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.
Chrystal says
So funny, we were just discussing this sectional last night when we moved our old furniture into our new living room and it looked terrible. :( AH!@ Ikea here we come!
I did find this post though when looking for karl hack ideas. Thought you’d might likey:
http://www.ourmidcentury.com/2010/11/our-karlstad-sofa-hack.html
xo
Rebecca @ the lil house that could says
Looks pretty similar! Ikea has been impressing me so much lately with their furniture quality. There’s a couch and a loveseat I’ve been eyeing up there!
Lililee says
I’ve always wondered about the quality of Ikea’s sofas. Great to hear that the Karlstad line has a good reputation. I’m moving into a larger apartment in the Spring and will need an additional sofa. This kind of information is invaluable. Your blog has always been a great source or inspiration and good advice. Thanks!
Rebecca says
FYI…online it does say the Sivik dark gray is machine washable. Some of the other covers are dry clean only.
YoungHouseLove says
Sawweeeet! That must be why other sivik dark gray cover peeps haven’t had an issue washing them. Oh happy day!
xo,
s
Lauren says
What a great choice! IKEA is always a win : )
My other “go to” place for furniture is Ashely Furniture. Have you ever gone there?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Lauren,
We’ve actually never been! We’ll have to check them out.
xo,
s
Future Mama says
Ooooh, I like it. Can’t wait to see it in the room!!!
Much love,
Future Mama
http://expectingablessing.blogspot.com/
Sally says
Great choice YHL. It’s a great idea for family seating. On a side note, I have to admit, I miss your two a day posts.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Sally,
Who says we don’t have another post coming later. You never know…
xo,
s
Camille @ the vintique object says
Oh, I cannot wait to see what you all decide to do with the legs! I know you can special order furniture legs from other places — the question is, will the hardware fit? Or will you just paint/stain them? Waiting…
Rhonda says
We had a sectional similar to that when our kids were younger, the main issue I had was with the “lounger section” is does limit you when you want to “reconfigure” the living/family room set up at another time,and I found that if people are over, particularly ladies, didn’t always want to sit with their feet streached out, so quite often that spot was left…you guys are experts at moving stuff around though…so might not even be a problem for you at all! Can’t wait to see it all together!
Amanda says
Hey–
I love the gray couch, but I have espresso side tables and an espresso book shelf. Would the gray and espresso go together?
A
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! They’re all “neutrals” so we think they layer beautifully! We’ll definitely have dark wood (espresso) in the room with our dark gray sectional (on the floors, media cabinet, etc).
xo,
s
Kris @ the expat diaries says
Gorgeous sofa and a great choice. You came out way ahead and I can’t wait to see how it looks in the room!
Every IKEA sofa I’ve had (at least 3) has stood up well to pets, messy nephews, kids jumping on them…me spilling red wine on them…
Those clever Swedes make a mean sofa.
Lane H says
We got the Kivik sofa with the chaise a few months ago and while it’s a vast improvement on our old sofa, there’s a few things we don’t like about it. These might pertain to the Karlstad as well.
The cushion on the chaise is different than the cushions of the sofa. And not a good different. It feels more like a sort of hollow box with padding and springs inside than the dense, firm cushions of the sofa. So you end up sinking into it in not such a great way and leaving an imprint of your booty when you get up. I won’t even sit on it anymore, I sit on the sofa kind of angled and put my feet on it.
The cushion also constantly scoots down in spite of having a velcro thing at the bottom to help keep it aligned. So it always looks like it’s hanging a good 2-4 inches over.
The slipcovers are not simple to remove. You have to take the sofa apart to get all of them off. But it is simple to remove the cushion covers if you just want to toss them in the wash. Be prepared though, they are not dyer friendly so we have to hang them on a rack for a few days.
The plus side is we can seat a ton of people on it and it looks way better than what we had. We are also decluttering and downsizing our stuff so eventually we think we are going to take the chaise and put it in our bedroom bay window and get an ottoman for the living room. I just wish I had known that the chaise was not as comfortable as the sofa.
Caitlin says
We have the same sectional and love it! We got it just before our now two-year-old was born, and let me tell you, it’s changed a lot less than she has. It’s really the perfect napping couch!
Anna says
Seeing as i’m back in Australia visiting family at the moment, i could probably find an appropriate voice for that voiceover ;) (i imagine it as a male voice for some reason – probably richard attenborough!)
Love the simple, thoughtful, and inspirational things you guys come up with!
Anna says
ps: Happy Australia Day!
