Cushion covers are the cheapest way to make a room look like December: four covers swap onto the inserts you already own, and the room is done for the price of a wreath. We make two sets, and the question every year is which one. The short answer: the red truck set for a room with wood and warm colours, the buffalo plaid set for a room with grey, white or navy. The longer answer follows.
What they are
Each set is four covers, each 14 by 14 inches (about 35 cm square), with a hidden zip so the insert goes in and out without a visible fastening. They are covers only: use the inserts from the cushions you already have, or buy 16-inch inserts for a fuller look, which is the usual trick for a plump cushion. Four designs per set, so the sofa does not look like a repeat.
Red truck and golden retriever: the farmhouse room
Winter scenes, a classic red pickup, and golden retriever artwork. This set belongs with wood, brick, tartan throws, cream walls and a real or realistic tree. It is the set for a country kitchen sofa, a reading corner or a bench in a hall. It is also, not incidentally, the Christmas gift for anyone who owns a golden retriever, because they will have every other retriever gift already and not this one.
Buffalo plaid, snowman and reindeer: the graphic room
Black-and-red check with snowman and reindeer motifs. Buffalo plaid is a graphic pattern, so it works where the rest of the room is plain: grey sofas, white walls, navy chairs, a Scandinavian-style tree. Two of the four covers are mostly check, two are mostly motif, so you can put the check on the sofa and the reindeer on the armchair and the room still reads as one scheme.
Mixing with what you own
Four covers is a full sofa; on a large corner sofa mix two from the set with two plain cushions in a colour taken from the design (a deep green with the red truck, a warm white with the plaid). Keep any other patterns out of the room for December. A knitted throw in a plain colour over the arm does more than another pattern would.
Care
Take the covers off the inserts, machine wash cool, inside out, and dry flat or on a low tumble. Iron on the reverse if needed. Fold them flat in January and they come out looking the same next year, which is the point of buying covers rather than cushions.
As a gift
A set of four in a presentation bag is a Christmas gift for a new home, for parents who have just redecorated, or for the friend who hosts. They are not personalised, so they arrive quickly and can be ordered up to the week before. For the rest of the room see Christmas table ideas, and for a personalised piece on the same sofa a named coaster on the side table finishes it.
Both sets are in the Christmas shop, with free UK delivery.
Frequently asked questions
What size are the Christmas cushion covers?
Each cover is 14 by 14 inches, about 35 cm square, with a hidden zip. They are covers only; use your own inserts, or 16-inch inserts for a fuller cushion.
Which set suits a grey sofa?
The buffalo plaid set: the black-and-red check and snowman and reindeer motifs work against plain grey, white or navy. The red truck set suits wood, brick and warm colours.
Can Christmas cushion covers be machine washed?
Yes, cool wash inside out with the inserts removed, then dry flat or low tumble and iron on the reverse if needed.
