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.
Linda says
We went through the same phase buying our sectional. We checked every possible home store for quality, comfort and price. And finally bought the Karlstad sofa and an ottoman in the linen grey last november.It does a great job of pulling the living space together, without being overwhelmingly big or in the way. It’s comfortable and can be switched around. I like having options. I get bored with the same look. And what we loved very much… considering we plan on starting our own family… the covers are washable (Some get dry cleaned, some machine washed). And if for some reason you outgrow the color you have… for a few hundred dollars you can buy a different color slip cover- makes it a whole new sofa.
To the other Karlstad owners out there… any of you wash the covers at home even though it says dry clean? Just curious.
Ever - The red house by the lake says
While I do not have the Karlstad sofa, I do live in the swedish city Karlstad, which is what gave the sofa it’s name (althought there is probably no logic behind it, as all IKEA names seems kind of random).
Some more unnecessary knowledge for you: Karl is a swedish male name (of course) but also mean “man”. :-) (And stad means city, but I am not sure that that would be…)
I have just gotten around posting pictures of my hallway, using a grey color that seems to resemble the one you used previously. Feel free to stop by if you have some time.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s too funny! We’ll have to call our sofa “Man” sometimes too. Like “Hey Man, looking good.”
Say hi to the original Karlstad for us!
xoxo,
s
Amanda says
Great minds think alike!! (… when it comes to modulars)
We just recently bought this couch http://www.freedom.com.au/furniture/sofas/fabric-modulars/23064584 plus an additional mod that’s 2 seater, in a sort of “bark” colour for just under 3k (including tax and delivery)! It has nice deep seats and is super comfy!! Australia is the land of dreams…
Definitely love the grey, though! I’m about to paint my walls grey – super excited!!!
Andee says
I’d already fallen in love with grey sofas at
JCP in Atlantic (http://www.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6.aspx?DeptID=70829&CatID=70829&Grptyp=ENS&ItemId=18e16d3&cmRef=http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4ADFA_enUS380US380&q=tribeca+studio+sofa)
and
Macy’s in Vintage (http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=522838&CategoryID=29391&LinkType=PDPZ1
when you shared your intended sofa. Ikea?!?! A simple Google search lead me to an Esty vendor who sells custom covers to match any decor. You guys rawk! Thanks for sharing.
Holiday says
Upstream, Jen points out how great the yellow rug looks with your walls. And I have been thinking (yes, I have been thinking of your house while going about my everyday business) that the beams on the ceiling might look fabulous, and airy, in a pale yellow. The gray beams photoshop jobby just looked too blue, and too dark and low. Just a thought.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Holiday,
Sadly that 5 x 8′ rug won’t stay when we have our larger sectional (it’ll need an 8 x 10′ rug to ground it) and we’re not sure if yellow will be an accent color anymore at that point. Who knows where we’ll end up though!
xo,
s
Lisa Gonzalez says
Thank you for posting this! The Hubs and I have been looking for a sectional for months now. We need something affordable that satisfies my love of the cozy/comfy side of things, and his clean/contemporary style. This is PERFECT! I just emailed him a link to Karl. Hopefully he’ll love it as much as I do!
Kelly says
Thanks for this info. Sherry!! I have been daydreaming over couches for the past few weeks and fell in love with the Lounge sectional from Crate&Barrel. But… with a price tag of close to $4,000, I may be able to afford only a throw pillow or two. Sooo sad…I really liked the Ikea couch/price but the legs were throwing me. I can’t wait to see what you do!!
Jen says
I have been looking at EXACTLY the same sectionals to replace our tired/stained/ripped microfiber one (microfiber is supposed to be so easy to care for but ours was quickly destroyed by kids/dogs). The Karlstad was a first pick thanks to the price but when I visited the IKEA showroom the store model’s cushions looked pretty beat up. I am so happy to hear you’ve done some research and gotten good reviews! Let us know what you think of yours in a couple months…. we need to replace ours SOON! WE also looked at 2 West Elm sectionals, which are not TOO expensive, did you consider anything there?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jen,
We haven’t had much luck with West Elm fabric (it seems too nubby for Burger’s tiny claws so we worry he’ll snag it).
xo,
s
Casey says
We bought our sectional 2 years ago from Ashley Furniture (we are in TX, of course) for $699!
http://ashleyfurniture.com/Showroom/Showroom.aspx?PageId=Showroom&CategoryID=7&ItemNo=3610255&SetDomTab=1&SeriesNo=36102&CollectionId=&style=&PageNumber=1&IsClicked=1&CatPageNumber=2
Renee says
We love our Karlstad armchair and sofa! We got the chair with the white cover (a bit of a regret with a toddler), but recently washed it and it turned out great… not something that is a quick afternoon project since you have to dissemble the chair to remove it and they recommend air-drying them, but definitely awesome for the spitting out tylenol mishap without us cursing our toddler’s fever for ruining an expensive purchase!! We LOVE our Karls, and they feel and look great after 2 years in our house!
