Ingenious painted sofa hack transforms dated living room suite

last updated 22 June 2022

Oh how we love a makeover – who doesn't? Whether it's a total room overhaul or a simple upcycled furniture project, we love a good before and after. And we're feeling totally inspired by this simple but brilliant sofa hack – that costs just over £20 for a whole suite!

Courtesy of the Mrs Hinch Made Me Do it Facebook group, we found this ingenious sofa hack. Savvy mum Louise Marie Rodgers, from Monmouth, has prolonged the life of her cream sofas by using two £2.99 Dylon sachets and a £15 pot of Chalkpaint.

That's a grand total of £20.98 – a whole lot cheaper than reupholstering or buying a whole new sofa set altogether.

Come see how a bit of imagination and a splash of dye can totally transform a dated sofa...

The sofa before

Before embarking on the makeover Louise sought advice from the group. She explained to fellow Hinch fans that she was thinking of dying her existing cream sofa grey, given it features removable fabric covers.

She wondered if anyone else had attempted it before – encouraging fellow upcyclers to share pictures. That's where a Facebook group really comes into its own. Users can seek advice and gain confidence before undertaking home makeover projects.

living room with sofa wooden floor and white wall

Louise tells us, ‘I used two packets of black velvet Dylon, the one that you put in the washing machine – which I bought from Home Bargains for 2.99 each.'

'I did try to dye the two seat cushion covers and the whole sofa cover in the washing machine, but because they were so big that didn’t work, explains Louise. 'After talking to a friend who told me she had heard you could paint certain types of material with chalk paint, I thought I would give it a go.'

'I bought one tin of Rust-oleum chalk paint in Graphite for around £15 and that was enough for me to paint the whole sofa. I watered it down a lot and did three layers. Once it was dry I ironed everything and that was it.'

The sofa after

The whole transformation took 5 days to complete. ‘It did take me around five days, but only because I work and have two boys – I don’t have a lot of time,’ explains the busy mum. ‘It was good on Saturday as I took my other sofa outside and did two coats as it was so sunny it was drying so quickly.’

The painted living room suite

living room with photo frame on white wall and sofa set with cushions

Bravo Louise, we're feeling totally inspired here at Ideal Home HQ. Are you brave enough to follow in Louise's footsteps?

We'd love to see your pictures, so come share them with us over at the Ideal Home Room Clinic.

We look forward to all your inspiring home transformation projects.

Tamara was Ideal Home's Digital Editor before joining the Woman & Home team in 2022. She has spent the last 15 years working with the style teams at Country Homes & Interiors and Ideal Home, both now at Future PLC. It’s with these award wining interiors teams that she's honed her skills and passion for shopping, styling and writing. Tamara is always ahead of the curve when it comes to interiors trends – and is great at seeking out designer dupes on the high street.