We recently went on a sectional hunt. Maybe this post would have been more entertaining if we channeled National Geographic and sprung for an Australian voice over artist to say things like “they wait in the brush, as the giant wildebeast sectional approaches” or “slowly and stealthily, the panthers Petersiks stalk their prey.” Oh well. The point is that we searched high and low for a new sectional. We didn’t just look around these here parts (now I’m getting all southern on you). We took a road trip all the way up to DC (2 hours north) to drop in on the Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams store along with a huuuge Room & Board showroom (four levels and 3,600 square feet of furniture = heaven, at least if you’re me). Sadly the trip ended with us falling in love with a few gorgeous things that we couldn’t afford, namely this ginormous and oh so comfy sectional in a rich charcoal gray fabric:
But the ginormous and oh so scary price tag of $4,496 (before our “custom fabric choice” plus tax and delivery) scared me more than the scene where the mom dies in Bambi (and while we’re on that, isn’t that a little violent for a kids movie?).
We know that when it comes to a sectional, we definitely want something comfy that will last while holding up to all sorts of insane kid-antics (growing up we used to shoot our sofa at point-blank range with everything from nerf balls to rubber bands, and that’s only the beginning of the torture that thing endured). And we know that a high price tag from one of the two amazingly reputable companies mentioned above would surely factor in things like quality construction and premium materials. But after a lot of debate, we decided that with a pooch and a baby (who definitely both give our current slipcovered sofa what can best be described as a workout) something swanky and un-slipcovered (even in a dark color) might not be the best match for our family at this point in our lives. Especially with such a high cost attached. See, we want this house to be all about living. With an emphasis on large casual family gatherings. We don’t want to live in fear that a nephew of ours might pierce/stain/otherwise maim the 5K sofa every time we have people over. And we definitely don’t want to beat ourselves up every time the dog gets past us with muddy paws or the baby shows us her previously swallowed green beans after a rigorous dance interlude with daddy.
So off we went to two local sofa retailers (we’re very satisfied with our white slipcovered Rowe sofa and our green Rowe sleeper sofa, which were both purchased locally from a store called Sofa Designs). We figured we’d probably end up with a Rowe sectional that we’d love for years to come, and fell in love with this one in particular called the Townsend:
But the price tag (over $3,200 without tax and delivery) definitely caught us by surprise, especially given that our other two Rowe sofas were under 1K. I guess we expected to pay around 2K or even 2.5K (since a sectional is kind of like two sofas put together). But over 3 times the price still felt pretty high. And it left us wondering if a $3,200 sectional (also without removable slipcovers) would feel any less precious and “untouchable” than a 5K one. For cheap-os like us, that’s still a huge chunk of change.
And you guys know that we had been considering this Ikea sectional as well (seen here in this mood board of yore)…
…so that was on the table when we made another pilgrimage to Ikea just to sit on things and check them out in person. Which is when we discovered that the sectional that we had been eyeing seemed a bit too small for our giant 25′ x 15′ room (and the last thing we wanted to do was buy a cheaper sectional to save money that ended up being wrong, which would still be a colossal waste of funds). But then we saw Karl – er, the Karlstad:
Pardon this picture of Karl, since the one we’d get would also have a chaise added on to create a big U-shaped place to flop down and watch TV, play games, hang out, etc (it would be shaped exactly like the Townsend by Rowe that we pictured above). And we’d do a little leg-sprucing since those raw birch ones don’t really do it for us. But anyway, Karl was everything that the other Ikea sectional wasn’t. He was large and in charge- the perfect oversized dimensions for our oversized room (and supersized family- when we get together for something casual there are at least 16 people in one place). Plus Karl is 100% slipcovered (which means nothing is nearly as scary since the cushions and even the arms and base can be laundered – or even replaced for a few hundred bucks if we want to switch colors down the line). It’s also funny how similar he is to the 5K Room & Board version that we loved.
