Futons.org - futon covers

Futon Covers - Changing with the times.
How futons can stay up with current furniture trends and shopping for covers. - Article by Futons.org

Often when we buy furniture it comes upholstered in the pattern we choose and at the time it is trendy and current and everyone who sees it loves it. Years pass and when people walk past it they often ask "when you are thinking of replacing that sofa" or "have you thought about having that sofa recovered?" Subtle but to the point in that your furniture is dated. Furniture is fashionable when we purchase it but styles and designs change and conventional furniture can have a tough time staying in step with what is hot in furniture. Futons are somewhat different when it comes to this and in this article we'll look at exactly why this is and what is available for your home in the way of matching accessories and fabrics.

When futon frames and mattresses first came onto the scene back in the 80's. There wasn't much in the way of coverings available. One manufacturer offered hand painted coverings and went to a futon show to display these with several vendors. The futon cover was a success and soon would evolve into the coverings that we see today. Futon coverings are made with velcro or zippers to allow them to be pulled over a mattress and secured. This is what allows the customer total control over changing the look of the fabric on their futon as all that needs to happen is to simply zipper off the covering and zipper on a new one of the mattress. You instantly change the look of your futon giving it a brand new appearance, keeping it fresh and staying up with current fabric trends.

A good example of this is several years ago the furniture industry introduced microfiber which is a man-made synthetic material made to emulate the feel suede. It became very poplular and soon people were finding that the fabric sofas they had just weren't staying in step with new trends. The futon industry noticed this as well and before you knew it most of the manufacturers were offering microfiber futon coverings. Rather than buying new sofas, futon owners simply went to their futon retailer, and purchased new coverings for a fraction of what it would cost to purchase a new upholstered sofa. It is that flexibility with futons that makes futon covers so attractive.

When shopping for futon covers you're going to typically come across covers sold in two different ways. Retailers will often stock perhaps 100-300 covers on shelves that are purchased in bulk and are available anywhere from $39 on up. Most often it is queen, full & twin size futon coverings. Many of these coverings may or may not be re-orderable so take note of that if you have matching pieces like chairs or loveseats that will also require covers. The other way of getting covers is by ordering. When you're in a futon store you will often be presented by the retailer with fabric books or fabrics that are hanging on racks throughout the store. This is the best way of ordering matching sets of covers if you own a sofa and chair futon or other combinations.

What many people do is pick out 2-3 coordinating fabrics and will do different fabrics on different pieces as well as pillows which will help tie eveything in. We've seen a sofa done in fabric A, a chair done in fabric B and a loveseat done in fabric C. Then pillows in fabrics A, B & C mixed and matched in opposite combinations with those overs to create a really well coordinated look. In pillows you will see square shaped pillows in various sizes and often you will see bolster pillows which are round cylinder shaped pillows that are placed next to the arms of the futons. Because the futon cover manufacturers are pulling these fabrics off of bolts they can also sell you cut yardage that can be made into other things like curtains or table runners to help bring your look full circle.

When ordering futon covers don't be surprised to find that they are sold at many different price points. Some of the biggest futon cover manufacturers break their fabrics up into grades or categories that as you go up in the category so does the price so the most premium fabrics will be the highest investment. Where as fabrics like sheeting or broadcloth will be offered at an economical price. Your retailer can go over the different fabrics with you including helping you to find a specific fabric or theme that might interest you for your home decor.

In this article we took a look at some of the advantages that futon covers offer over conventional furniture when it's time for a new look. We explored a little about how futon covers will be presented for sale and what accessories you'll be able to purchase to enhance your home decor with the coverings you pick out. When you're ready to change the look of your futon furniture take a look around and see what you like in terms of colors and fabrics. More often than not those same fabrics and colors are avaialble as futon coverings and will be able to help keep your look fresh and trendy so that people who see it will say "Wow! When did you get new furniture?"

About Futons.org
We have been involved in sales, distribution and shipping for futon products for close to 20 years. In that time we have had the opportunity to work with many unique and special suppliers offering quality futon products. We continue to believe that futons can be of great value to your home and work to provide information and resources to consumers to help them in making the best purchasing decision.