Despite its original February 4th due date, our big bundle of sectional joy arrived ahead of schedule. Being our first Ikea sofa, we were a bit taken aback by how many different boxes our Karlstad came in.
But since we’re no strangers to assembling our Ikea purchases we dove right in…and even made a time lapse video of the longer-than-we-expected process.
For those who can’t watch the video (maybe you’re being sneaky at work?) here’s the important stuff: the final pictures of Karl in place.
We’re especially enamored with the fabric, which is nice and durable (it’s completely impenetrable to Burger’s claws, which is always the goal). And the dark color is perfect for hiding those spills and drool spots that happen with a dog and a baby around. Plus because the entire sectional is slipcovered (even the arms and the frame) we can always wash it if something crazy happens. Which is definitely a probability in our house.
Karl certainly is a big boy. It took us a couple of hours to adjust to how much more space he took up than our old couch – but it took almost no time for him to win our hearts. He fits the space really well, the dark charcoal color rocks our socks, he’s extremely comfortable, and he makes us want to schedule a huge friends & family movie night (although that might be more fun when we get a larger TV someday).
Speaking of which, Karl’s presence really highlights the need for some other “heftier” items in the room (it’s a huge space, so larger items will make it look a lot more balanced and proportionate) – like a bigger rug, a new media cabinet, and lots of colorful art on the walls. Plus we need to make this space next to the window look more intentional. We plopped the little game table there because of the light that hangs above it, but we’re thinking that zone might be better served as a play / toy storage area for Clara (and future kiddos) down the line.
We also want to add (maybe build?) a long narrow console table to go between the sectional and the wall to host a couple of lamps and act as a spot for drinks, etc. Especially since our current nailhead ottoman & faux sheepskin solution is great looks-wise (light and round ottoman + dark and square sectional = love) but it doesn’t really function beyond feet propping. But with a console table behind the sofa, that’s all it needs to do. Plus it’s baby-head friendly, unlike an angular coffee table. And with all the angles in Karl we were itching for something soft and round anyway.
We also want to try a DIY upgrade to Karl’s legs. Ikea offers sleek metal ones (which take the look to über modern) but we wanna work with the chunky wood ones that came with Karl.
Especially since the fancy pants sofa that we coveted from Room & Board (more on him here) has the exact same legs in a darker finish. And they look surprisingly sleek in that color, as opposed to cheap and birchy like Karl’s (no offense, man):
We’re thinking we might try to stain or paint them darker (maybe even with high gloss spray paint) to help them work better with Karl’s deep charcoal outfit, er slipcover. We considered swapping them out for tapered or round spindle legs, but Karl is a big dude. So we want him to remain as well-supported as possible. Which is why the legs that come with Karl (along with a 10 year warranty) seem like a smart thing to stick with.
Despite our still-growing to-do list, we’re loving our new spot to relax. I’ve got two directions where I can lie down completely (all 6′ of me), Clara’s got a couple of deep corners to be propped up in, and the chaise just happens to be perfectly Sherry sized. Accordingly, she’s been monopolizing it since Karl’s arrival. Good thing I’m not a jealous man.
Burger is basically nutty with options for curling up, jumping around, and perching upon every possible cushion and cranny. Here’s where we discovered him sit-standing yesterday. Yes that’s business in the front, relaxation in the back. What a weirdo.
Apparently it’s a great vantage point to scope out squirrels in the backyard.
So yes, we still need to stain/paint the beams, get/build a sofa table for behind the sectional, get a larger rug, upgrade the media cabinet, remove the fans, add in a few lighting options, and possibly create a little play area for Clara behind the far side of Karl – but we’re happy to take our time and let things evolve instead of rushing into any big purchases we might regret (we have to replenish the ol’ bank account after buying Karl anyway). But I guess I could tackle those fans sometime soon. And Sherry claims to be saving up the energy to take on those beams (she says as she reclines on the chaise and lies motionless, closing her eyes as if to “charge”). Should be interesting…
UPDATE: We’re still loving Karl over a year later. Check out our little update post here.