My hubby who has vetoed that dark grey option said “what do you think of that grey?” when he saw me browsing your blog yesterday… HA! Perhaps a new cover is in order! I also love that if you ever feel like you need to expand it or shrink it, you just detatch one section, buy a cheapie cover and have two complete pieces of furniture without having serious buyers remorse!
linda says
we painted out karlstad’s feet! we didn’t want the metal ones and the blonde color wood ones that come with it just didn’t fit out decor… we already had a color matched black brown paint…. it looks so much better (we have the linyard natural one)….
Beacon Bits says
Yet once again our worlds collide. Here was my journey to find a good quality yet affordable gray sectional last summer:
http://decodollop.blogspot.com/2010/06/sofer-something-new.html
http://decodollop.blogspot.com/2010/06/sofa-hunt-continues.html
http://decodollop.blogspot.com/2010/07/sofer-update-made-in-usa.html
Spoiler alert: we ended up with the Rowe :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, love the spoiler alert!
xo,
s
Summer says
I agree with everyone! I too have this exact same couch, color and everything, with the metal legs and we love it! We used to have a cool mid century sofa that was quite a low rider and the further along in pregnancy I got, I said, I cant’ do this anymore.. it was SO hard for me to get out of it! This is the perfect sofa for comfort, family and durability! So happy for you guys! Good luck!
marcy says
We got that same Karl sofa about a year ago! We love it!
stephanie says
well hate to be a debbie downer, but we hated our karlstad. it took us about a year to realize it, but it was just too deep to sit comfortably on (we are not supersized in terms of height, my bro who is 6’2 liked it). it was convenient to have the bed, yes, and it was relatively durable (some baby fluids stuck in the little square indents in the fabric), but overall it was a pain. always felt slouchy or like i was sliding down. sold it on craigslist shortly thereafter, havent missed it for one second. wish you better luck with yours, but dont say i didnt warn ya!
Brittney says
We also have the Karlstad sectional in dark grey (which in daylight looks quite navy in our house). I have 3 boys…5, 3, and 10 months. It’s held up very well and is very comfortable. We got the base-level birch legs that come with it and tried to stain them…little did we know that they’re treated with oil so you’d have to sand them down first. We ended up spraying them a glossy black and it made the whole couch look SO high end! Good luck…we love ours.
Lauren says
You seem to shop at IKEA a lot. Are you happy with the quality of their furniture? My husband & I are needing to furnish our house on the extreme cheap & IKEA seems like our best bet. We don’t want furniture that will have to be dumped in 2 years though.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Lauren,
Yes, we have been very happy with Ikea furniture, hence the repeated purchases there! You can also scroll back through these comments to read about others who seem to have some serious Ikea love going on!
xo,
s
Donita says
LOVE IT!!! You guys have so much of my tastes. ;-) Will you put chrome legs on the sofa? OH MY I so want a couch this style….someday. ;-) I can’t wait to see it in your house.
YoungHouseLove says
We’re thinking we’ll try to adapt the birch legs for now. More deets when Karl arrives!
xo,
s
Gretchen says
Check out Overstock.com Everything I have bought from there is good quality-rugs, faucets, furniture. The shipping is either free or $2.95 for everything. They have a sectional I am looking at now-charcoal gray w/chrome legs for $620.99 I have to check them first before I feel comfortable buying anywhere else.
Bobbie Brown says
Whoohoo! I love big sofa’s! Congrats on getting one and I can’t wait to see it in your house!
Sara says
thought i might share… Karlstad is named after a town in Sweden… i studied there for a semester in college. It’s considered the “sunshine” town of the country – http://www.karlstad.se/apps/symfoni/karlstad/karlstad.nsf/$all/7F9086955EBAE3DFC125744B004AD5BA – people often travel to Karlstad for summer vacations and it was a great little college town. Fabulous shops, lots to do and a beautiful lake. I loved it! Just thought I’d share a little tidbit about your to-be-beloved “Karl”
Carrie says
YHL, Just a quick question…can you order online from Ikea? I have looked on their page but I cannot find where that is available. We live in Mississippi and we don’t have an Ikea, BOO! My husband and I love the smaller version of Big Karl (love Cougartown too!). Thanks so much!! I love reading your blog daily.
