Adding a touch of style to your sofa

Geelong-born fashion designer, artist and interior design maestro Jenni O’Callaghan’s newest venture The Styled Sofa explores the various ways locals can breathe new life into their old and tired sofas.

After finding a design niche in September last year, O’Callaghan has dedicated her time to jazzing up the old and bringing in the new, transforming sofas and spaces with a unique selection of 30 stylish, removable, washable, replaceable slipcovers customised to meet changing seasons, trends and lifestyles.

“I just like making things beautiful and comfy. I love working wonders with fabric and thought that making covers was a great idea… it just adds personality and is an affordable way of doing so,” O’Callaghan said.

“Our covers are made to order, there is no mass production, and customers can add their personal aesthetic to an enduring IKEA product, creating something uniquely their own.”

The Styled Sofa range comes in various colours, designs and patterns including 100 per cent linen, hard-wearing corduroy, soft velvet and timeless twills in an extensive colour palette.

“All the covers we make fit the exact IKEA model. And we boost a completely different range that they just don’t offer,” O’Callaghan said.

“A couple of covers that have been popular so far include our natural linen product for our coastal clients, and of course velvet is always popular, too – it’s easy to clean and always looks vibrant.

“Our customers feel like they are getting something that is their own and something that has its own personality. It completely changes the space, and we just love playing a part in doing it.”

While only being in the market for just over nine months, O’Callaghan is rapt with the level of support her business has attracted.

“I’ve still got a lot of mates down in Geelong and down that way and the reach has gone far and wide,” she said.

“Obviously in Geelong there is quite a lot of housing estates coming up, they are all looking to be furnished and it’s the same on the coast down to Apollo Bay and Johanna.

“Plenty of customers are also wanting to put something in their beachhouse – that’s where we come in as not expensive but still beautiful.”

Having started a relatively new business, O’Callaghan said there were many goals the company hoped to achieve in both the short and long term.

“Now the fabric market has opened up post-pandemic, we will head over and explore more options of fabric and textures overseas”

“We also endeavour to branch out and establish covers for other brands that also have sofa and seating models. We recognise that IKEA are the kings, but there are certainly others also doing it.

“Ultimately, we just hope to continue to offer an affordable product that is honest and fun for all our clients. Business is in my blood and I’m just proud that it’s going the way that it should so far.”

To learn more about The Styled Sofa, head to thestyledsofa.com or contact the team via Instagram at instagram.com/the_styled_sofa or on Facebook at facebook.com/thestyledsofa