I’ve received a few e-mails lately about how it is living with white furniture, a white kitchen floor, a white bathroom floor, especially with little boys, so I thought I would address it in a post.
I’ve been making white slipcovers and using white bedding for about 9 years. I started because of practicality and my limited sewing skills. All white slipcovers could be bleached and the light color and lack of pattern would hide my crooked seams. I’ve also always been a habitual furniture re-arranger, so my slipcovered furniture accommodate that impulse. When we were ready to buy our first sofa (not a hand-me-down), I went with the white slipcovered Ektorp sofa from Ikea (the one that is still in our family room.)
It’s worked well for us for about eight years and has survived teenagers and babies. The white cotton twill slipcovers are $50 each, so I buy one every couple of years when the current one is beyond washing. The time has come, though, when a white slipcovered sofa isn’t working. My boys have reached the age when they come home covered in a light dusting of the school playground every day and it always gets transferred to the sofa. I would have to wash it every other day to keep it bright white. Which I don’t. So, it’s time for a change. Since my boys almost always sit on the sofa, the other white upholstered and slipcovered furniture fair just fine.
Call me a little crazy, but I also like white because I can see when it’s dirty. I don’t really want dirt camouflaged, so I am blissfully unaware of it. I would rather see it and clean it up. I’ve also grown used to being able to throw my sofa slipcovers in the washing machine to get them clean, fresh and sanitized. Since white is a little too high maintenance for the sofa, I am going to cover it in the natural hemp fabric I mentioned in yesterday’s post. It’ll still be light, still washable, but a little more forgiving with small boys.
I feel the same way about white floors. I had dirt colored floors and I really didn’t like them. They hid drips, footprints and crumbs, but they were the color of dirt! Yes, you can see drips on the white floor and I have to vacuum and steam mop them a lot, but I love how light and bright they are. White cabinets are the same way. They show the splatters and sticky fingerprints, but I just wipe them up.
So, can you live with white? You just have to be honest with yourself about the kind of homemaker you are. Would you not be able to rest knowing there is a visible spot on your sofa or drips on your floor? If your kid doing a face-plant on your slipcovers after eating an Oreo would bring you to tears…well, white might not be for you.
If you really love white and wouldn’t mind life happening all over your white stuff, you’ll be just fine.
64 Responses
i LOVE all your whites- when we purchased our 2 sofa sets 10’ish years ago I went with “neutral” because, I too, am a habitual re-arranger—BUT, the ‘neutral’ is really a khaki sage’ish green and I’m SO over it. It’s darker and less versatile than I had hoped (but after 10 yrs-tastes change) One day I’d like to slip cover a set..but for now, smoothie mustache superhero face plants won’t work so well on white. I can’t wait to see your hemp fabric!
I’m laughing out loud at the face-plant into the sofa after eating Oreos! Too funny! I can relate and I have the Ektorp in the off-white color and it’s nice to be able to wash it. I agree it’s nice to able to see the dirt so it can get cleaned…except when unexpected company drops by, then it would be nice if it was hidden:)
I LOVE living with white! I have 2 small children as well, everyone thinks I’m crazy, but I love it! You hit the nail on the head with the hammer when you said you have to be honest with what type of home maker you are, because if you don’t want to be wiping up quickly, or tossing slip covers in the wash then rethink white, but when you love it, you deal with it, and you don’t mind the effort 🙂 Always love your style and taste, thanks for sharing!!
I love living with white and also black, which also shows everything and I’m fine having to clean it a lot, I’m with you I don’t want it camouflaged and really shouldn’t we live with what we truly love instead of making do?
I love white! My nursery is all white including the floor and I love it!! My dining room is also all white. Most of the curtains in our home are white for the easy cleaning and the light bright look they give:) white can take extra time but for me it’s so worth it.
I’m with you on the white. I just painted my kitchen cabinets white a few months ago and I am loving it. You see marks right away and just nip it in the bud. I might feel a little different about slipcovers but we’ll soon find out. I’ve outgrown the ones that I have but they are still in good shape so I’ll sew up some slipcovers and see how that works out.
Hi!