And the price for this giant sectional plus add-on chaise lounge (which will create a huge family-friendly hangout zone in our cavernous living room) was just… wait for it… $1,248. Basically just a few hundred dollars more than we spent on our white Rowe sofa, but it’s three times the size. Literally. We had to tape off the outline of the sectional on the floor just to make sure it would fit. And once the tape went down on the floor we started getting excited. It would be giant and perfect for our huge family. And best of all- not too precious! Bring on the ice pops and fruit punch.
But we were still nervous that it would look bedraggled in a year or two, or might not hold up to the whole “dog + baby = mess” equation. So we did a good amount of googling around for reviews and write ups. We were thrilled to find that pretty much everyone had great things to say about Karl (although a few people didn’t like the sleeper version of him, since it was hard to operate, but that’s not an issue because that’s not the one we’d get). And then it happened, we remembered that Anna over at Door Sixteen actually purchased a Karlstad sofa after her pups had ruined her fancy Room & Board one (read all about that here).
It was all the affirmation that we needed to hear. Anna’s sofa is holding up really well over two years later, and she says she is very happy with her choice. Plus knowing that she’s a gal of style who lives with real-life wear and tear (thanks to her dogs) was the last “sign” we needed to pull the trigger.
So we went for it and put in our order a couple of weeks ago. We just hadn’t bothered to mention it since Ikea’s delivery schedule doesn’t have it arriving until Feb 4th (update: it might arrive a bit sooner than that- woot!). We’ll definitely share photos as soon as Big Karl (yes that’s a Cougartown reference) gets here. Oh and we got it in the same “sivik dark gray” fabric as Anna (we looked at all the potential swatches at Ikea in person and it felt nice and durable – and not too nubby, so Burger’s claws won’t be able to dig in and create little loops). So excited. Anyway, that ends the big sectional hunt. Australian announcer, take us out:
The antelopes dash into the jungle, grateful to have survived the harrowing lion attack (aka: The Petersiks happy dance into the living room, grateful to have survived the harrowing sectional hunt).
Fade to black.
Psst- Want an update on Karl now that we’ve had him for over a year? Here ya go.
Dawn says
BE-U-TEE-MOUS! Love it! You make me want to go out and by a Karl for my livingroom. I’ve got two blood red couches in there now and they’re just not working…:( MAYBE…tax refund shopping spree? Hmmmm….:)
Jeni says
We bought this couch from IKEA in July.
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80126091
We love it. It doesn’t meet your criteria, but we love it. I LOVE your decision with the Karl. ;)
Laura says
Was the gray wall color BM Light Pewter (mentioned in your mood board) a contender for for the walls of your living room?
I love the dark gray slipcovers the best (couldn’t imagine getting white ones! and the beige is blah) but would they go with Wishes wall color?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Laura,
Yup, until we moved in and held the swatch up here. It looks totally different than it did in our old house (not as gray and a bit dark). Proof that colors definitely change due to lighting and direction (this house is north facing, so it’s a whole new ballgame).
xo,
s
kristen anderl says
I went to U-Fab this weekend for some curtain fabric for my office and they have a whole yellow/gray combo section in the front room. They also had tons of new fabrics since the last time I was in there. Good luck on your curtain fabric hunt!
Carolyn says
That’s so funny you mention Bambi. I hated that scene when I was little and when it was getting close, my sisters and I would find excuses to leave the room. “I have to go get a drink” was usually my excuse so that I could hide out in the kitchen until the scene was over. Hahah…
Love the Ikea sectional! I bet it’ll look nice with some colorful pillows!
Claire says
My husband and I have a sofa from Ikea, the tylosand sleeper, which we love. We just found out this weekend that they are discontinuing the tylosand! So we bought 3 new slipcovers just in case (for a very reduced price, 3 covers for the original price of one). Moral of the story…keep an eye on Ikea, you never know when they might discontinue something!