Erika K says
My boyfriend and i fell in love with the same sectional from Room and Board. It was soooo comfy that I tried to rationalize the cost but couldnt do it :(
lisa says
i have to ask since you were there, can the smaller Ikea sofa be flipped? So the chaise were on the right side instead of the left?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Lisa,
Yes, everything about the configuration is flexible! You can add two chaises on either side of a sofa, or add three sofas to make a u-shaped sectional without a chaise. The arms pop off things can be reconfigured!
xo,
s
Celise says
This is such a helpful post. We are going to be building our own home very soon (tentative breaking ground date is February 15) and I am going to need a big sectional for it. I’ve always wanted one of those chaise things. I’m so excited…. and I just can’t hide it!
Sadie says
We bought 2 armchairs from IKEA about 5 months ago and they’re holding up quite nicely. I don’t remember the name, but they’re dead ringers for the PB Basic armchair…and at $250 a pop about 1/4 the cost. The slipcovers are less than $40, which beats the $500+ for the PB ones. Oh, IKEA, you make me smile :) I’m sure your new sofa will be amazing!
Jamie says
THANK YOU so much for this post! We’ve been sectional hunting, too, and the Karl is our favorite so far but we were wary of buying a sofa from Ikea. Would it hold up? Would the dogs make a mess of it? Etc… So it’s nice to read all the complimentary comments about it!
sekarung info says
mee to : Once again, Ikea saves the day! :)
Jen says
We have the Karlstad sectional in the korndal gray slipcover, and I am not kidding when I say it is quite possibly the best decision we made when it comes to our home! We have a 3 year old, and a dog and I am so thankful that we made the decison to get this sofa!! Its funny because Anna’s post also convinved me to go through with it. We’ve had it almost a year and it still looks brand new. And the fact that we can always get a new slipcover if needed puts my mind at ease. Our toddler literally jumps and climbs all over it and we have had no issues. Hope you guys enjoy it as much as we do!!
Ali says
Love the sofa choice! (and side note – love the bolder choices you’re making with the new home) I know a number of people who’ve bit the bullet with the Ikea sofas and really enjoy them. If yours don’t work out for some reason, there’s this guy (that sounds more ominous than it is!) who does custom sofas really, really cheaply: http://designersofasdirect.com/ I heard about it from Little Green Notebook (she’s amazing and if you don’t read her blog already, I’d recommend it). Here’s the post she did on her experience with Designer Sofas Direct: http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2010/09/designer-sofas-direct.html
I don’t have any personal experience ordering with that company, but it’s been bookmarked for the day I need a new, non-Craigslist-acquired couch.
Hope this helps – if not now, then in the future. And, of course, love your blog!
Jess says
I’m with Laurie – the arm sections of Karl, which also hold up the seating section, are made of chipboard, and do break. You can’t buy replacement arms, and to replace the damaged chipboard you have to unstaple and roll up the lining and foam on the bottom of the arm on the inside, and replace it with timber (we used pine, probably should have used hardwood, but we like to live on the egde…) It can be done, but just be aware. It was a three seater, so I’m wondering if the extra people on a sectional may put additional pressure on it?
And now, the Australian commenter slips back to her natural environment… preparing lamb chops and prawns for the Australia Day barbecue is is essential to maintain this delicate ecosystem…
Jillian says
How did you figure out that you could add a chaise to the Karlstad? I’m about to move into a flat with a living/dining room that is 34X31 and your adapted version of the sofa seems perfect for sectioning off a tv area. I don’t see it on the website though!?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jillian,
They have a freestanding Karlstad chaise and one that can be insterted into a sofa or sectional (which is the one we got). When we follow the link over we see it in those small squares on the bottom right with other configurations, and we were able to add it to our cart and order it that way. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jillian says
I see it — thank you!! Headed there this weekend to do the “sit” test.
kim says
i have the karl! it’s been almost two years and it gets more and more comfortable each day. HOWEVER, buyers beware: some of the slipcovers (named korndal) will bleach out over time. we purchased the nubby brown cover, only to discover months later that whatever crazy chemicals in there were reacting with the fabric… and BADLY… like, giant yellow splotches all over the couch. we went through hell to get a new slipcover, and ultimately had to pay for it. we bought the simple white one, and so far so good. there are many forums about this on the internet, and sivik dark grey seems like a safe choice. just thought i would share this information for anyone thinking about choosing a korndal cover… don’t do it!
Whitney says
We bought the Townsend last year and absolutely love it! It’s a little on the expensive side, but we shopped around and found a company in NC that sold it to us for a little over 2k. (Much, much, much cheaper than any other quote we found.) So if you’re ever looking to buy another one, definitely call around!
