The Pattern Room · a measuring pattern
Replacement covers for a floor sofa: fit, color change and single pieces
Foam lasts; color moods do not. A new set of zippered covers can take a rust floor sofa to sage without touching the foam, and it begins with a tape measure, not a color chart.
SaveThe quick answer
Floor sofa replacement covers are zippered covers sold without foam or metal bars: a standard set is two 78 x 39 x 6.5 in (200 x 100 x 17 cm) seat covers and two 39 x 39 x 15 in (100 x 100 x 39 cm) L-shaped backrest covers. Single pieces and custom sizes can be ordered too. Measure each piece, especially its height, before assuming a fit.
The quickest way to recolor a room is a zipper
A floor sofa is foam in a jacket. Change the jacket and the room changes with it: rust and cream on a jute rug in autumn, sage and cream under the hanging plants by May.
That is what floor sofa replacement covers are for. The fillings keep their own inner covers, so the outer set zips off and a new one zips on. Buyers use a spare set to switch colors with the seasons, to keep the sofa dressed while one set is in the wash, or to replace a color they regret.
Cover questions come in three kinds: a whole new set, one tired piece, or covers for a modular floor sofa bought from another brand. Each has its own rule, and the steps below walk through all three.
On the cutting table: one covers-only set
| What's in one set | 2 seat covers + 2 L-shaped backrest covers, all zippered |
|---|---|
| Seat cover | 78 x 39 x 6.5 in (200 x 100 x 17 cm) |
| L-shaped backrest cover | 39 x 39 x 15 in (100 x 100 x 39 cm) |
| Fits | One single floor sofa, arms included; an L-shaped sofa takes two sets, made L-shaped |
| Not included | Foam, fillings and metal support bars |
| Also sold alone | Base, straight backrest, corner backrest, corner armrest or ottoman cover |
| Care | Machine wash at 86°F (30°C), gentle cycle; air dry |
Ordering replacement covers in eight steps
Name the job: full set, part set or one piece
A full set recolors the sofa. A partial set, such as just the two straight backrests, refreshes the pieces that work hardest. A single cover fixes a broken zipper or a torn base without buying everything twice.
Count the pieces on your model
A single sofa takes one set: two seats and two L-backrests, arms included. The 3-seater linear version has seven covers: two 78 x 39 x 6.5 in (200 x 100 x 17 cm) bases, two 39 x 39 x 6.5 in (100 x 100 x 17 cm) bases, two L-backrests and one straight backrest. An L-shaped or corner sofa takes two sets.
Measure every piece, one at a time
Length, width and height for each cushion and backrest, not the sofa as a whole. Height is the number that catches people. For a custom-size sofa, such as a 96 in version, give the exact size of each piece so the new set matches it.
Another brand's sofa? Compare heights first
The workshop's pieces are the same as, or very close to, the original designer teddy floor sofa, and the workshop has sold more than 1,000 of these covers, many to owners of that sofa, without size trouble. A 78 x 39 in (200 x 100 cm) base fits closely; a foam-filled backrest from another maker may sit slightly loose. Other modular sizes, such as an 80 x 39 x 7 in (203 x 100 x 18 cm) base, are cut to your numbers.
Order a swatch before you commit to a color
To match an existing cover, such as a rust corduroy, ask which chart tone sits closest (for rust it was a brick corduroy) and order a sample to hold against the old fabric by a window. The color range depends on the fabric family; some families carry only one pink.
Plan for dye lots when old meets new
Each batch of fabric is dyed together, and two batches never match 100%. A single new cover beside a set that has been washed and sunlit for a while will read a shade apart. Replace pieces that sit side by side together, or choose a deliberate contrast.
Write sizes and codes in the personalization box
Fabric code, color and any custom dimensions go in the personalization box. Custom-size covers take slightly longer to make, and the workshop may ask for a photo of your sofa. Covers-only buyers get a message confirming that no foam or bars are included; answer it.
Zip on, steam out, wash gently
Covers zip over fillings that keep their own inner covers; if one fights you, ask for the refitting video. Steam out folding creases in the first days, before they set. To wash, remove the white non-slip bottom piece first, then machine wash at 86°F (30°C) on a gentle cycle and air dry.
Have it made
Measured it? Have Élodie’s workshop make it
A fabric reads one way at noon and another at dusk. Mention your light, and the workshop will weigh it with you. — Élodie
Leave your details and the workshop will call you to confirm measurements, fabric, foam and piping. No prices, dates or payment on this page: it is a request, not an order.
Key facts
- One covers-only set fits one single floor sofa, arms included: 2 seat covers and 2 L-shaped backrest covers.
- Foam, fillings and metal support bars are not included in a covers-only set.
- An L-shaped or corner floor sofa takes two cover sets, made L-shaped.
- Single covers (base, straight backrest, corner backrest, corner armrest, ottoman) are sold in the original color.
- Custom-size covers are cut to each piece's dimensions and take slightly longer than standard sizes.
Cream seats, colored ends: a habit worth copying
The photographs here share a habit I love: cream seats with colored ends, in ink navy, deep teal, raspberry or camel. Spare covers make that habit easy to change. Keep the cream seats, swap only the backrest covers, and the whole sofa changes temperature.