Danielle says
This is totally off-topic, but I actually read a research paper (WHY someone researched this I have no idea) once that said something like 80% of people recall seeing Bambi’s mom die in that movie, but in actuality you only hear the gun and it is implied she dies. Weird!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Danielle,
Fascinating! I totally recall seeing her falling to the groung, but I know you’re right. It was probably just a sound and a visual I made up in hindsight. Crazy!
xo,
s
Sarah @ adropofgoldensun says
Wow, great find! I went sectional hunting a couple of weeks ago in search of something for my family room (which I appreciate your comments on the other day!). The only thing I could find that I even sort of liked, was over $3K for the custom fabric that I wanted… Sadly, I came home empty handed. Three little boys & a dog would not fair well with that hefty price tag! I settled on keeping my formal sofa in our family room since I just could not find anything in the under $1.5K price range. But, coincidentally, we’re heading to IKEA later today to pick up some white wall ledges for the dining room & now I have one more goal while I am there – to sit on Karl & test him out! Thanks so much for the great lead!
ashley says
i’m sure everyone has probably already commented on how much they love their karls- so here’s one more!
we’ve had ours for almost 4 years. (the sofa + chaise). it was originally white in our pre-“children” stage, and then we got our first born (our boxer named tsavo!) and his little paws won over the gorgeous white.
we now have the gray, though. and another boxer. and even after our nightly demolition derbies and wrestling matches, it’s still going strong!
and the covers have probably been washed 50 times!
so i’m so excited for you guys! we LOVE it!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s awesome to hear Ashley! Do you just wash your slipcovers in cold water? And hang them to dry? Would love specific details since you have the gray covers and have washed them 50 times (!) – amazing.
xo,
s
Carolann says
I’m so glad you posted, Ashley! Demolition derbies and wrestling matches between our french bulldog and german shepherd mix have kept me from thinking we can have anything but a leather sofa. We’ve been using a leather one (and not one of those great ones that looks better with age) from a previous apartment in our new house and I’ve been so tempted by the Karlstad, also in dark gray. I know people can wash the white ones 50 times and fading isn’t an issue, but I’m also wondering how the gray takes repeated cleanings.
Everyone’s comments based on their Karl experience has been very helpful!
Jessica says
We bought the Karlstad in chocolate leather in August and we love it! We also updated the legs to the metal ones. We haven’t splurged for the chaise portion, but that’s next on our list. Great choice!
Jen H. says
Just chiming in to add another thumbs-up for IKEA slipcovered sofas. We have two Ektorp three-seaters, both five years old now.
The one in the (less used) living room is slipcovered in a cream corduroy and has been washed a million times and still looks great.
The one in the family/TV/playroom takes a beating from three boys (the youngest of which is about Clara’s age) and a cat. It’s currently on its third slipcover in five years (also solid dark grey) and is still super comfy. Every time I wash the slipcover, the whole thing looks like new again. And if the cover gets too beaten up, it’s not a big expense to just buy a new one and get a whole new look to boot. But hey, I’m preaching to the choir here, right?? :)
Kana says
They also have nice large sectionals at Costco for the same price as Karl! ..if you find that Karl doesn’t work for your space, I think it’s worth checking out!
Heather @ REOlisticRenovation says
We just bought a new sectional! It took us MONTHS to find the right thing and it is totally depressing to see so much out of our budget. We found an awesome sectional for right around what you guys found yours for and we LOVE IT! Totally worth the hunt. :)
Kathryn says
I was so glad to see this posting this morning. My husband and I are having the EXACT same dilemma. We want a chocolate brown sectional for our living room and have looked everywhere. We have hit the Pottery Barn outlet multiple times with no avail so now we are resigned to the Ektorp from Ikea. We are concerned with comfort though…any suggestions or anyone have one they can comment on??
