I’ve always made my slipcovers in natural or creamy white as a way to give my small living space a bigger, brighter feel.  Even when I make new covers to replace the old ones, I stick with this cream cotton-poly canvas, natural denim or off-white linen.

This has been my decorating style for a long time. It’s hard to imagine slipcovering my furniture in a darker color and loving it as much as my favorite pale neutrals.

But when brown kept showing up this year in my workroom, in trend forecasts and in swatch books I started thinking beyond cream and white.

I wondered if the right shade of brown would work as a new neutral for my slipcovers.

Brown always looks so good in plush velvet upholstery and tufted leather pieces with rich, high-low patina.

Would brown look as beautiful in a more casual fabric like basic bull denim or flat cotton canvas? Would brown slipcovers make my small space feel smaller?

To find out, I decided to do a little experiment on one of my own chairs. Continue reading →