This is my first time leaving a comment but I wanted to get in on the conversaion. First let me say I love your site. Your home is absolutely beautiful & has given me a lot of inspiration! We renovated our condo & did a lot of the renovation work ourselves. Now we are working on our house. It is a lot of work but worth it all in the end.
I have a white slip covered sofa & I love it! We have 5 mostly grown children, 2 are still teenagers & a 4 year old. We always have a full house. It does require washing but I like the fact that I can just easily throw it in the washing machine & know it is super clean & sanitized. Also, I do cheat…. I cover it with an extra duvet I don’t use when it’s just the family at home & we’re having dinner off the coffee table. When we’re not eating & when guests come over the duvet goes in the closet & it’s always white & clean that way. Also it gives me an added motivation to keep messy snacking to a minimum with the 4 year old & I keep baby wipes around at all times for sticky fingers & faces.
Thanks for all your inspiration 🙂
I LOVE the look of white, but just can’t do it…except I’ve finally added some to my bedroom. Living on a farm, 3 kids, 2 dogs in and out, white is too much. I’m outside more than in, so I can’t be cleaning all the time; okay, I won’t be, to be more honest. 🙂 I have a bright red slip cover on my living room loveseat, and I LOVE it. The bright color just shouts at dirt, but I do wash it when it gets bad. Our couch is out on the enclosed porch and has horse and western scenes on it b/c that’s where we really live. I do actually have light colored floors, but I did stain them (old wooden ones) so they hide the dirt too. I’m the total opposite of OCD…wish I had some of it! But I just can’t live without color. I LOVE your house though. Isn’t it funny how we can love so many different styles but have to chose what works best for ourselves to live in. 🙂 I had to come right over just to see how you said you live with white though…the curiosity of people being able to keep white so clean and pretty has always made me wonder. 🙂
after living in a beige world for so long….I long to lighten things up with white slipcovers. Can you tell me how you wash them? I mean…bleach, sun drying, or what to keep them white. After awhile white tends to yellow so I was just wondering.
Kathryn, I’m with you. But I have found just over the past several years that the Clorox doesn’t seem to do the same job it used to do as far as getting stains out and brightening the whites. Hubby just started me a clothesline project (it’s almost done!), so I am looking at sun drying to help get rid of the problem. 🙂 Also, I use “Retro Clean” for my linen pieces (dresser scarfs/runners/doily type items), which works pretty well.
I love white… but I cheat. I take a large jersey tshirt sheet and wrap them over the cushions … I can wash the sheet every other day if I want and it’s so easy.. that;s cheating right? slipcovering your slip covers?
I did a post about it a loooong time ago. Here’s the link if you want to check it out. It’s perfect for your boys !!
http://antiquechase.blogspot.com/2010/08/white-sofas.html
Marion, try it!! 🙂
My beige Ektorp sofa is beyond washing, so is my other sofa. I cover them with a white plaid and wash them every week. As soon as the clean plaid is on the sofa, chocolate covered hands touch it again. But I can live with that.
I can live with white – it’s in my family room, sunroom and bedroom. But please don’t ask me if I can live with stainless steeled front appliances! No can do! I do not like them, I do not! Fingerprints and nasty smudges always, unless you want to wipe them each time someone touches them – and I’m not just talking about little ones – adults can be worse! Can’t convince me otherwise! 🙂
Rita, I know what you mean about stainless. I changed from black to stainless steel when I got the white kitchen that I have always wanted. It looked WONDERFUL with the white … for a few hours …. but before the first day was over I was wondering if I had made a mistake. Every time it is touched there is an ugly smudge! Nasty!
I totally hear you on the stainless, but using Sheila Shine on our appliances has changed the regret I used to have about making such a big appliance investment and spending so much time keeping them clean. In fact, we even went with stainless countertops in our previous home and absolutely loved them. For whatever reason the Sheila Shine does what nothing else I’ve tried can do, and it cleans our stainless with barely any effort, plus it seems to form a protective barrier against future smudges. I find myself cleaning far less and not even noticing if water drips down the front of the fridge because it rarely leaves a trace anymore. That sounds like a total sales pitch, but this stuff is amazing! Love our stainless appliances now.