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kathryn,
At least one commenter has mentioned that she loves her Ektorp (that’s Ikea’s best selling sofa so it’s definitely a crowd pleaser) so hopefully that helps. Maybe try googling around for feedback and reviews like we did for Karl? Good luck!
xo,
s
carolyn says
We’re on our second Ektorp and we love it! The back cushions tend to get kind of smooshed down but taking them out of their slipcovers and beating them up a little bit solves that issue!
Kate says
We’ve had our Ektorp sectional for over 3 years – it was actually the floor model and we bought it for a steep discount in the “as-is” section.
Comfort has never been an issue. However, we were at Ikea recently hunting for a new slipcover for it and took a seat in the floor model they had out. We’re pretty sure they’ve redesigned the couches because it was SO much more comfortable that ours! Go the the store and check it out for yourself. We love it!
Rachel says
We have a Karlstad ottoman in Linneryd natural that has held up awesomely for a couple years now. We even machine washed the cover instead of dry cleaning it as suggested, and it was fine! No shrinking or anything. I hope you guys love your new Karl! I too will be extremely interested to see how you spruce up the legs since they are definitely my least favorite part of Karl.
We are looking to get a new small sofa for our office/den and will probably get a Karl to go with the ottoman we already have.
Megan says
We got our Karl a few months ago (in a lighter grey color), and love it so far. Small “accidents” which inevitably come from eating dinner on the couch every other night (it’s sooo comfortable!) come right off with a bit of natural all-purpose cleaner. Congrats on a great sofa!
Also, just wanted to say that I love your blog! My husband and I are currently still in an apartment (and will be for a few more years), so I am living out my house-owning dreams through you guys! Thanks :)
melanie says
We just bought our first home. We have a living room and an oversized den. I’m looking forward to a large sectional for family gatherings too! When the time comes I’ll have to check out Ikea. Thanks
Heather says
i love that Karlstad sofa!! i’ve loved it for a while. Now, just to buy a house to put it in… (i’ve sworn off buying more furniture until we have a house & know what will work. gah! i hate it!)
Katie Truelove says
I love Karl! So glad to hear you guys hunted around and found a high quality sofa at a great price– tough to do! Sometimes I just give up and either head to Ikea or pay the price but it is nice to know there’s an in-between:)
valerie J. says
I love the charcoal you all chose…seems like it will weather the storm of children. :) A word of warning though: we have the Ektorp line from Ikea and the zippers are like tin foil. The first time we washed them (per care instructions) about half of the zipper pulls came completely off or snapped in two. We’ve been through 2 sets of slipcovers now and all of the zippers have done this. I’m about to take our current set to a seamstress to have quality zippers put on the slips.
Sara says
Valerie I had this happen with my first set of Ektorp and I brought them back to Ikea and they replaced them (two years after I bought the sofa). And you then get the warranty on the new ones.
Suzanne says
Looks like a great choice. Couches are so individual. I have the Tillary modular from West Elm in charcoal. I love it. I play with different configurations all the time!
p.s. I was doing my usual rushing through the comments which I usually do a couple of times to pick up additional information or good questions. I noticed a section that had about 4 all together. It made me wonder, could you put all the questions/answers in one group like at the very top of the comment section? It’s hard to wade through page after page (I miss show all too, which helped look them over quickly). Anyway, thanks for listening.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Suzanne,
Now when people hit the “reply” button under a comment all the comments in that “thread” will be grouped! It definitely will save some scrolling time. We unfortunately have no way to put comments tat we respond to at the top though. So sorry!
xo,
s
Jacquelin Seybert says
We have Karl! We love it! It is super comfy and you can unzip the fabric and have it dry cleaned. I also loved that it has a 10 year warranty.
gk says
so, you don’t have to convince me on the quality of ikea couches – i’ve had one for maybe six years now, and it’s structurally still going strong. i haven’t had the best luck w/ the slipcovers but i think it’s b/c i have such a fitted couch (the nikkala, discontinued) that it’s hard to get the slipcovers to go over the arms. i’ve heard that it’s best to put the slipcovers on while they’re still a little damp, but haven’t tried it.
but my question – can anybody speak to the comfort of the ikea sofa-beds? i don’t think i care if they’re difficult to pull out, etc…but if i’m going to go through the trouble (and expense!) of getting a sofa-bed, then i want my guests to be comfy! we’ve been looking at the karlstad and mandstad sofa-beds.