Randa says
I love the grey, yellow, white palette that you have going on in this room! I’ve been dying to do something like that in my home. Oh, and the sectional is absolutely beautiful – now if only I could expand my living room to accommodate it . . .
:0]
Erika says
It looks really awesome, I’m in love with Karl. I want to purloin that couch – and rug!
Tanya from dans-le-townhouse.blogspot.com says
I love the grey! We’re having some major problems with our brown leather sofa so we’re considering a replacement. We, too, have to deal with messy spills and such (which is embarassing because we don’t have kids or dogs). I never thought of getting my sofa at Ikea (I’m so leary of the quality), but your sofa looks great. And I love that the cover is washable. I might just have to take another look at Ikea . . .
Sarah says
love this!!! the grey fabric looks SO great against the moonshine. what a great choice and it really does look comfortable. yay!
sarah says
Love, love, love. The yellow in the rug and the pillows looks amazing against the charcoal.
Question: I know it would be far, far down the line, but are you thinking of taking out the parquet flooring someday? Do you like it?
YoungHouseLove says
We love all hardwood flooring and also love working with what we have. So instead of ripping it out we’d love to refinish it in a rich new color (which we’d also use on our other hardwood floors for a more cohesive look). Someday…
xo,
s
Heather @ REOlisticRenovation says
I always wondered about IKEA couches. Karl is fantastic! Love the color and fits great in the room. Can’t wait to see what else you guys do.
Barb says
I like it…hope it lasts!
Kate says
Looks great! I love how Burger loves Karl! haha!
jaclyn says
i love that it’s slip-covered! can’t wait to hear reviews on what you guys think of it in the long run.
Melissa T says
Love how Burger didn’t leave his spot on the old couch until the last minute when you were moving it! New couch looks awesome!
Shannon says
I have that Dwell Studio pillow with the yellow flowers too! It’s actually the inspiration for my new bedroom. Love the couch! My livingroom is too small for that but I would love it.
Theresa says
So, love the new sofa color, but here’s the tricky part — I was so inspired by your color palate in the old house that we purchased off-white slipcovered couches for our great room about 8 months ago and now they are SOOO dirty (actually, technically right now they’re wet since they’ve just been pulled from the washing machine). If only I could’ve seen into the future of the Young House Lovers…
I’m hoping that maybe another slipcover color is available for purchase from Macy’s (where we got our couches) because with three dogs (one of which is a puppy) and potentially babies in the future, we’re probably going to need to move more in your darker tones direction.
Nikki says
It looks fantastic!
I can’t quite make out the configuration of the legs along the long middle, but something to be mindful of (and I know neither of you are “big” people), but our (non-Ikea but rather expensive) couch has sagged in the middle due to not enough support over such a long expanse. Maybe when you’re DIY’ing the legs, it might be worth giving it an extra one or two on its long side!
Lisa says
I love Karl! Do you guys envision adding more seating to the room or does Karl fulfill all of your seating needs?
YoungHouseLove says
We think he’s it. At least for now. We’ll have to see how the room evolves though…
xo,
s
Jen @ The Decor Scene says
GORGEOUS!!!! Love how Karl looks in your room. Lovin’ the gray and yellow combo. And I love the console table between the sofa & wall. Great idea! I can’t wait to see how this room evolves over time. It’s going to be a great ride. :D
Melody says
What a great video! Also the new sectional is super snazzy with the yellow throw pillows.
Sarah says
I love it! The yellow pop of color are a great idea! Looks like no large-screen TV will be “large enough” for Karl and for that big wall — have you thought about using a projector instead?
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, that’s a possibility. Who knows where we’ll end up!
xo,
s
Lindsey says
Love love love it! Could you tell me which pieces you put together on the IKEA site to make Karl? That is exactly what we need but I’m a bit confused exactly which items you got and placed together – would love to know! :)
YoungHouseLove says
We went with Sivik Dark Gray slipcover and got this “corner sofa” and this “add-on chaise” (not the free standing one). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Kate says
I am obsessed! It looks so great! Have you seen the grey capiz chandelier from West Elm? It would look so great as a replacement for the current light fixture!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, I’m only a little obsessed with it. Haha.
xo,
s
Anna @ Take the Side Street says
The new sofa looks great, and I can’t wait to see what you do with the feet. I’m another vote for a play area — I’m building a Hemnes knock off sofa table for half the cost right now (looooove it!) and I just bought 4 big baskets to go in the bottom to hide all my kids’ toys. It’s great that you even have a light over the space!
