If you live with solid color slipcovers you know how practical and versatile they are.  But do you ever get in a decorating rut with them?

I’ve been feeling that way about my red slipcovered chair, which is tucked into a cozy corner of my home.

I want to give it a new look but I don’t have time right now to sew an entirely new slipcover.  Should I just swap out the accent pillow and be done?  No, not again!!

So, I started playing around with mixing layers of pattern and texture against the solid red canvas.  Using what I had on hand,  I pulled in an old cushion cover, textured blankets, a vintage grain sack and other accents.  I even created a simple cushion sleeve for extra layering. Here’s what I came up with:

I have always like the look of farmhouse-style decor.  Above I used a ticking cushion cover from my chair’s previous slipcover.  I combined the stripe seat with a vintage wool plaid blanket and a sweet velvet bird pillow.  Oh, and the handwoven striped rag rug adds yet another layer of texture and richness.  Pretty cozy don’t you think?

Once you get started in mixing patterns it’s hard to stop!  In this French country version, I kept the ticking cushion cover and then layered it with a floral linen sleeve.  I made a fabric tube from a Waverly print, pressed it flat and seamed the ends together.  The finished sleeve is the width of the cushion.  Think of it as a fabric loop.  It slides over the cushion and fits snug so it won’t shift around with use.

I love the look of the ticking stripe and floral with the vintage grain sack.  It was long enough to hang over the chair so the inside back is completely covered.  I added even more pattern by layering in the plaid linen pillow cover and a striped quilt.  It looks like a different chair, doesn’t it?

OK, now it’s your turn.  How will you give your slipcover a style boost?