YoungHouseLove says
Anyone have advice for GK?
xo,
s
Julia M says
This was posted a little earlier:
For GK…
We had a Ikea sofa bed, (bitch to lift) It was not that comfortable, I must say,thin mattress, but again, company wont’ stay too long then! Easy to open and close, but again HEAVY!!!!
Hope that helps!
Cindy
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Julia,
Thanks for grouping Cindy’s comment under GK’s (by clicking the reply button under her comment) so it’s seen! The new reply button is really working out nicely to keep conversations grouped!
xo,
s
Denise says
gk…
We have the Karl sofa bed. We’ve have it about 3 years and love it. It’s in my teenage daughters room and she has no trouble pulling it out each night. We were worried that when we moved into our current house (where we have inherited shag carpet) that it might be difficult to pull the bed in and out – it’s not.
But on to comfort since that was more your question. I think comfort is a somewhat personal ideal – what is great for one may not be for another but I’ll share what we have found. My 16 yr old has no complaints. She has been sleeping on it for 3 years and thinks it’s super comfy (and roomy). I tend to like a bed more on the soft side and think the Katl is a bit firm but I still have had no problems sleeping in it. I always sleep comfortably in it. We have kicked our daughter out of her bed when we have had more guests than our guest room could hold. No one has complained yet and they’ve all been family that would complain if there was a reason :). Just this last Christmas my sister and her husband stayed in my daughters room and commented how comfortable the bed was and what a great nights sleep they got.
Hope this all helps
gk says
oh, thank you guys! very helpful info! hoping to make an ikea trip soon to check them out in person :)
i really like the new threaded comments, btw. but i do miss the “show all” function.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey GK,
We’re trying to bring that back! It keeps crashing our site, but we’re still giving it our best shot!
xo,
s
TEM says
Yay for the Karlstad! It seems to be a wicked popular sofa–I keep seeing it everywhere!
…And I have one too, though I got it for the exact opposite reason as you all–I needed something SMALL enough to get up the tiny staircase to my apartment and through my narrow front door, and that would fit in my small and strangely arranged living room. I went with the loveseat version and LOVE it, and I love that I have the option of adding on to it if I ever move somewhere with more space!
Danielle@Newlyweds Paradise says
I wanted to mention a tip I discovered last year. My hubs and I were going past Crate and Barrel when we eyed a beautiful sectional. To our surprise they were having a floor sample sale! We got our $3,000.00 sectional for $1500.00! There was nothing wrong with it at all!
If anyone waits till June, that is when they have their sale.
COLLEEN says
I can’t wait to see it in you newly painted room! what are your plans for your other couch?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Colleen,
We’re thinking craigslist. It’ll be nice to put that money towards the purchase of our new sectional, and with two daybeds and a sleeper sofa still here, we just don’t have a spot for yet another sofa- especially since we’re hellbent on only having one living room (since we rarely used the formal one in our last house).
xo,
s
sarah (sarah learns) says
it looks like the perfect sofa for your house!! i totally live vicariously through you guys and this affirms it – i am so excited for it to arrive! :)
i’ve never been to ikea – the nearest one is in chicago 3 hours away from me. BUT, my fiance and i are moving in together to a new apartment in 3 months. i think ikea will be first on our list when we start furnishing it! :)
Barbara says
I was waiting for you to get to the Karlstad. That’s my next purchase as well, although not the sectional as my living room is about an eighth of the size of yours. I’ve heard nothing but good things about it, AND the price has dropped over the past two years.