I love white! I have white ektorp arm chairs for Ikea (which certainly need a WASH) doing that today and have white cabinets and counters. Soon many of the walls in our new home will be white too 🙂
I know just how you feel about white. I love to see when I need to clean, otherwise, I may no do so!! We have 5 children, a cat, and a dog, and are transitioning to white and so far so good! 😮
White. White. White.
My boys are grown, but I have always had a LOT of white. I did the same thing, washing the slip cover when needed. We have 2 Labradors. One is white. Works well. The other is black. Does not work so well. (:
The freshness of white is something I won’t give up.
Enjloyed maryjean’s comment – I had 3 boys and 2 dogs 1 black mt. dog mix and one yellow lab – I’ve been known to buy furniture to match the dog!
I LOVE this conversation. My question: Can you post the manufacturer or source of the natural hemp fabric?Or give some tips of where to look? I have been having difficulty locating a fabric which I can be excited about slipcovering my own…used to be white couch.
Thanks 🙂
I love white furniture and white walls…they’re so versatile, Simply change out the pillows and throws on sofas and chairs and VOILA you have a fresh look that can change with the season! I even switch out paintings depending on whether its winter or summer, using framed photos in the summer and oil paintings in the winter. Whenever inspiration strikes, you have a beautiful blank canvas to create on!
Exactly Lynn! I laugh so hard at these new commercials with the wild and crazy paint colors, all the while shaking my head wondering why someone would choose something so unusual/bright/ugly. When we bought our “money pit,” the guy that had “flipped” the house had painted straight through with a dove gray paint color. Now, sure, that’s a nice neutral color, but to me it has too much of a contemporary feel to it. We’ve gone through and have most of the rooms now painted a very warm and neutral “muslin” color with white trim.
I have started to venture into the world of white. It is so clean and you can really see when things need to be cleaned. I have started with my master bedroom and the Ektorp chair from IKEA. I love it! The rest of my house has color and that is fine, but I do wonder at times what is hidden in those lovely dark colours…two teenage boys with their football aroma don’t make me think pleasant thoughts about what is in my furniture! HAHA.
I purchased my first piece of slipcovered furniture about 15 years ago…. a big white chair …It has been highly used, washed 100’s of times and still one of the fav pieces in my house. I have 3 boys!
I recently ordered a new white slipcovered sofa, but choose to get 2 white covers, so it can still be covered when 1 is in the wash …I think going white is best since you can add bleach if needed. I would recommend purchasing 2 slipcovers …not only does it mean having a spare while one is in the wash but it can be really expensive to have one custom made later if you can’t find the exact one for your piece….
I also use throws on my slipcovered pieces…that allows for some color and protection : )
It’s not for everyone, but I love my white slipcovered pieces!
I LOVE white. My couch slipcover was made from a dropcloth – straight from the package. Well, I did wash it to soften if first but I didn’t bleach it. I think you will love your hemp fabric in place of the white with your little boys. I am getting ready to make new slipcovers for my furniture and I plan to bleach my drop cloths this time! I have girls and that makes a HUGE difference even though my 2 youngest like to play outside and they do come in pretty dirty sometimes. There is still a difference no matter how much of a tomboy my middle girl is!
I also bought the white Ektorp sofa and I loved it… for awhile. I had to face the fact that I’m not the best homemaker but dirt and stains bother me to no end. So I switched out the white slipcover for a dark gray one that is much more forgiving of my toddlers and husband, but I still keep things light and bright with white curtains, pillows, furniture and shiny surfaces like mirrors.
hmmmmm while I love the look of all white rooms prob not a choice for me now.Even tho there are no lil ones in the house now we have 2 girls [2 dogs] and they are allowed on the furniture, since we live in the forest on a dirt road I am constantly fighting with dust/dirt and lots of fur. in my house the fur sticks to everything but the dog..I should be embarrassed but I am not the girls stay with all the fur and the dirt 😉
Marian I am a person that loves white.I too have white kitchen cabinets.And they stay pretty clean.They occasionally need to be wiped up but I had darker cabinets that needed the same.I also have lots of white furniture and white walls.I did purchase a white slip cover.I bought it for our sofa in our den.I decided to try it on our sofa in our family room.Sort of give it a test drive.Well the white drove me nuts in there.It was showing every piece of hair and lint.I decided that the cover will work best on my sofa in the den.And like you I am getting a neutral color for our sofa in the family room.I already had a neutral cover in our living room and it is much better.Yes you can see hair and lint.But I don’t feel like i have to grab the vacuum cleaner every single time I see a pinch of hair or lint.
xx
Anne
Yes! I’ve always said, “Yeah, it hides the dirt, but it always looks dirty!”