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, just call them to order and hear about shipping fees to your area. Good luck!
xo,
s
Casey says
Sherry and John,
I’m in need of a new couch and was hoping you’d write a bit more about the research you did. I get that you didn’t want to shell out $5K when you’ve got a growing family, but I’m also wondering if you were wary of committing to a couch without knowing if it would hold its shape and remain comfortable. I dropped a chunk on a LaZBoy sofa with recliners thinking it would be super-comfy, but just three years later the cushions are saggy and it hurts my back. My boyfriend and I now sit on the floor and lean up against it.
I’ve tried doing research online as to what couches will be firm and supportive and maintain their shape for years to come, but I haven’t found much info! I feel a bit paralyzed because I think it’s so easy to get a lemon. How do you find a couch with some good supportive cushions? Can you help here or go into more detail on researching quality?
Thanks,
Casey
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Casey,
We just sit on things ourselves (in person is always the way we like to shop for big things like sofas) and google around to see what people think. In this case it really helped that a fellow blogger (Anna at D16) upgraded to Karl after her expensive Room & Board sofa let her down, and that was two years ago and she still reports loving her sofa even though she has two dogs and it gets some wear, so that was definitely music to our ears! We have also been extremely excited to hear from so many other Karl enthusiasts right here in the comment section of this post, which has us even more elated about our choice. It also might help to look if there’s any warranty with your purchase. The Karlstad comes with a ten year warranty, which definitely gives us faith that it is built to last and stand the test of time. Otherwise Ikea would lose a lot of money and have a ton of headaches to deal with! Oh and in case it helps, we have had two Rowe sofas for the last 3+ years (well one for 3 and one for 1) and we love them both. Still very comfy and supportive. So if Ikea isn’t your thing, maybe Rowe is. Hope that helps.
xo,
s
Sarah says
This is a sofa-related question so I figured it was most appropriate to this post. We have a huge living room but the layout is not “sectional friendly.” We’ve tried to see how we could make it work but no dice. If we were to purchase a sofa, free standing chaise, and possibly an armchair from Ikea all in the charcoal gray color, is that considered too “matchy matchy?” Of course we’ll be adding accent pillows, etc. but I don’t quite get where you draw the line when it comes to this. I know there are “no rules” as you say but I just wanted to ask for your advice. We have never owned matching living room furniture so I feel like I’m a living room designing virgin here. LOL
YoungHouseLove says
That’s totally a personal preference thing! Some people love when an armchair and sofa and chaise or loveseat match and make it look lovely! And others prefer a more collected over time look, like a deep gray Ikea sofa, a lighter gray loveseat or chaise from Target, and a colorful printed armchair from Pier1 for pop. Some people go for the middle ground and get a sofa and chair that match and bring in a chaise or loveseat that “goes” but doesn’t match. Personally we haven’t ever owned a chair or loveseat or chaise that matches our sofa, but we are bringing in a huge u-shaped sectional so it’s really all about what you like! There’s definitely no right answer! And you can accessorize something to make it look more diverse or help tie things together so just do what you love!
xo,
s
drew says
I don’t know if you have ever purchased furniture from any of the direct dealers in North Carolina. Most of them have ads in Southern Living or similar mags. Basically, you find something you like, call them with the model and fabric numbers and they’ll quote you a delivered to your door price. You can usually save 50% off of retail. I’ve purchased many times and have never had a problem. It’s not for you if in a hurry…but if you can wait a few months it’s well worth it.
YoungHouseLove says
We’d love to experience Hickory and other NC shopping experiences in person! Here’s hoping there’s a road trip in our future…
xo,
s
nicole r. says
I love Karl! I saw this today when I was checking out my quick overstock.com ad. If anybody else is looking for a section it doesn’t seem to be badly priced (but I’ll be honest I’m not in the market for one right now so I’m not comparing costs yet!)
http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Rochester-Jet-Black-Sectional-Sofa/5216537/product.html
Rose says
The ikea website in Australia doesn’t list this corner sofa set…..was wondering why I had never seen it before. And in Australia where the US dollar is almost on par with US dollar the three seater alone in $800….
So – far not so good……
Rose says
Oh and come to Australia….Melbourne I will hire you guys as consultants for my new house decoration…so it will be a business trip….ok great..tell John we can eat Cheesymite for Brekky… (must send u some as a teaser)
YoungHouseLove says
Mmmmmm, deal!
xo,
s
Mia says
We, like many of the other commenters, also own the Karl. We’ve had ours for over three years now, and while I do love the look of it, I must say the back cushions have NOT held up well over time. Ours have lost their shape, and we have a hard time keeping them “fluffed.” We spend a lot of time on our sofa at night and on the weekends, and I’ve actually found that after long periods of sitting, the cushions start to bother my back! But after reading through the comments, it doesn’t appear anyone else has had this problem, so maybe we just got unlucky!
