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Furniture DESIGNED to be Slip-covered?
As Jeff and Rich know, I`m an idea person. I`m not a entrepreneur. I`m just the idea person, and I`m posting my ideas in hopes that it will create conversation, create more ideas, and maybe lead to a business for someone. So take my ideas and run with them, please.
This week`s idea came to mind when I noticed how my friend`s dogs were damaging the upholstery on her sofa. I thought "Why doesn`t someone sell furniture that is DESIGNED to be slip covered?"
I`m not referring to the usual One-Size-Fits-All kind of slipcover and I`m not referring to futons. I`m referring to a more revolutionary furniture design idea. What if a sofa could be broken up into a few pieces; each piece to be slip covered with a custom cover; and have locking mechanisms to hold the pieces together and make the pieces easy to reassemble. From the outside, it should look just like a regular sofa. Design the sofa such that it is style neutral and has interchangeable parts. This week I might want big rolled sofa arms. Next week, I might want something more contemporary. Make it possible.
Imagine, it`s early November and your paisley pastel sofa just doesn`t match the holiday season. Besides, your dog`s favorite place is your sofa and he is making sure that your guests won`t find it very welcoming. Unhook the latches that hold the side arms onto the sofa. Put the "holiday" slip covers on the sofa arms, the sofa back, the cushions, and the frame. Re-assemble, by simply slipping the sofa arms back into their locking mechanisms. The end look would appear seamless and it would like it is designed that way.
What do you think?
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Comments
As Jeff and Rich know, I`m an idea person. I`m not a entrepreneur. I`m just the idea person, and I`m posting my ideas in hopes that it will create conversation, create more ideas, and maybe lead to a business for someone. So take my ideas and run with them, please.
This week`s idea came to mind when I noticed how my friend`s dogs were damaging the upholstery on her sofa. I thought "Why doesn`t someone sell furniture that is DESIGNED to be slip covered?"
I`m not referring to the usual One-Size-Fits-All kind of slipcover and I`m not referring to futons. I`m referring to a more revolutionary furniture design idea. What if a sofa could be broken up into a few pieces; each piece to be slip covered with a custom cover; and have locking mechanisms to hold the pieces together and make the pieces easy to reassemble. From the outside, it should look just like a regular sofa. Design the sofa such that it is style neutral and has interchangeable parts. This week I might want big rolled sofa arms. Next week, I might want something more contemporary. Make it possible.
Imagine, it`s early November and your paisley pastel sofa just doesn`t match the holiday season. Besides, your dog`s favorite place is your sofa and he is making sure that your guests won`t find it very welcoming. Unhook the latches that hold the side arms onto the sofa. Put the "holiday" slip covers on the sofa arms, the sofa back, the cushions, and the frame. Re-assemble, by simply slipping the sofa arms back into their locking mechanisms. The end look would appear seamless and it would like it is designed that way.
What do you think?Not a good idea. IKEA has tried but the concept is too tacky and it doesn`t look good.Why am I saying this? well, my father owns a reputable Upholstery shop here in California that caters to the Movie Stars. Some of his customers are: Paul Stanley, Andy Garcia, Madonna, Smokey Robinson, Michael Jackson, Cheech Marin, and I think he also catered to Ronald Reagan.So I grew up around expensive furniture. The most expensive sofa he has ever designed sold for I think almost $75,000.00. the cheapest $2500.00 for a small chase lounge. So I know for a fact that it wouldn`t work... at least not the detachable part of the sofa... As for the slip covers, slip covers are very trendy within the Hollywood community. I know people that own 5 pairs that cost about 6 thousand a piece ($54.00 dollars a yard of fabric)The reason why your idea wouldn`t work is, in order for a sofa to be tailored it needs to be attached, the minute you build it in pieces (to make it detachable) it looses it`s shape, and they don`t look good because when you put it together the edges might not match with each other. Slip Covers and Upholstery is an art. If you are ever in the Souther California area you can catch some of my father`s designs here: PDC or here MOCA
As for the IKEA furniture, I have never seen it up close so I couldn`t say whether or not I think it looks tacky. Online it looks nice enough though:
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Edgar - I did look at your father`s designs and they are fantastic - but obviously for a completely different market than the furniture Karen is describing.
People seem to be into modular homes these days, why not modular furniture?
storybookstudio2007-4-4 10:35:39
No worries. The purpose of the original message is to create conversation and lead to new ideas. I still think that it`s possible, and that is why I said "Furniture DESIGNED to be Slip covered". I know it won`t sell to everyone, but I think a lot of pet owners and lot of people who thrive on change would appreciate the ability to re-cover their sofa at will. And for those of us who tend to move a lot, being about to break a sofa into pieces might make is easier to move.