Jenny says
Love the new couch – we actually enjoyed the very same one in our house for two years (sans chaise) and recently sold it to a friend. We have a toddler and the fabric is so easy to keep clean – you’ll love it. And it’s super comfortable, right? The three of us could all lounge and not even touch – unless we wanted too, of course =) Great purchase! And PLEASE let me know if you decide to sell the yellow rug – I’ve been wanting the same one forever and you can’t buy it anymore!
Helen says
Looks wonderful!
I love the couch, but I’ve got to say that my favorite part of the video is watching Burger…it reminds me so much of our babies. “What’s going on? Oh. Nothing. Just Mom and Dad doing that crazy assembly thing again. *back to sleep*”
Twila says
A while back I found this website and she shows how to make a sofe table for under $20
http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2009/04/make-sofa-table-for-under-20-for-real.html
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh, good to know!
xo,
s
Emily says
SO NICE! Lovely pick. I’m sure darkening those legs will be a piece of cake. I’ve got mucho couch envy now.
Jessica D. says
My furbaby does the sit-stand on my front porch steps. He’s a 100 lb lab mix, so he always looks a little off balanced as he has his hind quarters sitting on the top step bu his front legs standing on the second or third!
fdr says
wow it looks great! Sherry, were you on the phone and building ikea furniture at the same time? If so, that is taking multitasking to a whole new level, and explains why you guys seem to get so much done each and every day. Am so impressed.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, yup. You gotta do whatcha gotta do!
xo,
s
Twila says
I do love the Karl!!!!
Jen E. says
Oh DEFINITELY plan on that play area for Clara. We’re on the hunt for a sectional right now for that very reason, so we can “wall off” a little play space for our 2.5 yr old daughter. Our room layout will look a lot like yours.
Clara may seem containable now, but you will be amazed at the havoc a toddler can wreak. The option for a mostly-out-of-sight area with easy kid-friendly storage and a bit of play space will go a long way toward everyone keeping their sanity down the road. :)
Lisa says
love the sofa! we have a sectional and i’ve been wanting to do the same thing with a console between the sofa and the wall. would love to put some lamps back there.
i’m looking forward to what you come up with…
Erica @ Erica's Inspirations says
OMG! That looks fabulous!!! Don’t you just love when things come early?!? I think Karl is a perfect fit for the space. The yellow and gray combo is to die for!
A great storage sofa table is the Expedit shelves at IKEA. You can turn it on its side, put lamps on top, and wicker baskets in some of the cubbies. I think it would be perfect for hiding toys and it is very cheap.
laura says
wow i love that sectional! and I love the charcoal gray with the yellow-goldish color!
P.S. I have those same yellow-goldish pillows from tar-jay! they are in my bedroom on my charcoal gray herringbone coverlet. :)
Breanna says
Karl looks amazing. I did have a question though. I’m not familiar with Ikea furniture since it’s super far away from us. How did you guys attach the gray fabric to the the rest of the base piece? It honestly in the video just looks like you’ve magically stuck it in place and I think that using a staple gun would make it much harder to pull it off and wash.
Thanks in advance! Karl looks amazing!
YoungHouseLove says
There’s a heavy duty velcro system that comes with the sofa. It holds so well, but is easy to remove for a wash.
xo,
s
Mike @HA says
So fun! I didn’t realize the Ikea couches came without the fabric on. That’s smart, and if you ever get tired of this fabric you can change it out! It’s funny your battery died… it makes me feel better. We decided to do a time lapse video of setting up our Christmas tree because we liked your video so much. We tried, and our battery died like 20 min in! Good to know we’re no the only ones!http://www.athomealterations.com/2010/12/o-tannenbaum-oh-christmas-tree.html
Lesley says
looks great!!!
paige says
i love this couch!!! and i am totally voting for you guys on apartment therapy’s hottest design blog because i think your pretty awesome!! here’s the link for any other readers who want to support yhl!
