• The most exciting result is that we introduced better and more expensive leather and heavy suede slipcovers and they are among our best sellers. Home decorators want better slipcovers that fit.
• Similarly, our new lifestyle photography which was developed to help customers decorate has produced excellent sales gains when we show the pictures in our contemporary, casual and traditional lifestyles.
• Our new product additions have also done very well. In particular our back cushion cover which enables our customers to have a total custom upholstery look has increased sales.
• The most surprising result has been the disappointments in this tough economy. Lowering the price of off-colors, running clearance sales on old patterns and lowering the price of dining room chairs were all disappointing.
The message is very clear and not being fully understood by some retailers and suppliers. While times are tough, consumers want and respond to innovation, quality and value more than just price. In particular providing great innovative products like our faux leather which looks like the real thing is more important than cheapening products. In other words, value has many components besides simply price.
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( 3 / 107 )I’ve always been a bit ambivalent about the holidays. It’s great to have some time to connect with friends and family over meals but I don’t have to tell you it’s a whole boat load of work. Whether entertaining at home or having to travel to others, it’s always work and stress.
This year I am planning on entertaining at home and preparation is the name of the game. With friends and their kids or even with someone who had one drink too many, I’m banking on someone spilling something on the furniture. It’s just par for the course (especially when you have any kids under age eight in the room – although the worse are the overgrown and over-enthusiastic men over 35). So this year I am ready to defy convention and slipcover my way through Thanksgiving.
Parsons chairs are on my list. Tight fitting short covers, here I come. I’m even thinking of throwing caution to the wind and am going for white (I have more modern/contemporary furniture with lots of pop art in the room). I have my laundry detergent at hand, so why not? I have to go do the laundry at some point. Or should I go more festive with a nice cordovan or chocolate dining chair cover? Mmmm chocolate, reminds me I have to figure out what dessert to serve. That can wait.
Okay, now that my dining room is covered (excuse the pun) I still have to think about my living room. I want a new look anyway and I need something that is durable and easy to manage. Leather slipcovers with some new cushion covers it is. Great for the guys who are going to destroy my house while watching college football. Black or brown leather slipcovers? Black goes with everything and works for me – black it is and it goes with the rest of my furniture. So all I really have to do is spritz and wipe clean. And although I have to do laundry at some point, the less I do the happier I am. So to my rambunctious, football loving guests – beware, I’m ready for you. I’ve got it covered, my sofa that is and no one will know the difference.
Yes, I feel better – sleek, sexy slipcovers from Stretch and Cover can save Thanksgiving. That’s what I have to be thankful for.
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( 3 / 59 )If you need a quick, easy, and relatively inexpensive makeover for a room or need to freshen up drab furniture, you might want to consider slipcovers! A slipcover can really transform a dreary piece of tired furniture to look fresh and new. Coordinate a roomful of mismatched furniture by slipcovering everything in matching or coordinating covers. Loveseats, club chairs, wing chairs, recliners, sofas, ottomans, and dining chairs all can benefit from the addition of fashionable slipcovers.
When decorating your space, ask yourself what kind of look and feel you’re ultimately going after. What this translates into is texture, fabric, and color.
Decorating with Texture
What kind of texture works with the feel and sense of comfort you are looking to achieve? With so many choices on the market, you can find slipcovers in colorful washable cotton, durable denim or faux suede, elegant velvet, snuggly chenille, faux leather, jacquard and many more.
Stretch twill fabric is a casual fabric designed to be used in virtually any setting. It is probably the most popular slipcover fabric and can be used to coordinate with virtually any decorating style or color scheme. You can even match the covers with different seat cushion colors for an even more stylish and original look.
Micro suede fabric is gaining fast in popularity, is durable and works in both formal and casual settings. These look best in browns, tans, and stone colors. And if you like the texture and durability of micro suede and want to bring in a bit of color, burgundy may be a good choice for you.
Chenille fabric, offers a very soft, comfortable fabric with an eye-catching traditional design. And if you’re looking for texture that provides a simple elegance that works with almost any décor, you can’t go wrong with a diamond jacquard pattern. Depending on the color, it provides a contemporary look (ivory) or a traditional look (latte).
Decorating with Color
Neutral or basic colors to provide you with a level of easy sophistication. You can accessorize to provide your own distinctive touch – express your personality through accessories for your own personal spin.
Think about how you like to feel in your home and what you presently have. Want to stimulate the senses? Go with bright primary colors in red, blue, or sunny yellows. Contribute to a particular style of décor such as Southwestern, Country, Traditional, Shabby Chic, or Victorian with appropriate slipcover fabrications and design patterns. Or there’s always white paired with black and red for a contemporary look or pair white with navy for a nautical look.
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