I am looking to upgrade my staple gun. (I have the old-fashioned “push hard and shoot” model.). I was wondering what you use for all of your upholstery projects. I searched your blog with no luck, so I thought I’d just ask. Thanks so much! I love your blog!
Ha! I’m literally washing my white slipcover at this moment. We do have the Ikea ektorp loveseat in their linen color and I love it. Seriously thinking on replacing our bigger sofa with an Ikea one in same fabric. I couldn’t have lived with my white slips all these years without covering bottom cushions with quilts or blankets.
I LOVE white décor. Clean, classic and feminine. I have white slip covers in my LR and a white/beige bathroom. I’d be happy with my entire home decorated in white if I didn’t have to clean it constantly!
Marian I LOVE your white – it’s so fresh and crisp. Alas, while I’d love to have white furniture, I have 3 boys, a large man-child, and a big dirty black dog. And, since I hate doing housework and avoid it at all costs (chore charts anyone?) I know living with white would kill me.
Our current couch is gold (a hand-me-down), and the recliner loveseat (also a hand-me-down) is navy blue with little anchors & shields on it in gold & red). Not my style at all. I’m considering splurging on a washable velvet cover for the sofa, in a teal-y aqua. I’d have to make covers for the recliner seats, because nobody makes them. Which would entail sewing; something I am not remotely profiecient at. Which leaves painting them. BUT, I forgot to mention the time my 3-year-old found a steak knife on the counter and went all Jack Nicholson on the recliners. Nice tight upholstery makes a cool popping sound when you stab it!
I’m sure I’ll think of something – those recliners are too comfy to kick out! LOL
I laughed so hard at the steak knife saga! Too funny.
So stinkin funny about the knives. Kids can be crazy!
I have had the white Ektorp sofa for 6 years. My hubby thought I was crazy when I bought it, but it has turned out to be wonderful!! I lucked into a slipcover sale and bought 3 additional white covers for $11.00 each – I always have a few clean. If I’m expecting company, I can have pristine in 3 mins!!
Three boys, all lacrosse players = super stink! So far, they haven’t come close to killing my sofa
I LOVE white… I love my white Ektorp sofa and armchairs… I’m so glad with your post today… I was actually wondering if you were moving away from white, with more and more colors and patterns. Glad to hear you still love white! We have three young kids and there are always stains on our furniture. I really couldn’t care less! White brings light, it feels spacious and calm to me. I have two sets for the sofa, and I wash regularly, but not all the time. I do notice sometimes though that guests are a little uncomfortable with the white: they are so worried to make stains! I’m considering decorating a small cushion for on the sofa: ‘We are washable :-)’, haha. At the moment I’m trying to live more eco-friendly and wash more with baking soda and things like that. I would be interested to hear what others use to clean their white furniture!
So nice to see alot of comments on washing Ektorp white, which I have in the sectional size. I have washed and line dried the cushions covers…but the large frame cover will never fit in a home washer, let alone the weight when it’s wet. I guess I should check with the dry cleaners to see how much it would cost to let them clean or wash it. Are all of you drying the cushion covers in the dryer with no shrinkage? And the frame covers fit in your washer? Please give me some advice.
I know my limitations – lol! I love to look at it, but it would NEVER fly in my house! My floor is a speckled black, brown, and tans linoleum – if we drop a chocolate chip we have to search for it. I do clean on a regular basis, but I could not handle having every spot screaming at me. I do admire those of you that have kids and can actually keep things looking spotless, but I’m glad it doesn’t bother me that I don’t see it all!
I am with you Tina, out of sight out of mind works for me. I had a white ceramic tile floor once and it drove me crazy. Never again.
