The house — loose covers
Covers for Sofas and Armchairs
La Couverta makes bespoke covers for sofas and armchairs in Hamburg — so-called loose covers that dress and undress the furniture like a wardrobe. Every cover is measured on the original and fitted as a toile before the fabric is cut. Lead time is usually six to ten weeks; we work in Hamburg, on Sylt, across northern Germany, in the German-speaking region and on board.
Loose covers
The furniture gets a wardrobe
The loose cover is the original slipcover: a made-to-measure covering that dresses the furniture completely yet remains removable. It follows the shape of the sofa or armchair — with a skirt pleat to the floor or cut close at the leg, with piping at the edges or entirely without ornament.
Unlike the fixed cover, everything beneath stays as it is. The cover protects the upholstery, changes the tone of the room and can be changed like a wardrobe. The term is explained in the glossary under loose cover.
Two seasons
Summer and winter wardrobe
Many houses dress their furniture twice a year. The summer wardrobe calls for Belgian linen or half-panama: light, cool to the touch, washable after the season. The winter wardrobe wears Venetian velvet, chenille or bouclé — fabrics with a quiet surface and weight.
Both wardrobes are made from one pattern. After the first commission the pattern lies in the pattern archive; the second set needs no new measuring, only a decision on fabric. The Materials page introduces fabrics and weaves.
The toile fitting
Fitted on the original
No cover is sewn from the tape measure alone. For the measuring we come to you — to the house, the country estate, on board — and measure the furniture where it stands. Then a toile fitting is sewn: a trial model in unbleached calico that is drawn onto the original, pinned and corrected.
Only when the toile sits right is the fabric cut. This way the cover remains what it should be: a garment for a piece of furniture, not a throw. At the final fitting on site we deliver in person, dress, steam — and leave the Textile Passport behind.
The full path from the first meeting to the final fitting on site is described on the Process page.
Questions and answers
Frequently asked questions
What does a cover for a sofa or armchair cost?
Every piece is priced according to fabric and workmanship. You receive a fixed quote after the first meeting.
What is the difference between a loose cover and a new upholstery cover?
The loose cover is laid over the existing cover and can be taken off and changed at any time. A new fixed cover is upholstery work and stays on the furniture; work of that kind we carry out together with our partner workshops.
How long does it take to make?
The lead time is usually six to ten weeks, counted from the first meeting to the final fitting on site. A second wardrobe to the same pattern is quicker, because measuring and toile are already archived.
Can a loose cover be washed?
On request we make the cover in washable linen or half-panama — then it goes in the gentle wash. Velvet and wool weaves belong to the dry cleaner. The right care is recorded in the Textile Passport of your piece.
For which furniture do you make covers?
For sofas, armchairs, chaise longues and ottomans — from the English club chair to the large corner sofa. The precondition is that the furniture can be measured on the original; for that we come to the house or on board.
What happens to the pattern after the piece is made?
Every pattern stays in the atelier's pattern archive. A summer or winter wardrobe for the same piece of furniture can be ordered without a new appointment — a fabric sample in the folder is enough.