The Library
![Animation of person steaming out wrinkles on a slipcovered sofa]()
![Animation of person fluffing a back cushion]()
![Animation of a person tucking and straightening a slipcover on a sofa]()
![Animation of a person snipping a loose thread on a slipcover]()
Buying a sofa online isn't easy, we know. We also know that while a picture is worth 1,000 words, basing expectations for a new sofa on photos from our website and Instagram doesn't always align with real life. The picture-perfect sofas and stylized spaces are a glimpse of our products at their most manicured, but like anything, signs of use will show with everyday enjoyment.
In an attempt to better introduce you to your new future sofa, here are some key characteristics to keep in mind.
First, these sofas are slipcovered, not upholstered. Because the slip isn't permanently stapled in place, it will move around a bit—this adds to the breezy style and allows you to remove the covers for dry-cleaning (or machine-washing if you carefully follow the care instructions). The slipcover won't look photoshop perfect all the time. But, in our opinion, that lived-in, laid-back beauty is a big part of the appeal.
Second, this sofa is filled with feathers (or vegan poly fill made to imitate the feel of feathers), not just a block of foam. These lofty materials will shift around and settle over time. Sometimes you will need to fluff your cushions (with vigor!) to perk them back up.
We've lived with these sofas for years, and our goal here is to make sure there are as few surprises as possible. Generally speaking, all it takes to keep your sofa looking great is a little bit of TLC (in the form of a steamer and a set of hands).
Steam.
Your sofa has traveled a long way over the course of several weeks. After a long trip, don't you sometimes need a bit of unruffling too? Same goes for ongoing use over time.
Pure linens and cottons (again, not fixed to the frame) will wrinkle. They just will. But relaxing them is actually quite relaxing. All you'll need is a steamer—even a small handheld one will give you the option to relax your fabric at any time and get it looking easy, breezy, and beautiful again, which will relax you.
Fluff.
All that feather (or poly) inside your cushions is moveable—it's what allows the air and fill to work together to create a fluffy soft seat. To keep things more evenly distributed, we use a cushion liner with sewn pockets, but as you and your family find your favorite spots, contents will shift and smush and bunch up.
Pouf them back into shape with a bit of vigorous fluffing every now and then. Start from the outside edges, pushing the contents towards the center from all sides. Then set the cushion down and hit it from above to work the contents back out across the whole cushion. Don't be afraid to get your back into it.
Zhuzh.
We make every single slipcover to a collection template, so there shouldn't be any variation in size. If you're unhappy with the way your slip is grazing the floor, or if it looks uneven at the seams, a little strategic zhuzhing (and that steamer we mentioned earlier) will go a long way.
Take the seat cushions off if your slipcover seems too long, short, or uneven. Then, tug or tuck the slip into and around the inner corners of the frame until it sits evenly. Adjust the slip so the seams align with the frame.
For reference, our slipcovers are cut to sit about a half inch above the floor. It's a design choice and a practical one to prevent it from getting too dirty.
Snip.
For a fabric that's so light and airy, linen (and the process by which it's created) is incredibly complex. Subtle variations in texture and color occur naturally in linen and are to be expected here and there. We prefer to celebrate these imperfections rather than cover them up for the sake of uniformity. Synthetics might be "perfect," but Mother Nature is better.
Occasional snagging is normal too. If your sofa has a loose thread here or there, just snip it off with a pair of sharp scissors.
Q.
Do you offer any performance fabrics?
The short answer is no. The "why" of it all requires a little bit of context.
It all comes back to our love of all-natural and recycled fabrics.
"Performance" materials generally offer some degree of wrinkle, stain, or ultraviolet protection—effects typically achieved via chemical coatings or synthetics. We steer clear of these for a few reasons, the most obvious being our unwillingness to compromise our natural fabrics' inherent beauty, texture, or strength.
But aesthetics aside, we're also mindful of the chemicals our customers bring into their homes. Performance fabrics often contain PFAS (also known as "forever chemicals" because they stick around, well, pretty much forever) human-made compounds utilized for their "repellant" qualities. We aim to keep our slipcovers as low-emission as possible.
Our latest fabric family, Recycled Poly Weave, is our best performing fabric yet, and it does so without the use of traditional chemical coatings which often create the stain repellence that makes fabrics “performance”. It's remarkably easy to spot clean and machine wash, and if we didn’t tell you, you’d swear it belongs in our linen category. Read more about “performance” fabrics and Recycled Poly Weave in our library post.