My baby days are long past and I’m not sure I would have faired as well as you if I’d had white upholstery back then. I started following your blog 5-ish years ago and loved the look of your decor. I finally got my nerve up to try making a slipcover — for my old Laz-e-boy wingback platform rocker, of all things…using your tutorials. I could not believe how wonderful it turned out! Washes like a hanky ( I do have 4 cats!) and I just think it’s the smartest thing I ever did! I have since slipcovered an old camelback sofa…turned out as well as the chair. Now I have upholstered a lovely rocker (from the 70’s– …no one would ever guess) and painted the wood in a creamy white chalk paint. My friends think I am amazing…I keep telling them they just need to read Miss Mustard Seed’s blog…you are the cat’s pajamas!
I love white. I have a house that is mostly white including an unslipcovered white couch. It is in the living room and we don’t hang out there much but it does intimidate guests. I usually put a great throw on it when people come over, they feel much better about sitting on it.
So agree about seeing your dirt and knowing it must be cleaned. Our wood floors are dark and while I vacuum every few days I am still amazed at the amount of dirt when I was them.
For me the best part of white is the flexibility I have. I can change a few pillows, smalls and pictures and go from classic antique to bright modern. It really makes things fun and light and it makes me happy.
Finally! I am so happy to hear someone else say they like to see what needs to be cleaned, instead of it hiding in color and pattern .. and for how long? Oh no! I heard the same comments when we put hardwood throughout our house instead of carpet. I was told, you know you will see everything on your floor! And that’s a bad thing?, I would reply. Makes one wonder what is on, or in, others folks floors! We bought all polished chrome faucets and fixtures for our kitchen and baths. Everyone said, oh you will be able to see every fingerprint and “stuff”. Yep, and that’s a bad thing because..? First, I love sparkly chrome fixtures and I want to know when they need to be cleaned. We have white cabinets in our kitchen and I do find those prints of something by each knob now and then and I .. get a sponge and clean it up! Gosh, better than not seeing the yucky stuff and living with it forever. While we don’t have white upholstery, I love that idea of being able to wash the slipcovers. Our sofas are yellow and not washable .. maybe next time! I love your blog, it’s my favorite. I love your common sense approach to, well everything. I only wish I could part with things as well as you! Thanks bunches for inspiring and entertaining me.
I have the same opinion about white. I, too, don’t want to be “blissfully unaware” of dirt built up on my sofa, counters, cupboards or anything else. It creeps me out just thinking about it. I want to KNOW when it’s dirty! I kinda thought I might be alone in that madness…thanks for letting me know I’m not!
I am a self-taught seamstress, who 6 years ago decided to put my talents to use in filling my home with beautiful fabrics and soft furnishings! I’ve since turned my passion into a small business and have a full workroom in the rear of our detached garage. It’s just me, as I don’t like to give up control of fabrication. I’ve always wanted to try my hand at making slip covers, but was way too intimidated. Well, after watching your tutorial, I decided to give it a whirl. Wow! I am SO glad I did! It was easier than I thought….thanks to your step-by-step videos. I’m on a roll and by the end of the summer all of my dark upholstery will be a thing of the past! LOVE your blog and photos! Thank you!!
EXACTLY the way I feel. I want to see it. and my daughter wanted a white bed so she could see the dirt. I am not a clean freak….but I just like to know…and I have a white slipped sofa I got from Penney’s. A little more sturdy, and I bought 2 sets of white slips to use. The price has gone up, but it was a good deal for me. I love white…has always been my favorite color, and have always used cobalt blue…..I love your stuff!!
UH, I’d LOVE white but with three black Lab mixes it wouldn’t be possible. Even without them getting on furniture, they rub against it, lay against it, and their hair just floats LOLOLOL One of these days!
I love all your white. I never tire of it in my home its so serene.
You are a better woman than I! Your home looks beautiful and you should be proud! Me, on the other hand, love anything that will hide the spots! Not dark colors- brights and patterns. That doesn’t mean that I don’t clean…I would just be to obsessive if I had white. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I want…..no, wait! I COVET your kitchen!! Especially the counter tops….how did you do that? I really like white, but my husband is a rail road mechanic….can you spell G.R.E.A.S.E.? plus 2 dogs. I pick and choose where it’s appropriate for white, or I’d go crazy. Besides, I love color along with the white.