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/the-homies-best-home-design-blog-of-2011-submit-your-nominations-137078
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Paige. We’re just happy to be nominated among so many other amazing blogs.
xo,
s
Sarah @ The Strength of Faith says
It looks amazing! Well done, once again. :)
Sarah says
Love it! How great does that look?! Would you put a table by the chaise too or just behind the couch?
YoungHouseLove says
Not sure how things will shape up, but a table behind the sectional would be accessible from the chaise. Who knows though…
xo,
s
Begoña says
Love the color, the yellow pillows and everything but i got to ask, who were you talking to on the phone all that time??? ;-)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, that’s my BFF Cat on the phone. She was actually in the hospital so I made time to chat her up, even while assembling furniture!
xo,
s
Madelaine says
As I was reading a looking at the pictures, I was thinking, “paint those legs”! Then I continued to read! Can’t wait to see what you decide to do with the legs, other than that, I love Karl! Makes me wish we didn’t live in a 1940’s house so we would have a room big enough for such a great looking sectional.
Loving all you have done so far!
Hannah Lane says
I’m loving Burger at the beginning, just minding his own business. The couch looks great!
Caroline @ The Feminist Housewife says
It looks AMAZING. And wow, does the yellow really pop against the charcoal.
Absolutely love it!
Kele says
Did you guys really pay $349 for shipping? It doesn’t seem cost effective and appears to be a large percent of the cost of the couch itself? But I’m guessing there wasn’t anything comparable locally? Looks great though!
YoungHouseLove says
No way we paid $89! Shipping us calculated by distance and weight, so it varies person to person, and ikea was having an after holiday shipping sale (I think it was originally $159 or something, but it was marked down to $89, which is cheaper than local delivery!).
xo,
s
Sara says
My husband & I have also been thinking about purchasing a Karl. I have a question, is there a holding device that keeps the pieces from sliding away from one another in the corners?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, it’s all firmly connected with metal hardware. Very solid and secure.
xo,
s
Sara says
PS. I forgot to add how great it looks! That space & Karl were made for one another.
andy says
Being a Florida girl, I highly recommend waiting until after you get a few hot days to remove the ceiling fans. The space behind Karl (where the table is) looks like the perfect size for the yellow rug. Also, have you considered carpet tiles for a replacement? If any of them get spilled on, you can take it outside and hose it off.
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, we’ve used Flor tiles before so they’re definitely a contender.
xo,
s
Adrianne R says
That sofa makes me envy your large space! We’ve been working to create a living room/play room combo in our basement for our daughter whose is just about a month older than Clara. Have you thought about a dual purpose piece for the console table? I’ve been looking for a console table that’s a little wider and with shelves to put baskets for kid toys in it. I despise all the kids storage solutions that are either blue, pink or multicolor. Just because it holds toys doesn’t mean it can’t be fashionable too.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s exactly what we have in mind – which is why we think we might have to build it since we haven’t seen anything like it. Will keep you posted!
xo,
s
Shannon says
What color did you end up going with, for Karl? Did you purchase the Corner Sofa + Chaise? We love the look of yours but cannot seem to find the exact one, though we’re also looking for something affordable+durable for our two pups!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Shannon,
We went with Sivik Dark Gray and got this “corner sofa” and this “add-on chaise” (not the free standing one). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
jodi says
looks great! i LOVE the time-lapse video. such a good idea.
Mrs. Inspired says
I love Karl! I’ve had a crush on him (in the smaller version) for eons now, so I’m so excited to see him “IRL”…or as close to it as I can (somehow seeing him in Ikea just doesn’t feel the same). I also have a major thing for grey right now so I’m having room envy. Plus, wouldn’t it be great it things from Ikea assembled as quickly as your video IRL?!
Adrianne R says
oops, I misunderstood. I was thinking you wanted a console table for behind the side of the couch that’s up against the future play area. previous comment is not really relevant if you’re only looking for behind the long back part.