white doesn’t offer.

A white sofa with three cushions and two green pillows sits in a living room with a patterned rug, bookshelves, a lamp, and large windows in the background.
Before – the pleated slipcover
A beige corduroy sofa with two seat cushions and two back cushions sits on a patterned area rug in a living room.
Before – the actual sofa

I also knew it was time to modernize the look of our sofas. Fifteen years ago, I had chosen a pleated ruffle skirt for my slipcovers. They were charming, but a bit too casual for the look I was aiming for now. By simplifying the skirt to a straight, clean silhouette, I could give the sofas a much more updated and tailored appearance.

Scheduling My Complimentary Design Appointment

Two upholstered chairs and a small round table are arranged on a wooden floor in front of a wall display of fabric samples with the words "Create with Confidence" above.

One of the many things I love about Calico is how easy they make the process. I scheduled my complimentary appointment through the Calico website.

From there, I headed to the Laguna Hills Calico store where their warm and knowledgeable team welcomed me.

Storefront of Calico with large windows, a visible doorway, modern exterior design, and a sidewalk with potted plants outside.
A showroom features a teal sofa with yellow and patterned pillows, a round coffee table with decor, a patterned armchair, and fabric samples displayed in the background.
A woman stands by a display wall of fabric samples in a showroom, touching one sample. The wall has the phrase "Create with confidence" above the samples.
Shelves with organized fabric sample books and binders, brochures on the countertop, and Roman shades displayed above on the wall.

The in-store experience was fantastic. The team walked me through the full custom slipcover and reupholstery process, discussing the many benefits of upgrading your current furniture instead of replacing it. Keeping the furniture you already have is not only more cost-effective, but it’s also an environmentally conscious choice, as it keeps pieces out of landfills and reduces unnecessary waste. It’s a win-win.

Calico’s design services are free, and working with their team was so helpful! The Calico team explained that not every fabric is suitable for slipcovers. And I learned everything is custom-made to fit perfectly.

Exploring Calico’s Fabric Selection

A woman stands at a wooden table, operating a fabric-cutting machine in a room with fabric samples and bookshelves in the background.

I spent time looking through at least ten different upholstery books filled with beautiful sage green options. There were also dozens of fabric samples hanging around the store. The variety was impressive, from casual textures to formal weaves, solids to patterns, and everything could be custom-tailored to our specific furniture.

Fabric swatches and sample books in neutral and light blue tones are arranged on a wooden table, including one labeled "calico.
Two samples of light green upholstery fabric with serrated edges, one labeled "Calico" and the other displayed in a swatch book, laid on a textured surface.
A white upholstered chair with a fabric sample booklet in neutral shades placed on the seat and a light green fabric draped over the backrest.

After reviewing a wide range of choices, I fell in love with a beautiful fabric called Lovely Aura (KC)/323 Mineral. It struck the perfect balance between elegance and everyday durability. It has just the right amount of texture to feel inviting, and the color is precisely the shade of sage I was dreaming of.

Three fabric swatches labeled "calico" are displayed on a light wood surface, each showing a textured, pale sage green material.

Placing the Order and In-Home Pickup

A living room with a white slipcovered sofa, a distressed white coffee table, a patterned rug, and bookshelves against beige walls with a window and French doors in the background.
Two people are carrying a beige upholstered sofa through a doorway into a house.

Once I made my final fabric selection, the team placed the order for the material and coordinated the next step. Calico sent a professional upholsterer to our home to pick up the sofa and measure for both slipcovers. This at-home service was the perfect way to ensure that everything would fit perfectly.

Now we wait! In just a few weeks, our new slipcovers will arrive, and I can’t wait to see how they transform the entire room. The new look will reflect my love for sage green, and I’m excited to style the space for every season with a new foundation that feels elevated and intentional.

Calico makes it easy to achieve the slipcover and reupholstery looks of your dreams by simplifying what can feel like an intimidating process with their free professional design services. With more than 10,000 pieces reupholstered annually, it’s no wonder so many people choose Calico to update and refresh their homes.

Stay tuned for Part Two of this collaboration, where I’ll reveal the AFTER with the final slipcovers and share how I styled our new sage-green living room! I have a feeling this is going to be one of my favorite updates yet.

In the meantime, if you’re ready to refresh your own space, I highly recommend starting with Calico. You can browse their incredible selection of fabrics and schedule your free design appointment here.

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2 Comments

  1. Look forward to the end result. Beautiful new look for sofas! Always wondered about slip covering my sofa . Need to update its look.

    Reply

  2. Why is every blog I go to always says come back next and I’ll show up the results?? Very annoying 😑 no thanks..I guess people with money and nothing is out of bounds it’s just everyday happening..sorry

    Reply

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