I just have to wait until my dog is over it’s “let’s eat the furniture” stage.
While I’m sure yours will be all “custom-y”, I’m sure it will be perfect for you. Can’t wait to see it!!
Kristen says
How exciting! I can’t imagine paying $5k for a sectional! I’d be a nervous wreck everytime we had company.
Design Love says
So excited for you! It’s going to look great! We have had 2 Ikea sofas now….gave the last one to my brother, cause it wouldn’t die, and he needed a sofa, so I went and bought another! Love them! You can’t beat the price point and style that they come with! We are actually going to be going to Ikea again to look at smaller sofa’s for our loft area upstairs. We were thinking of the Kivik, but now are leaning towards the Ektorp loveseat with chaise.(a bit smaller)
Don’t you just love comparison shopping? It just makes sense! You could buy 3 sofas for one of the expensive ones.
Cindy
Laura J says
I don’t know if you will have more furniture shopping to do…but in one of your trips to Rehoboth consider checking out Johnny Janosik in Laurel, DE. It’s off 50 in southern DE. It’s a super huge furniture store, with great prices for the quality. We were just living in Dover, and everyone I knew who bought furniture while living there bought from Johnny Janosik (they have a satellite store in Dover, but it’s much smaller than the Laurel behemoth). Also, no sales tax, but I’m not sure how delivery would be since you don’t live in the local area. It might be worth it to U-haul something that you have delivered to your family beach house or something.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Laura,
We’ll definitely check it out next time we’re out there!
xo,
s
Johnna says
We have the Karlstad sectional with an extra armless chair in on one side and chaise on the other – to fill our open floor plan and provide some designation of space. We’ve had it for a year and we love it – so do our Jack Russell and Airedale children!
I’m a tad OCD and the loose cushions can get “wallered down” (that’s a word in our house). I just throw them in the floor and step on them to bring them back to perfect.
I think you’ll be thrilled with your decision! We too fell in love with a $5k sectional but decided we could replace this one too many times to not give it a try. :) ENJOY!
ashley says
we used to wash them in cold water and then lay them out to dry- but since they’re so thick, they would get slightly wrinkled and take forever to iron out.
so now we wash them (sometimes even on a regular warm cycle- depending on the mess) and then just do a low tumble or fluff dry and they come out fine!
and we’ve actually taken the whole thing apart a couple times to wash everything too. (because we’re ocd like that.) after you realized you can wash your ENTIRE couch, you’ll never go back! it makes me cringe every time i think of a couch that has NEVER been washed in 20 years. ew.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Ashley,
So good to hear! Thanks so much for those washing details!
xo,
s
Angie says
As a DC resident who lived literally next door to Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams for a few years, I used to spend endless amounts of time drooling over their goods. What we didn’t realize is that our “Napper’s Delight” sofa from Crate and Barrel was made by Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. Just an FYI for those who want the name but don’t have access to a retail store.
With that said, we’ve been looking for a reasonably priced sectional for our basement. The Karl just might be a winner!
Marie says
Karl the couch and Ed the bed! It’s a match made in heaven! beautiful Ikea heaven… :)
J'Anns says
I love sectionals! I got mine at Urban Barn on sale the boxing day before last, leather, HUGE, and $900!
http://jannsboutique.blogspot.com/
Design Love says
For GK…
We had a Ikea sofa bed, (bitch to lift) It was not that comfortable, I must say,thin mattress, but again, company wont’ stay too long then! Easy to open and close, but again HEAVY!!!!
Hope that helps!
Cindy
Nicole from Richmond! says
Hey guys – be sure to check out Macy’s Jive Sectional and JC Penney’s Friday 4 pc. sectional! Both are on my list, just waiting for a good sale (even though they are very affordable)!
