How to Make a Couch Smaller

Sometimes, you find yourself with a couch that is simply too big. Maybe you got it free from a friend or family member, or perhaps you kept your large-scale furniture when you downsized from a bigger place to somewhere less roomy. Whatever the scenario, you need to make your couch smaller. Fortunately, there are a number of easy ideas you can try that are both useful and less expensive than buying a new couch.

Pillow stuffing
Needle and thread
Scissors
Futon cover
Accent pillows
Saw
Sandpaper
Slipcover

Instructions

- 1
  Switch the cushions. This technique is especially effective with large, overstuffed couches. If the cushions have removable covers, take them off and stuff with pillow stuffing, as much or as little as you like, to make the cushions a more manageable size. If the cushion covers are not removable, cut them open on the unseen side and sew closed when you’re done. If the couch’s cushions are not removable, cut them off and replace with a thin futon cover and comfy, colorful accent pillows.
- 2
  
  Take off the legs and place the couch on a rug or mat.
  
  Remove the legs. Doing so will diminish the couch’s large size by making it several inches shorter. On some styles of couches, the legs screw on and can be easily removed. On others, you may need to saw off the legs and sand the area down smooth. After the legs have been removed, you can both avoid scuffing up the floor and protect the couch by putting a rubber floor mat underneath it.
- 3
  
  A white slipcover makes a dark couch seem smaller.
  
  Change the color. Light colors make a spaces feel open and airy, and dark colors make a space feel smaller and closed in. If your couch is black or a dark blue, gray, red, brown or other similar color, have it reupholstered with a pastel or pale fabric. Another benefit is that lighter colors reflect instead of absorb light, also adding to the effect. A less expensive option than reupholstering is purchasing a light-colored slipcover.
- 4
  Visually shrink the couch. Use clever design techniques that make the couch have less impact in the room. Place it along the largest wall in the room so it looks smaller. Use only a few colors in the room and keep it clutter free; the less contrast in the room and the less crowded it is, the more spacious it will look, helping balance out the large couch. And use only one large piece of furniture in the room. For example, use a rocking chair and small coffee table with the couch instead of a big bookcase and large chaise longue.

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