Let one color speak and the others listen. Rust wants jute and rattan around it. Sage wants green leaves and white curtains. Ink navy wants brass and a pale gray wall.
The fabric matters as much as the shade. Velvet catches light along its pile and shows the brush of a hand; corduroy holds color in its ribs; teddy softens every edge. The dye lot guide explains why a cover ordered months later reads a touch different.
Which color is your sofa wearing this season, my friends?
Corduroy covers with creases that would not leave
A family in the US unpacked their floor sofa to two surprises. The metal bars were flaking, and the corduroy covers carried deep shipping creases. The workshop explained the bar marks as production oxide and suggested wiping them; when that didn't work, it sent new bars, which the family found much nicer.
The creases were stubborn. Four weeks later they still showed. The workshop advised hot steam or careful ironing and offered replacement covers at a reduced price. The lesson: steam compression creases early, because they set if the sofa spends weeks under a blanket.
Another US buyer had one 78 x 39 x 6.5 in seat cushion stay flat in a corner a week after unpacking. After photos from several angles, the workshop shipped a replacement foam insert for that one cushion. One piece, one fix, the rest of the set untouched.
Common mistakes with floor sofa covers
- Buying the covers-only option and expecting a whole sofa. Read the title and the selected option before paying.
- Taking one base cushion's size for the whole sofa. Ask for the assembled overall size.
- Expecting foam or metal bars in a cover set. Neither is included; bars can be added to a cover order.
- Ordering one set for an L-shaped sofa. Corners take two sets, made L-shaped.
- Assuming another maker's backrest will fit. Check each piece's height first.
- Mixing one new cover into a faded set without a swatch beside it.
- Putting the white non-slip bottom piece in the washing machine.
- Hiding shipping creases under a throw for weeks instead of steaming them.
A single faded floor sofa cover can be replaced on its own, but a new dye lot reads a shade apart, so swap side-by-side pieces together.
Élodie Marchand
Buyer questions: spares, single pieces and other brands
- A common question
Will your covers fit the teddy floor sofa I already own from another brand?
The workshop's answerUsually, if the sizes match. Seats are 78 x 39 x 6.5 in (200 x 100 x 17 cm) and L-shaped backrests 39 x 39 x 15 in (100 x 100 x 39 cm), the same as or very close to the original designer teddy sofa, and the workshop has sold more than 1,000 of these covers, many to owners of that sofa, without size problems. Measure each piece, especially the height: the base fits closely, but a foam-filled backrest from another maker may sit slightly loose. To match an existing color, order a fabric sample first.
- A common question
Only one cover is damaged. Do I have to buy the whole set?
The workshop's answerNo. Single covers are sold on their own, for example after a zipper breaks when a washed cover is stretched back on, or when a base cover starts to tear. The workshop sets up a listing for the exact piece (base, straight backrest, corner backrest, corner armrest or ottoman) in the color of your original set. Partial sets, such as the two straight backrests, can be ordered too.
- A common question
Can I get a second cover set with my floor sofa so I can switch colors?
The workshop's answerYes. Order the sofa from its listing and the workshop sends a separate custom link for an extra set in the color you choose. It can ship with the sofa, or the link stays active if you'd rather buy later. The covers zip over fillings that have their own inner covers, a second set can be sized to a custom sofa, and buying two or three sets lowers the price per set.
- A common question
Is there a covers-only option for a floor sofa I bought second-hand?
The workshop's answerYes. The replacement-covers-only listing, with no foam, lets you choose your sofa model, a color and the pieces you need, for re-covering a second-hand sofa, changing color, or replacing covers that came out darker than expected. The couch covers come as separate section covers, not one throw, and an L-shaped or corner sofa takes two sets made L-shaped.
- A common question
What exactly comes in a covers-only set?
The workshop's answerFour zippered covers for one single floor sofa: two 78 x 39 x 6.5 in (200 x 100 x 17 cm) seat covers and two 39 x 39 x 15 in (100 x 100 x 39 cm) L-shaped backrest covers, arms included. Pillowcases are added as a gift, though their color may differ. Metal bars are not included and cost extra, and L-shaped backrest covers can be bought alone.
Replacement cover questions, answered plainly
Can I buy a single armrest for my floor sofa?
Armrests are sold as a pair, not singly. Other parts can be bought on their own to match an existing sofa: an ottoman, straight or L-shaped backrests, backrest pillows, and seat foam with its cover. Metal bars can be added to a cover order.
Will a new cover match the color of my older set?
Close, but rarely exactly. Fabric is dyed in batches and separate batches never match 100%, while your old covers have also been washed and sunlit. Replace pieces that sit side by side together, or order a sample and compare it in daylight first.
Do custom-size replacement covers take longer to make?
Slightly. Covers cut to your own dimensions take a little longer than standard sizes. Give the length, width and height of every piece in the personalization box, and expect a request for a photo of the sofa so the fit can be checked before cutting.
How should floor sofa covers be washed?
Unzip each cover and remove the white non-slip bottom piece, which must not go in the machine. Wash at 86°F (30°C) maximum on a gentle cycle, spot-clean between washes and air dry. A spare set keeps the sofa dressed on laundry day.
