DECOR : Company Coming? You’re Covered

When company is coming and the place is not looking its best, noticeable improvements can be made with a little time and money.

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Tools for quick fixes include ready-made slipcovers, wallpaper borders, even seasonal greenery.

The biggest challenge is often the upholstery. Casual slipcovers or throws are a quick and inexpensive way to rehabilitate worn or stained pieces of furniture.

Throws come in sizes to fit sofas, love seats and easy chairs. Essentially, a throw is a large piece of fabric that is tossed over the upholstered piece and tucked in around the cushions. It doesn’t have the look of a custom cover, but the price is right, ranging from $40-$160 depending on size and fabric.

Some ready-made covers have elastic skirts that slip over the piece at the bottom to form a decorative ruffle and hold the cover in place. Tailored skirts are also available. Fabrics include damask and chenille, and designs range from checks and stripes to florals and geometric prints. Coordinated accessories such as pillows, table rounds and valances are also available.

A large assortment of ready-made covers are available by mail, says Liana Toscanini, marketing director for Sure Fit in New York. Also, look for them in the domestics sections of retail stores and on TV shopping networks.

Now that the sofa is covered, what do you do with those scratched tabletops? Donna Lang, author of “Decorating With Paper,” (Clarkson Potter, $24.95), says skirting is the answer.

“You don’t even have to sew, because you can cover the table with a sheet and puff up the extra material along the floor,” she says.

For coffee tables and small lamp tables that don’t lend themselves to such treatment, use a table runner. Buy one or make your own. To make one, put right sides together on two equal size pieces of fabric. Stitch both sides and one end. Turn the runner right-side out and press. Then hand-stitch the open end and sew tassels at each of the four corners.

Another way to cover blemishes is to cut out motifs from greeting cards, posters, wrapping paper or magazines and lay them on the table. Then cover this collage with a piece of glass cut to fit.

A dining table with a generous cloth that falls to the floor looks fine no matter what its condition beneath the fabric. For holiday decorating, if the right size cloth isn’t handy, Carl D’Aquino, a decorator in New York, suggests making a striped tablecloth of inexpensive white muslin and red cotton.

He recommends cutting the fabric into 18-inch widths and stitching them together. Alternate red and white napkins when setting the table and add a centerpiece such as a potted plant and tall red candles. Using a table liner or a soft piece of cotton under the tablecloth accentuates the attractiveness of a full-length tablecloth.

Wallpaper borders are rarely thought of as a quick fix, but D’Aquino says a colorful border can make a major difference. He suggests a border at least six inches wide. Attach it quickly with double-faced tape. Running the border around the room creates the best effect, but bordering the living room or dining room doorway will set a festive tone.

Then, wrap some garlands on the mantel and stair rail, turn down the lights and light the candles. The soft glow of candlelight will turn almost any interior into a magical environment.