January 2020 — Comfort Works Blog & Sofa Resources

How to stress-proof your living room

Posted on January 30, 2020May 8, 2025 by Peony

Everyone preaches it: Don’t bring work and the entailing stress home with you, and they’re not wrong – your home should be a sanctuary not just from the physical dangers of the outside world, but also emotional ones.

That’s why it’s so important to stress-proof your living room.

While you can’t eliminate stress from your life completely, there are ways to keep it in check at home by taking some mindful steps, and why not, since it’s where you head to at the end of the day to recover and recharge. This means it’s vital that it’s a safe, soothing and comfy space to escape to.

Not sure how to start? As always, we’ve got you covered.

1. Pick the right colours

How To Stress-Proof Your Living Room — Image credit: Sidekix Media

There’s plenty of science to back up the effects of color on our mental state, making it worth trying out in your living room.

The first rule of thumb is to avoid bright, stimulating colors like red, orange, purple, soft pink, mint, and baby blue (great for when you’re at work, not so much when you’re trying to relax). If you’re a fan of bright colors like purple, opt for softer variations like lavender instead.

Not sure which colors to pick? Safe bets you can count on are neutral colors like cream, pearly grey, or white with warm undertones. More vibrant but relaxing options to consider include light blue-green, blue-grey, mauve, or even sage green.

Beyond the walls, it’ll also help that the large furniture pieces in your living room complement the overall relaxing tones.

If you want to experiment with a lighter color on your sofa but find the thought of reupholstering daunting, try slipping on a removable, machine-washable sofa slipcover instead.

This way, you can play around with different colors with feeling afraid of dirtying the fabric.

2. Eliminate clutter

Eliminating clutter from your living room doesn’t just mean keeping things tidy and out of the way.

It also means ensuring that everything in your living room has its own designated area: Children’s toys in the trunk, used coffee cups in the dishwasher, and remote controls on the TV cabinet.

It also pays to take heed from Marie Kondo and her effective tidying methods – give away or throw out items that you no longer have use for but still keep around for nostalgia’s sake.

Once you’ve gotten rid of clutter in your living room, you may even feel some weight lifting off your shoulders.

3. Invest in plants

Other than being pretty to look at, there are plenty of reasons to bring plants into your home — they’ve also been shown to help relieve stress.

And no, you don’t have to plant an entire garden indoors. All you need are a handful of potted plants can help ‘calm’ the living room and improve the air quality.

Studies have shown that looking at greens can also help relieve tired eyes, which is a plus when you’re trying to wind down.

4. Make it smell heavenly

Whether it’s with scented candles or essential oil diffusers, having scents of soothing essential oils wafting through your living room can help calm your senses.

However, it’s a worthwhile effort to do your research on the right scents for you and your space.

Those like lavender, ylang ylang, frankincense, vetiver, bergamot, and chamomile are some aromatherapy fragrances that have been proven to soothe anxiety.

And if essential oils aren’t your thing, try pick one that reminds you of a happy memory, even if it means baking chocolate chip cookies or blueberry pies every weekend!

5. Play with your fur babies

Do you have pets at home? Make the time you have with them count for something.

Savour the joy of playing, cuddling and grooming them (which they’ll love you all the more for), all of which have been proven to lower stress levels. Plus, who doesn’t like a cute distraction in the form of a soft, loving pet after a long day at work?

A word of caution: Having a pet at home means that you’ll need to pet-proof your living room (check out our post on how to cat-proof yours).

A great place to start is to ensure that your sofa is made of a fabric that’s pet-friendly, ie: Tightly-woven to discourage active claws and easy-to-clean options that’ll make your sofa low-maintenance.

Don’t want to change your sofa? Get a sofa slipcover instead. We have a wide range of fabrics in one-of-a-kind styles for you to choose from to ensure that they’re the right fit for your home and pets.

You can take our sofa slipcover fabrics for a test run by having them delivered to your doorstep here:

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The unexpected benefits of painting your walls white

Posted on January 23, 2020May 9, 2025 by Peony

White walls are photogenic, there’s no doubt about that.

You see it everywhere, from interior design magazines to living space inspiration social media – walls with white paint are always a staple, making for a gorgeous space in the house.

However, us regular folk people tend to have reservations about white anything, especially when we live in busy, active homes with kids, pets or both. And when it’s not done right, white can also make a space look very sterile.

We may be biased, but we’re big fans of white and think that the benefits of having it as a dominant colour in your space outweigh the cons, and here’s why:

1. It complements any interior style

The Unexpected Benefits Of Painting Your Walls White — Image credit: Unsplash/ Alyssa Strohmann

There’s no doubt that white walls are versatile, but did you know that they’re so versatile to the point where any interior style goes with it?

It’s a given that they go really well with a minimalist home, but they also pair beautifully with bohemian, Scandinavian, traditional, contemporary, farmhouse, and even maximalist style homes since they provide a calm, neutral canvas that just about any colour, texture or pattern is enhanced by.