Liz says
We have the Karlstad sofa (also named Karl), and love.love.love it! With two kids, age 3yrs and 9 months, that poor sofa has seen us through stomach bugs, potty training(!), and lots of basic spills. Karl is a trooper! Really comfortable too. I think you’ll be very happy with your choice!
Denise says
We’ve loved our Karl for about 3 years now. He’s a sleeper sofa and he resides in our teenage daughters room. He has taken all kinds of abuse from our family if 6 not to mention the numerous teenagers that frequently sit on him. He’s also been subject to nail polish sessions, teenage drool while sleeping in on a Saturday, late night snacks, mascara laden tears from reading a good book, ink from hours of homework and more. He still looks great! Great choice
lisa l says
Looks great you guys! Question-you may have said it already…can you wash the slipcovers or do they have to be dry cleaned? thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Ours can be washed at home (some Ikea fabrics are dry clean only though).
xo,
s
Virginia says
I’ve been battling with myself about this sofa. I love that shape and I want a dark grey couch but the Sivik dark grey kind of comes across as denim in person to me.
YoungHouseLove says
It definitely feels like denim but we love that! So durable for baby and pet abuse!
xo,
s
Jennifer says
Hey do you guys know if you can just buy the corner piece of the sectional, if i already have the sofa and love seat?
YoungHouseLove says
I think so. Just give them a call (or check out the website) but I ‘m pretty sure they sell a corner for conversions. Good luck!
xo,
s
Dom says
So I have a question- I am a HUGE fan of your work and we want to order our selves a karl as well- although we would like to add the chaise to it- did you add on the free standing karl chaise and then just attach the arm on the other side or how did that work exactly?? Please let me know.
Amazing house! You have inspired us to redo the whole upstairs of our first home and pretty soon we will be starting the basement!:)
YoungHouseLove says
We actually went for the add-on chaise (they sell that as well as the free-standing one). Much easier since it’s made to pop right on!
xo,
s
Brett says
How did you add the chaise on Karl? We’re wanting to buy one the same shape.
YoungHouseLove says
We just ordered the Karl corner sofa and the Karl add-on chaise (there’s a freestanding one and an add-on one) and just assembled them as directed. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Stephanie says
hey guys:
question. we just moved into our new house and want to have a couch down in our basement. the doorframe going down to the basement is only 29 inches wide, and so we were wondering about whether karl could make it down there (since i thought i had read that he came in pieces). do you think it would work? we are at our wit’s end trying to figure out how to get some comfort seating down there! any help you could offer would be much appreciated!
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, he does come in pieces but we don’t remember the measurements off the top of our head. Maybe try ikea.com and see what they list as the measurements of each box or even call them for help? Good luck!
xo,
s
Shay says
Just wondering how Karl is holding up. Does it tend to hold on to dog hair?
YoungHouseLove says
Love him. No complaints! Burger doesn’t really shed much (some very small blonde hairs) but they’re not noticeable at all on Karl. Very happy with him (and Burger, ahah).
xo,
s
Shay says
Thanks. I didn’t think he shed much. We have a mini dachshund and she sheds very minimally also. Have you washed the covers yet? How did they do?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah, they do awesome in the wash.
xo,
s
Bill says
We were all set to buy an Extorp sectional. But when we taped out our room we discovered the Karlstad sectional would fit the space better.
Our only question is that we’re tall people (6′ and 6’3″) and we’re worried about the Karlstad being too short. How comfortable is it for you John?
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
John’s 6 feet tall and is comfy cozy every night on Karl. Maybe try lounging in Ikea to get an idea?
xo,
s
Tania says
Hi guys,
I’ve been busy getting together a shopping list for IKEA (I’m an Ikea first timer), but I’ve also been trying to educate myself on materials that are used for furniture and home decor in general (not just Ikea). I’ve checked out your very helpful posts on items such as Clara’s crib, rugs for the living area and bedroom etc. – and am now finding myself unsure of my list as a lot of stuff is made of polypropelene, fibreboard or particleboard….including the Ektorp sofas I was keen on (which got me thinking about your Karlstad post)..just wondering what is your thoughts – does it depend on what the furniture is being used for as to how strict you are with what it is made of?
