So we purchased this lily-white Ikea sofa with two matching ottomans earlier this summer and foolishly put it in our heavily used all-purpose play/TV/rumpus room. Let's just say it did not maintain its virginal color qualities for long before it was sullied with spilled juice, dusty shoe prints, pizza sauce, melted chocolate, and whatever grime seems to come from simply sitting your bum on a sofa cushion over time. Sure, I made an honest effort with upholstery cleaner at some point and managed a modicum of recovery with much vigorous scrubbing...but I already knew the battle was futile.
So I just gave up and put out a mason jar full of Sharpies of every color and announced to every child and adult who entered our house that the sofa was open for graffiti and doodling if anyone was so inclined. Did I get some, "Are you freaking crazy?" looks from parents? Loads. Did Beeper's friends look at me suspiciously from the corner of their eyes as they tentatively uncapped a Sharpie and moved toward the sofa? Sure. But as you may imagine, the kiddos were pretty quick to embrace this notion of doing something normally completely forbidden and this is what we have today: our wreckorated sofa....
My only two rules for drawing on the sofa are: 1) no writing anything unkind about anyone else, and 2) no scribbling over drawings. Adventure Time related drawings have been particularly popular with the kiddos--and tagging the sofa with their names, of course. Best of all, the graffiti really does disguise the dirt and grime and spills. And no, the writing does not rub off on your bum.
I have found that I love all the color it brings to the room. It is a design in constant evolution as people add more and build on one another's drawings. Just this morning I came in and Beeper had added a rainbow platypus with a mohawk to one of the cushions. Yeah, it made me smile. I ask you, how often does your sofa make you smile?
Posts
17 comments:
This makes me unbelievably happy! I'm inspired...if only a Sharpie could disguise the enormous hole our dog made in our sofa.
This is fantastic, I love how happy it looks. Great rules too.
Love this! Although, my daughter at 3.5 years old would no doubt do very large scribbles, covering the entire sofa within a matter of minutes. would maybe try it when both my children were a little older though :)
Love it!
Worlds happiest sofa!
My sofa never makes me smile! I love this so much.
That is so cool! I bet the kids love it. Definitely a work of art.
This is awesome!
Good idea!!! Fantastic! I like the rainbow!
I freakin' love this sofa! You are the coolest mom around, for sure. ;)
Holly I LOVE this idea! I remember having a fridge like this when I left home!
OMG you are seriously brave!!!!! Love it ;)
what a fun idea...now you're going to have to keep the sofa for another 20 years so the kids can look back an see what they loved drawing when they were little!
This is so awesome! I featured it on my blog, I hope that's OK with you? http://www.matinlapin.com/2013/02/my-favourite-things-this-week-62.html
Vixie x
Oh man, this brings back vivid memories of all the drawing I did on household surfaces as a kid. I'm amazed my parents let me stay in their house after some of the stuff I pulled. But I love what you've achieved by embracing some of the mess! I don't think I've ever seen a DIY upholstery makeover before, but the joy and spontaneity of it are enchanting.
I think this belongs in the home decor section of Kollabora, the online crafting and DIY community. You should check it out if you get a chance!
This made me super happy. Love it!!!
I think its great for kids age 10 and up, but I would never let my children under 7 years enter the room where that couch is, lest they get any ideas.
Post a Comment