This Convenient Couch Trend Is Making a Comeback

Raise your hand if you were personally victimized by the circa-2020 obsession with pristine white couches. You can’t see me, but my hand is skyward and shaking with embarrassment. I blame the coastal California design trend that peaked five years ago, aka the minimalist aesthetic you’ve likely seen in Instagram home tours of your favorite B-list celebrities.

After seeing enough of those social media posts and ads, I gave into the fad under the naive assumption that I, an adult, would be responsible enough to own a beautiful, ivory sofa. I discovered a gorgeous, amorphic piece designed by Vladimir Kagen that had been packed away for over 30 years in someone’s storage unit until they decided to sell it. It was in mint condition, and it felt like I hit the vintage jackpot — and while that may have been true, the winnings did not come without their quirks. 

Owning this piece of furniture was like caring for a sacred object that I was not allowed to hold liquids near, much less sit on. If only I had a second sitting room like I did growing up. My parents had a living room we could actually eat in and another that I barely recall entering, where every piece of furniture was encapsulated in heavy-duty plastic.

But after four years of owning this white couch, I finally accepted that while it was gorgeous, I needed a more practical solution safe for spills. Of course, another design trend swooped in to clean up this mess.

The couch slipcover trend 

Home decor fads come and go, but one overlooked style is making a comeback in a big way: slipcover couches. Sure, the Nancy Meyers aesthetic never truly left our hearts, but over the past 20 years, a consumer preference for sleeper sofas coupled with the resurgence of vintage and upholstered furniture (guilty) came in the way of slipcovers. Instead of the soft, inviting sofas that furnished the homes in Something’s Gotta Give, there’s a modern proclivity for stiffer, mid-century loveseats, Chesterfield couches upholstered in sumptuous leathers, or provocative shapes like the serpentine sofas originally made famous in the ‘80s (again, guilty).

And while funky furniture is still all the rage — and a bold way to express your personality in your dwelling — the more hyperspecific your furniture gets, from fabric to shape, the sooner you’ll get sick of it, and the more difficult it will be to clean and maintain. That’s why washable furniture and covers are gaining popularity. 

So, when I finally decided to put my Kagen couch on Facebook Marketplace, I immediately darted in the complete opposite direction (scarred from all the discomfort, I guess) and started searching for a sofa/slipcover combo. I discovered seating specialist Sixpenny.

What is a slipcover sofa? 

A slipcover sofa has removable cushion covers, usually with hidden zippers or fastenings. This description may trigger memories of your grandmother’s unfashionable living room, but the modern iterations are so chic, you wouldn’t even realize that they can be completely customized and thrown in your washing machine. Just take Sixpenny’s modern sofas for size: They adhere to that same coastal aesthetic we’ve come to love (and sometimes hate), but are way more pragmatic. 

What are the benefits and downsides of a slipcover sofa?

The obvious benefit to a slipcover is that you can easily wash your furniture without having to rent a steamer or call a professional to perform a deep clean service, which can cost upwards of $500. Typically, most slipcovered furniture is designed with you in mind, meaning you should be able to easily remove and wash your cover in your own washing unit. 

Over time, the slipcovers may degrade with each wash, but that’ll happen to most fabric couches over time. Luckily, companies like Sixpenny offer the option to just purchase covers, so you can easily replace yours whenever you want, which is more affordable and sustainable than buying an entirely new couch. “The option to purchase multiple slipcovers means you can instantly change the dynamic of a space without buying new furniture,” says Rob Natale, chief of design at Sixpenny. “It also means you’ll get more life out of your core furniture pieces since a slipcover can always be replaced.” Go ahead, buy a few covers, and swap them out seasonally to refresh your space with ease. 

My Sixpenny Review 

TLDR: I went from being too scared to sitting on my white couch to eating spaghetti on my Sixpenny couch. If that’s not the review you need, keep reading. 

I chose white glove delivery service, which you can opt out of, but I live alone on the third floor. While I didn’t carry it into my home myself, I’m confident that if I had a second pair of hands, it would have been extremely easy. The couch came in several boxes and was surprisingly lightweight. However, once built, you could feel the quality of the couch compared to big box retailers: soft yet supportive. While I’ve graduated from white furniture, that didn’t mean I was done with neutrals…I went with a dark beige cover.

If you’re not ready to part with funky furniture or want an eye-grabbing centerpiece yet still crave some convenience, have no fear: Sixpenny has unique designs and bright colors.

And there’s no need to worry about ruining its facade. I wasn’t nearly as precious with my Sixpenny sofa as I was with its predecessor, and it’s already taken some hits. Once, I found a deep and set-in chocolate stain weeks after said chocolate consumption. A quick wipe with a moist towel instantly removed the stain. When candle embers marked my ottoman, I was instantly nervous that the soot would never go away, but again, I easily removed it with diluted Dial soap, and it dried as if brand new. All in all, the fabric is extremely easy to clean, and it hasn’t even been in the washing machine yet.

Beyond its low-maintenance fabric, it’s also insanely comfortable and expansive — the one I got is 14 feet long and takes up the majority of my living room. But even if it wasn’t this large, it is a complete compliment magnet — every visitor asks where it’s from.

This is the kind of couch that’s timeless, not only because of its quality, but its interchangeable design. It has a steeper price point than, say, cheap couches that will fall apart after a couple of years, but this is the kind of investment I won’t regret for decades. I’m more than thrilled to have upgraded to the slipcover life, and I highly doubt I’ll be moving on from this anytime soon. 

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