My entire house is white. White painted timber floors, white kitchen, white sofa … everything. It’s not always easy to live with but I love how bright and fresh it is. You just have to wipe things up.
Oh! The kitchen rug has changed! I like it. I believe it used to be a geometric pattern in green and white or off-white. 🙂 I can live with white, what I am having a hard time living with is hard laminate floors. White they are “easier” to clean and better for folks with allergies, they are so … well, hard. To me that doesn’t translate to “comfy” for home. I have looked for something with the same ease of cleaning as your white slipcovers, i.e., rugs you can pop in the washer, but something suitable and stylish like that is really hard to find. All the rag rugs I see on Etsy that people are hand crocheting or making on a loom are such ugly colors … ugh, what a dilemma. 🙂
Our home will soon be lots of white with white cabinets, white subway tile in the bathroom and white board and batten…and a white slipcovered couch…I HOPE I can do it, lol!
I’ve had white slipcovers for many years. I have to say for cleaning up between washings I use Folex spot cleaner. Works great and can be purchased at Target or Home Depot.
I love white too. Solved the couch problem with white leather. It is very forgiving and cleans well. The leather eventually turns more off white as the years go by. Big leather fan.
Nope…white is not for me! I love the way it looks. But, due to time there is just no way I could rest after a long day of work knowing the slip covers needed to be cleaned. I am kind of messy as well. Someday! 🙂
Note to self…read everyone’s comments before being so honest! Wow, I didn’t realize I was alone in my opinion. I wish I had more time or could manage my time better so I could enjoy the fresh look of white. 🙂
I’m with you! Life’s too short for white upholstery!
Since you won’t be able to bleach the hemp, I’d suggest that you pre-treat ,spots on the slipcovers before you watch them. I have two favorites: Tech Spot Remover that we buy from Amazon; we buy it by the gallon. It works great on rugs and clothing, too. I also use Zout (we buy it by the case on the internet) on spots before I launder clothing and like kid’s clothes, gravy and red wind on tablescloths,, etc. Zout must be laundered after treatment. Tech is just worked into the rug, cloth, etc. and then blotted out with dry towels and the spot disappears.-no laundering needed. Yesterday it removed a whole mug of creamed coffee I spilled on a wool rug.
I love the look of all white, but my husband doesn’t. I did recently acquire a white slipcover for one of our live seats, and he’s totally bought into my proposal to paint the kitchen cabinets white! What I think is interesting is how many people own an Ikea Ektorp couch! We have been looking into couches for our family room, and I love the shape of the Ektorp, but have been concerned that it would hold up for more than a few years. We have 3 kiddos and a Golden Retriever. How have the cushions held up? Are they still supportive? Comfortable? We sit in our family room way more than our living room.
I had the same questions as Jill. Do the Ikea sofas hold up? They are very reasonably priced and usually something that inexpensive does not last. I’ve read where some people have had a problem with the cushions holding their shape.
I can only speak to the Ektorp sofa, but I’ve been pleased with how it’s held up for a sofa that is so inexpensive. I’ve had mine for about 8 years. The only wear that has happened is that the foam in the seat cushions (which is layers of thin foam instead of one thick piece) have started to separate. This is only a problem when I’m putting the slipcovers off and on and has only happened with one of the three. I’m sure I could use some spray adhesive to repair it, though.
I love my white Ektorps! I’ve only had mine for 2 years, but they are great. It’s about time to get new slipcovers though. I have two girls,4 and 10, and they are great at making messes. I love that I can see the nasties and thoroughly clean them up. On my old dirt brown couch it was so hard to see the mess until it was too horrible. For the price of the sofa and white slipcovers, I don’t mind if I have to buy a whole new couch every 5 year even.
I have had my Ikea Ektorp couch and chairs for at least five years and I love them ,I have three different sets of slipcovers, from white to a dark blue, and taupe, love the way it gives my living room a different look and feel for summer and winter.
Have only had trouble with one cushion as Miss Mustard seed did, but not real bad.
I would highly recommend these to anyone especially for the price.