Also, Mitchell & Bob have a showroom in Hickory, NC were they sell off the pieces they showed at the Furniture Market.
http://www.hickoryfurniture.com/MitchellGoldBobWilliamsFactoryOutlet_page.cfm
Larisa says
I live in Seattle, so I’m not sure if this will help you, but there was a big couch sale flyer for JC Penney in this passed Sunday’s newspaper. Perhaps that sale you’re looking for is already here?
Ashley says
Another thought-if you do Craigslist your PB sofa or any other decor/furniture you should post a link on the blog for us local peeps! I’m always on the hunt. Or are you worried it would that lead to privacy issues?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Ashley,
But of course! We did that when we listed our PB one (a reader actually bought it) so we’ll be sure to fill you locals in on any and all craigslist happenings at our house!
xo,
s
Ashley says
Darn, I must have missed when you listed it. I saw you had sold it. I’ll have to keep a better eye open!
Amanda says
We bought our first sectional (and first new couch ever!) recently from a furniture store in Frederick, MD. It was on sale for a ridiculous price and we couldn’t pass it up. Plus it came with an oversized ottoman that made the couch into a prime lounging area. It’s not the highest quality in the world (but it looks it). We spent under $1000 on it, and so glad that we did, because our pup takes control. Right now it’s covered with blankets because of the shedding issue we are having, but we take them off for company. :) Any pet/furniture/shedding advice? Congrats on the new piece!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Amanda,
Burger has very short hair (and is bald on his entire underside) so we don’t really have shedding issues or solutions. So sorry we can’t be of more help! Does anyone else have advice for Amanda? Just click the “reply” button under her comment to respond directly under our comment in this thread.
xo,
s
Sarah says
I use a lint roller to get fur off of my couch! It’s quick, easy and does the trick. I also do the same thing with lamp shades to get the dust off! Good luck!
carolyn says
In addition to a slipcovered sofa, we have the Bissel Pet Revolution vacuum which still works pretty great 4+ years of use later. But the best thing we did to keep our sofas dog hair free was to not allow the dogs on the furniture anymore. It took alot of persistance but they now happily lay at our feet.
nikki says
We have a retriever pup who sheds a LOT. I take her in the kitchen now and instead of brushing (which she hated) I put on a pair of rubber gloves and rough her up (which she looooves) and the back and forth loosens the hair and the rubber gloves grab it into piles. Then I smooth her down and collect the hair that gathers at her tail (and on the floor).
We also just bought a Shark, Pet Navigator. It is AMAZING. It had great reviews and went on sale so for $100 bucks I made it mine. I am SO impressed but the suctions. It isn’t a Dyson but for 500 bucks less it’s close enough for me! The tools are decent, not perfect but definitely helpful. A rubber glove over your couches will gather the hair as well :)
Good luck, hope it works!
Amanda C says
I have two kitty boys who I love dearly but ALWAYS leave hair on our beige furniture. I use this product from pledge, you just hold the fabric taut and roll back and forth, I love it SO MUCH better than the sticky tape stuff. Cheaper and I don’t have pages and pages of torn off non-sticky any more lint roll sheets. While it says it is disposable we just pop the top off (carefully) and then replace and reuse!
http://www.petco.com/product/113800/Pledge-Multi-Use-Disposable-Fabric-Sweeper-Pet-Hair-Remover.aspx?CoreCat=CatSFC_ShedControl
Val says
With little ones, probably the wise choice. I am so glad to see you mention Rowe, because I have them bookmarked in case I ever need to replace my sofa, primarily because they are made in the USA and seem to be excellent quality.
Catherine says
LOL! You are such a good writer… hilarious and witty!
Ashley T. says
My husband and I purchased a sectional sofa (from now defunct Sofa Express) about 6 years ago (or so). It’s endured day after day of use by two adults and two golden retrievers. It’s getting to the point now where it seems more and more uncomfortable. I’m feeling guilty that I’m now eyeing PB couches as a replacement after only having the sectional for 6 years.