Aimee says
Coincidence! DH and I are in the beginning stages of our own Sectional Hunt for a home we want to buy…your research has probably saved us quite a bit of time. Thanks!
coucoumadame says
we just got the karlstad with the chaise about 3 weeks ago in dark gray and we LOVE it. it’s very comfortable. we have a 21 month old and she has already gotten partly chewed-up cracker on it and it easily came out with some soap and water. the fabric is very nice because there isn’t too much of a weave to get cruddy food or spit-up or, or, or in there! just so you know from another parents’ perspective! great choice, i’m sure you’ll love it!
Erica Rex says
Sherry!
I have the funniest/crazy story to tell you. My husband and I have had the Karlstad sofa and love seat for the past 3 years now. First year brown, second year light green, and this past year medium gray. I think they are the best couches for people(you & I) who love to change things up every once in a while. We originally wanted the sectional you guys got, but three years ago you had to order them to the store(they didn’t keep them in stock there). And we were too anxious to wait, so we bought the two separate instead!
About five months ago, we really started thinking about a sectional again. I figured no big deal, we will just go buy the middle piece that connects the two couches and bam! A sectional! Unfortunately Ikea sells the sectionals as a package and they wouldn’t sell us just the “middle” piece because they would have to break the package. Were we going to pay $1200 for a “middle” piece. NO WAY! ha. So over the past few months I made really good friends with the people in the AS IS section. The manager said every now and then we have people return sectionals so let me take down your information. Fingers crossed! A few months went by and this past Friday she called me. A “middle” piece came in!!!! I was then afraid of the next question. How much? She said, “You guys were so patient in waiting for one, ehhhhh I’ll give it to you for $30!”
So there it is! We now have a new sectional all for the small price of $30 and you have a brand new Karl! It definitely paid off making friends with our local Ikea staff. Have fun with your new Karl!! Karl and his twin brother Karl have been amazing to us over the years!
:)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s amazing!!! Love it. It pays to be friends with the Ikea peeps!
xo,
s
Teresa says
We just recently purchased the Karlstad sectional and I love, love, love it! We purchased it in November and think that it is SO dreamy. We are so pleased. We went for the linen color. I think that you will be so pleased!
hwar says
We’ve been looking at the Karlstad and the Kivik too. In person, we find the Kivik far more comfortable, but the Karlstad has more style points for sure (and I think it is adequately comfortable for daily use even if I wouldn’t want to sleep on it). I don’t think Ikea sofas in general can match the comfort level of, say, a Restoration Hardware sofa. However, when your budget is in the under-2k range, Ikea can’t be beat. Plus I LOVE how many of their sofas are slipcovered. With kids, dogs, and cats, it’s a total must.
AmandaL says
Petersiks, you have done all my legwork for me. I am hoping to retire my 11 year old Flexsteel sofa this year, and I have been wanting a sectional… more specifically, a charcoal gray sectional. Everyone wants gray, all of a sudden! Anyway, if you guys like Karl, I’m pretty sure I’ll like Karl. Now I’m going to have to go to IKEA for sure.
Jes says
I have a sectional that is filled with down and covered in chenille that was a generous hand-me-down from my mom. It looked beautiful..until I had kiddos. I have a three year old and a 16 month old. They get things you would never think of on it and I’m pretty strict about food staying in the kitchen/dining area. Or they bump or fall into you and you spill your water/soda/wine/whatever on it. It’s beginning to look kinda ragged, but I’m holding out for the day that my girls become “ladies” to get a new sofa. What I’m trying to say is don’t buy an expensive one just yet, and make sure it’s easy to clean.
lonely wife project says
Congrats! There’s nothing like a sectional to bring a family together. I love sitting on the same couch as my hsuband and dogs without sacrificing space!
Nicole says
We’re looking at the same sofa (not the same configuration) but anyway…you mentioned you didn’t like the legs and would upgrade. I noticed in IKEA’s latest catalog that they have a VERY nice looking frame that you can upgrade to. Very sleek and modern (very Room and Board looking). Not sure how it would work with your configuration, but it’s worth looking into. I loved the look. Haven’t been able to find it online though, apparently it’s pretty new.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the heads up Nicole! We’ll have to keep an eye out for that – haven’t even heard of that!
xo,
s
Susan says
I have had the Karlstad sectional with the chaise in the exact same dark gray for a year now. I love the durability of this couch. We have 4 large dogs and two cats, and it holds up to all of the ruckus. I have had to wash a few cushion covers due to a spilled glass of red wine, and they came out beautifully. I would definitely buy this couch all over again. I have the standard wooden legs, and I can’t wait to see what you have planned for yours because I would love to do something different with them!