Which brings is to our next point…

2. It’s a blank canvas for vibrant colour

Think of the white wall as a blank canvas for just about any colour you want to present in your home.

For example, if you have bold, statement pieces in your home that you want to show off, having coloured walls will just make the entire space look cluttered because everything is fighting for attention.

But take that ‘busyness’ and colour clutter away and you’ll create a space where your furniture won’t clamour for attention. Instead, everything will get a chance to shine, allowing them to have the stunning impact you’re after.

3. It accentuates your home’s structure

Does your house come with amazing bones and interesting structural elements?

Painting your walls white can help accentuate them, particularly details like beautiful panelling since the calm canvas allows the eye to not only pick up on shadows and light, but focus on them.

So if you have architecturally distinct textures and patterns on your walls, painting them white can be the smartest move you can do to appreciate them.

4. Art looks amazing on it

There’s a reason why the walls in art galleries are white – it lets the artwork shine without overwhelming the space, and takes virtually all distractions away so your attention isn’t diverted away from the stars of the show.

Whether you’re opting for a wall-to-wall painting or small clusters of pieces that showcase your passion, having a white wall will be the perfect backdrop for them.

5. It never goes out of style

Trendy colours come and go, but white is a classic that will never go out of style, no matter the decade. Ever.

But beyond trendy colours, often the novelty of fashion-dominated wall colours tend to wear out more quickly.

That deep shade of red you have your eye on might seem appealing in the pages of a magazine, but having an entire wall in your home standing out like a bright, red tomato might not feel so great 10 months down the road.

6. It makes your space look bigger

The rule of thumb when it comes to colour is that painting a room in a light shade makes it look bigger, while dark shades make it visually smaller.

So going by the same rule, and especially if you live in a small space, why not paint it the lightest shade possible, which is white?

Painting it white and coupling that with natural light will give your room an instant boost of spaciousness, even if it didn’t actually ‘expand’, the visual feel of it is amazing on its own.

Need more inspiration to do up your space in white? We have lots of ideas for you in our free Timeless Living: How To Design A Classy IKEA-Inspired Home ebook:

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Our favourite Instagram accounts for IKEA hacking inspo

Posted on January 16, 2020May 8, 2025 by Peony

As versatile as the Swedish brand has made its furniture, people all around the world are still finding ways to up their IKEA hacking game, and we can see why: It’s so incredibly satisfying to turn a generic IKEA piece into one that’s 100% your own.

Some hacks are as simple as a different coat of paint while others require a lot more elbow grease, resulting in something that looks completely different from the original piece.

Whether you’re looking for some IKEA hacking inspo or just love checking out other people’s creative hacks, here’s our pick of the best Instagram accounts to follow:

1. @ikeahack

https://www.instagram.com/p/BaQvXn9nM-A/

Who knew that a simple dresser could be redesigned into part of a study table? This genius IKEA hack simply requires adding a piece of wood and glass to make the tabletop while the dresser supports one end while providing storage simultaneously. We love how this hack is so space-efficient and designed to keep you organised.

2. @ikeahackersofficial

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0Tez0zJncF/

IKEA Hackers is perhaps one of the biggest IKEA hacking accounts there is on Instagram and one of our favourites (check out how Jules, the founder of IKEA Hackers transformed her bestie’s office space with one of our slipcovers here!).

Jules is constantly reposting the best hacks on the internet, ensuring that you never run out of inspiration to execute your own IKEA hack.

3. @limmaland

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2BZcHlH6hG/

Hacking children’s IKEA furniture is perhaps one of the most fun projects you can dive into because you can be as creative as you like with the repainting, colours and designs you pick.

Limmaland provides you with countless IKEA hacks designed for children’s furniture, from gorgeous wallpapered IKEA Duktig play kitchens to dressers in cute repaints.

Take this IKEA Ivar cabinet hack, for example. It’s amazing how some paint and masking tape can result in a stunning Scandi-inspired mountainscape.

4. @makingprettyspaces

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3TCut8nRlF/

Jennifer of Making Pretty Spaces will convince you that just about anyone is capable of hardcore DIY-ing around the house.

Just take a look at her Instagram account and you’ll be amazed at the hacks she’s managed to pull off. One particularly intricate (and super impressive) hack she’s accomplished that she shows off on her feed to prove her point is this built-in IKEA Besta bench hack.

With this hack, she’s successfully transformed an unused nook into a seating area simply by putting several IKEA Besta cabinets together, paired them with seat cushions, and voila!

We’re definitely impressed.

5. @beglorifiedhome

https://www.instagram.com/p/B09n6Zvnxkn/

Kara of Be Glorified Home is another avid DIY-er who loves spreading the IKEA hacking gospel through her feed to inspire.

We were particularly intrigued by this IKEA shoe storage hack Kara shared on her Instagram account — what was once a plain shoe cupboard has been repurposed into a gorgeous hallways storage chest with multiple drawers.

Love.