How long do you think a couch that’s used everyday should reasonably last?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Ashley,
Hmm, I would hope at least a decade? Just so people aren’t buying sofas every five years. I think my mom had her sofa for around 20 years and then had it reupholstered for another 20. It’s probably a personal thing though. The Karlstad is actually warrantied for 10 years, so that makes us think other sofas should hopefully go that distance too!
xo,
s
Kim says
We just bought Karl in the fall in that exact color and I love it! Granted our little pug sheds so much its ridiculous, so I have to try extra hard to keep it clean… but it was definitely a welcomed purchase. So funny that you had your eye on another Ikea couch first because I was eyeing another one for months and the day we went to buy it, I realized it was too small and spotted Karl on the way out of the showroom.
Sarah says
I have the Ektorp sofa from Ikea and I adore it. I’ve had it for a year and in that time my cat has puked on it and attemted to scratch the crap out of it, but it’s still holding strong. I have the light tan slipcover. When I take it off off to wash it the sofa itself is still lilly white underneath. Also, when I wash it, I just throw it in the dryer. It does fine, with minimal fading (not sure about the dark color you’re getting, though)and fits back on like a dream. I love that we can get a new cover and change the look of the room in an instant! I think you’ll love it!
Lara says
I think you are sooo smart to think realistically about the abuse your furniture is going to take over the years, & to put your family first.
We spent a good bit on our living room furnishings, and 10 years and 3 kids later, it’s looking pretty sad. You would think that leather was indestructible, but strangely, it’s not. As I write this, I’m looking at a recliner that has seen paper-clip carving and wite-out embellishment (which CAN be removed with a hair dryer:) and is lovingly held together at the seams with duct tape. Ah, the memories…
Even if it had held up great, it doesn’t suit my taste so well any more. Your idea of a slip-covered option that can be changed later sounds really wise. I admire your ability to make such great choices at this stage in your lives. How do you do it? Do you rely on advice from those who have been there? Do you have some kind of innate gift to think things through?
Well, anyway. Love your choice!
Karen J says
Good luck with Karl! I am all for cheap but sturdy sofas. I looooove knowing that I don’t have to keep a particular sofa for the “REST OF MY LIFE” because I dropped 5K on it. If anyone is looking for a “dressier” but still modern cheap sofa, we bought two Darrington Queen Sleeprs from Havertys in pewter “velvet” (but it’s really just an easy care polyester) for our living room. They are quite lush, and we love them!
http://www.havertys.com/Product_28225?curIndex=14&resultCount=40
Jodi says
We have the Karl and love it. So do our cats though (scratching it, it is). I hope Ikea carries it for a good long time, so I can replace the slipcovers down the line. I love having that (potential) option.
Amanda says
My sister and her husband bought a Karl 3 years ago or so and with three very active dogs, Karl is still in great shape! It gets a lot of use, especially by me when I go to visit. Karl’s a really great choice, especially for the price!
Michelle B says
Hi guys! I just love everything you do. It’s like we’re style siblings. I don’t like for things to be matchy matchy but I do like to have a nice airy feel. We live in military housing so every time we move, we have to start all over. Our kitchen is a very tropical blue with a warm brown bamboo shade, lots of colored bottles on top of the cabinets and bouys to boot. It feels beachy without screaming beach at us. Here’s the thing. We’re are soon purchasing new living room furniture, since what we have is 8 years old and VERY traditional. We would loves something with a light airy feel but it looks like we are going with classic leather.
I have several pictures saved so what do I do now to create a mood board? Do you just use photo shop and crop down pictures?
Much love!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Michelle B,
Yup! We just cut things out and play around with them on a white background in photoshop until we like the mix of things going on. You can check out our FAQ page for more mood board details. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
maggie says
I made a mood board for our house with microsoft powerpoint. Your able to crop images and move them wherever you like. Does anyone whow where the word Mood Board came from?
PS- love the new reply button on the comment section! It is a great way for readers to interact!