Alison says
We just bought the Karlstad sofa and 2 chairs. So far they have been great and we got the sivik fabric also which seems very durable (and lucky for us it seems does not collect cat hair like some of my other furniture does). I also want to change the legs, probably to a dark brown color. The guy at IKEA said they no longer let you choose what kind of legs you can get. I was kind of bummed about that, but paint should do the trick. I am interested to see what you do with yours.
Hannah says
We have the Karlstad sofa in dark grey and just had a recent potty training mishap thanks to our 3 year old ON the sofa. After a momentary freak-out, I realized the “mishap” had barely seeped through thanks to the nature of the fabric and the covers washed up great and went back on so tight (in a good way), I didn’t even have to iron them. Just wanted to share in case you needed even more confirmation on your choice :)
Carly says
Okay, we have been looking at the Ektorp loveseat w/ chaise. I like the style, and esp. the pricetag. But sooo many people keep telling us to save up and buy a “better” brand. The thing is, my husband is a teacher, and I am a half-time teacher. So saving takes awhile, to say the least — and on top of the sofa, we’d like to save for other things as well. I cannot justify spending so much more for a different brand. From what I have gathered here, people are happy with their Ektorps…no?
I figure if John and Sherry think IKEA is okay, it must be for us, too! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! It seems like there’s lots of Ektorp love here! And Karl love too. It’s a veritable Ikea sofa love-fest!
xo,
s
Anna-Katrin says
I have been eyeing Karl for a while now in the same color, I am dying to replace my leather sofas. (Not because of my cats, they haven’t done a bit of damage to them, it’s just that they were hand-me downs and really not my style.) Anyway, I am just wondering if you can wash the slipcovers? I have some Ektorp pieces and wash those covers all the time, but the Karlstad listing says “dry clean”?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Anna-Katrin,
The fabric we chose (sivik dark gray) can be washed at home- no dry cleaning necessary!
xo,
s
elisabeth says
I always enjoy YHL and today’s blurb was uncannily similar to my recent Karlstad love affair. This could have been written by me! (even decided against the nubbly fabric for the same reason!) :)
Shannon says
I am so excited you decided on this couch! I have been to the store twice to look at it and both my husband and I are in love with it. We like the dark grey and light grey both. It is so comfortable and spacious!! We are saving up so someday soon we’ll be ordering ours, definitely with the metal legs!
OMG-YHL says
Great choice! My parents have been searching for a sectional to replace one over a decade old. They’ve been considering a leather one from Bob’s Discount Furniture (the horror!), but I’m definitely rooting for Karl. After seeing this post I immediately sent the link to my dad. He’s not on board, but I’ll get him there. I cannot put into words my love for Ikea! Ikea can do no wrong in my eyes.
I’m so excited to see it in its new home, as, I’m sure, are you!
Candace says
Be glad you didn’t get the Kivik — we bought it about 3 months ago, and it is ROCK HARD. I almost cried a few weeks into the purchase because I realized my back literally felt like it was on fire if I sat on it for more than ten minutes. Thankfully my hubs thought the same, so he was willing to get a replacement couch. It was unbearable.
I think the Karlstad will be a great couch for you guys! I always liked that one in the showroom and it seems comfy.
Alyssa says
Not sure if someone already posted this but Karl comes with brown/black rounded wooden legs too. We have the same one with the chase and got the brown/black wooden legs. Not sure if they’re in store only but that’s an option if you don’t want to have to doctor up the light wood ones.
P.s. we love our Karl!
Wehaf says
I have a Karlstad with a chaise add-on, and I love it. But a word of warning; it isn’t really slip-covered; you have to basically dismantle it to take the cover off the bottom, sides, and back (the covers come off the cushions easily).
Briony says
You guys bought the exact sofa I have wanted since September. Can`t wait to hear how it holds up as I save up my pennies.
Do you think the Karl could work in a smaller room or do you both think a sectional needs a room the size that you have?
YoungHouseLove says
He’s a diverse guy! I think he’d look good almost anywhere. Anna over at D16 has him in a small-ish room and he looks great!
xo,
s
Genevieve says
My kids were 1 and 3 when we moved into our new house, after moving our sofa and finding all sorts of crumbs etc in the joins (ew!), I took the opportunity to establish an eating zone rule: kids can eat at the dinner table, kitchen island bench or outside, that’s it. It amazed me how quickly they complied and police their friends on the rules too. The benefits are even better, we sit down for dinner all together (table manners, conversation, family time etc all reinforced), plus at snack and lunch time they sit and eat and finish and go do something else. Not constant snacking all day, then not hungry at meal times. So good! Paul and I still have our dinner on the couch once a week on a date night with a good DVD. New sofa, new rules I say.
Andrea says
We NEED IKEA in ALASKA!!!!!