YoungHouseLove says
We like to look at it all as a balance between our budget and our uses for things. Just as you mentioned, a crib and mattress for Clara along with a mattress for us was something we were willing to have a bit of a stricter point of view on since you spend so much time sleeping. So we saved our pennies for something organic and made up of solid wood. But when it came to a giant u-shaped sectional, any that we saw that were completely solid wood and organic materials were expensive. Not just pricey, we’re talking close to 10K! So it just was not a possibility to us. So we settled for an 100% natural wool rug and an Ikea sofa. We also made the console table with 100% untreated wood. By making those choices we try to follow the “everything in moderation” adage. We have a few natural items mixed in with an Ikea sofa and it seems to work for our family! Hope that helps.
xo,
s
Tania says
Thanks so much! Yes, that’s a great help, and very much appreciated! :)
theodore gerk says
Hi there.
I’m curious to know how your couch is holding up. I bought the Karlstad 3+2 a few months ago and already I’m having BIG problems with the cushions. They’ve lost their shape and are now big lumpy round things, not the nice rectangular, sleek ones that were the aesthetic reason I bought the couch. I know I have a 10yr warranty and can replace the cushions at any time. I’m just wondering if my cushion problem is a one-off or if I’ll be having to replace these pillows every 4mo for the next 10 years!
Thanks in advance.
YoungHouseLove says
Really??? Ours is great almost a year later! Is your fabric the same as ours? Maybe since ours is a thick denim-like fabric it helps them hold their shape? Sometimes we fluff the pillows (very seldomly, maybe once every few months) or rotate them just so they all get equal wear) but that’s all we do!
xo,
s
Carley says
I’m curious about the legs. I like the sofa but would like to make it just a tad more traditional. Do the legs unscrew? I’m wondering if I could replace them altogether. Thanks for all of your help. I too wanted the Rowe Townsend but with kids and a consevative budget, it was out of the question! The Karlstad is the perfect choice!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, they screw right off! I bet they can be replaced (I’ve seen that done on other blogs like apartment therapy). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Marie says
I’d love an update on how your Karlstad sofa is aging. I’m in the market for a sofa (time to finally upgrade from the futon) and I trust your perspective on if the Karlstad is a worthy purchase. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
So far it’s doing great. We’re still enjoying it and haven’t had any issues with it. It’s definitely softened more in the spots we sit regularly, but in a good way. And that’s bound to happen with just about any sofa. Hope that helps!
-John
Gretchen says
Any updates on the Karlstad? I’m considering the sectional in the dark gray sivik but I’m afraid assembly will be a marriage-ender. (You even have to upholster the arms!!!) Did you get the couch together? Are you still in love? Is it worth it?
Gretchen says
Oops, I had been reading the first several pages of the thread and now see the update. So obviously you got it and are still in love. What fabric did you get and how long did it take you to assemble it?
YoungHouseLove says
We got the dark sivik gray fabric and it has been really easy! It probably took us an hour to assemble it maybe?
xo,
s
Kacia says
Hey! We’re on the hunt for a sectional, and we’ve found so many that we like…with large price tags! We’re looking at the Karlstad now, and I’ll most likely do a midcentury DIY hack to it :) new legs + tufting.
So – is it holding up okay? still comfy? and not looking too worn?
okay! I know you’re busy
xoxo
Kacia
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, it’s holding up great! No complaints!
xo,
s
Kacia says
oh goodness! Sorry – I read through a lot of comments…but not enough! I see that you already answered to someone else asking the same question! :o]
xoxo
YoungHouseLove says
No worries!
xo,
s
Deana says
I found your lovely website while doing some research on sectionals. I was wondering what you think of your Karlstad now that it has been a year? Also, how did you darken the legs? Thanks to you, I am considering purchasing one!
YoungHouseLove says
Still love him! We used oil-rubbed bronze spray paint on the legs.
xo,
s
Brent Nelson says
Hi there, I realize that this post was from a year ago, but I was wondering how your Karlstad has held up? Do you find that the covers on the seat cushions have started to shift, loosen and become “sloppy”? (the front seam drooping further and further down the front of the cushion?)
I bought a new Karlstad that’s 6 months old and the cover already looks like it’s 10 years old. The covers on the seat cushions shift so much that they have to be adjusted on the cushions every 2-5 days. You really can’t flip the cushions over because Ikea designed them with a special padding on the top and front, so if you flip it, the special padding is now on the bottom and your cushion is just a flat piece of foam. (it’s to make the cushion look “rounder” I suppose) If you spin it around, it’s the exact same thing.
I would love to hear how your couch is holding up!!
YoungHouseLove says
Here’s an update we posted just last week about our Karlstad! Maybe it’s the cover you picked? We went with the Dark Sivik Gray and it’s like denim and the cushions still look great and stay in place for the most part. Maybe spend some money to upgrade to a thicker cover??
xo,
s