6. @beautytofashion_

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3ZYOXqI2xP/

Beauty To Fashion is a treasure trove of IKEA hacking ideas that you’ll never tire of.

From smaller hacks such as repainting the IKEA Dokument letter tray a gorgeous shade of gold to creating an ultra-girly fluffy stool, this Instagram account will have your DIY needs sorted.

Need more IKEA inspiration in your life? We’ve got you covered. Download our free Timeless Living: How To Design A Classy IKEA-Inspired Home ebook:

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The best stain removing products for your sofa

Posted on January 9, 2020May 9, 2025 by Michele

The sofa is meant to be one of the warmest, coziest and most welcoming spots in your home.

It is especially perfect for cozying up with your fur babies, human babies, a glass of wine and food. Occasionally, it’ll serve as an indoor trampoline when the jumping bug bites the kids.

Not surprisingly, stains seem to find their way onto the sofa every now and then — stains that don’t always come off when you want them to.

stain remover for sofa — Image: Unsplash

But before you attempt a stain-removing mission with a vengeance, be sure to check your furniture’s cleaning codes to make sure you’re using the right chemicals to get the job done.

Here are the codes to look out for:

WS: Use a mild detergent with a steam vacuum or a dry-cleaning detergent.

S: Use a dry cleaner detergent only.

X: Use a vacuum only, no water.

W: Use only water to clean it.

D: Dry clean only.

Once you have identified which chemicals and types of cleansing formulas you can and cannot use on your sofa, it’s time to go shopping for them.

Here’s a run-down of our favourites:

1. Adam’s Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner

Adam’s Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner works well even on the most stubborn of stains.

To make it work, spritz it on the stained area, agitate with a brush or towel, and finally, wipe to remove offending stains on your sofa.

It is safe, non-toxic, and hypo-allergic, so you don’t have to worry about chemical side-effects that it may have on you or the people you live with.

You can also use it on your carpets, car seats, and rugs if they happen to have stubborn stains on them too.

2. Dr. Beasley’s Microsuede Cleanser

If your fabric is made of microsuede, Dr. Beasley’s Microsuede Cleanser is what you’re looking for since its able to remove tough stains without hardening or altering the colour of your sofa’s fabric.

After spraying the cleanser, use a brush or cloth to spread out the fluid evenly across the fabric. Then, let formula dry, which will likely take a few minutes.

Once the formula has dried, voila! You have a super-clean looking microsuede sofa.

3. Real Simple’s Clean Leather Furniture Cleaner and Conditioner

Got a leather sofa? Real Simple’s Clean Leather Furniture Cleaner and Conditioner is what you need.

The plant-based solution will get rid of dirt and grime, while simultaneously conditioning the leather on your sofa.

For best results, clean your leather sofa regularly to keep it looking its best.

4. Bissell’s SpotClean ProHeat Portable Spot and Stain Carpet Cleaner

Tired of scrubbing away at stains with your hands?

Bissell’s SpotClean ProHeat Portable Spot And Stain Carpet Cleaner is a compact, multi-purpose vacuum that delivers a deep cleaning to carpets and sofa upholstery.

It helps spray and brush away at stains using multiple tools like the vacuum hose or brush, and is designed to get to hard-to-reach places, especially on upholstery, carpets, rugs and car interiors.

Depending on the severity of the stain, whether human-made or pet-made, do make sure to purchase the right formula to go along with this cleaner.

5. Homemade Removers

More of DIY kind of person?

We’ve got 3 different cleaning solution recipes that you use to make own formulas.

If you have fabric upholstery:

Mix 1/4 cup vinegar, 3/4 warm water and 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap
Load the mixture into a spray bottle
Mist the stained spots
Scrub the stains with a cloth until they start to fade
Use a clean, moistened cloth to remove the soap mixture
Dry the cleaned area with a towel

If you have leather upholstery:

Combine 1/2 cup olive oil with a 1/4 cup of vinegar
Load the mixture into a spray bottle
Spritz it onto the stained surface of your couch
Buff these areas with a soft cloth and leave to dry

If you have synthetic upholstery:

Combine a 1/2 cup of vinegar, 1 cup of warm water and 1/2 tablespoon of dish soap
Load the mixture in a spray bottle
Spritz the area that’s stained
Scrub it gently with a soft cloth until the stain loosens and is removed
Moisten another cloth with clean water to remove the soap mixture
Dry the cleaned, moist area with a towel

The quickest solution for any fabric material:

Make sure the affected area is dry
Spill a little baking soda powder on the affected area
Leave for 20-30 minutes
Vacuum the baking soda off

Stains can be hard to look at and even harder to remove, so why not have them happen on something that can be easily thrown into the washing machine?

You can’t throw your whole sofa into the washing machine, but you can throw its slipcovers in for a quick n’ easy wash and put them back on like nothing ever happened.

You’ll also be able to give your couch a whole new look which can be easily switched up whenever the mood strikes. ;)

Get a sneak peek of our slipcover fabrics:

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