So, furniture shopping — specifically, shopping for couches.
It’s stressful, right?
I’ve been looking for a couch for so long that… Seriously, tectonic plates have shifted in the years I’ve been looking for a new couch. That’s how long it’s been. The continents are noticeably further apart.
The process has started and stopped multiple times, too, because a new couch is a big commitment. It’s like getting married.
And couches aren’t easy to get rid of. Once you buy one, you’re kinda locked in. I mean, that’s pressure! They have to tick off so many boxes, too — cute, functional, sturdy, but not so sturdy that your butt hurts when you sit in them. And then there’s the fabric. Is it stain-resistant, dark, light, smooth, rough, patterned, denim, leather? Will it stand up to cat barf? Will it fade in the sun? Will it last 10 years?
The last couch that I bought was a Pottery Barn Greenwich in 2002.
My, gosh, I’ve had that couch for 15 years!
I got it when I moved into my first “grown-up” apartment by myself, and how it would stand up to cats or kids never entered my mind. Consequently, I got a couch with the worst kind of fabric for cats (brushed twill), and it’s also upholstered, so it’s never been easy to wash or clean.
There are some stains on it… I probably should have gotten rid of it years ago. It’s pretty beat up, which is what happens when your husky tabby claims a couch as his personal playground, and the baby just takes it to another level (side note: you don’t even want to know how many times she has spit up on that couch.). I hate to say this, but my couch is one of the reasons I don’t have company over more often. I’m embarrassed, man. 🙁 The couch has to go.
Anyway, I’ve been doing a lot of couch research for something cat- and kid-friendly, and the Ikea Ektorp has quite a cult following. It’s a slip-covered sectional sofa, and it’s pretty affordable, so when the little ones rough it up, it’s not extremely stressful.
The genius thing is that IKEA sells replacement slipcovers (which can be almost as expensive as buying a whole new couch in some lines!), and they’re only about $100 each, so when the couch starts to look bad, you can get a new slipcover…which appeals to me like you don’t even know!
We went to Ikea last weekend, and I sat on it.
It was, uh…pretty comfortable. It definitely wasn’t as uncomfortable as the couches I’ve tried at Pier 1. I mean, I love Pier 1 for some things. I have one of their hanging popasan chairs in my Lady Sanctuary, a few tables, and a patterned chair in the living room. But when I went to Pier 1 a couple weeks ago to do furniture recon, every single couch I sat on — swear to god — hurt my butt or my lower back.
I’m just sayin’. I felt like I was testing torture devices.
About the Ektorp, it has some positives. It was OK comfortable, and there was no hurting of the butt. I like the price, too, and it’s pretty cute. It’s neutral, but the seats are shallow. I’m not a tall person, but I felt like I couldn’t really curl up on it, and I want to be able to properly snuggle and veg on my next couch.
Plus, every big thing I’ve ever purchased from Ikea has broken within a couple years. So I didn’t get it.
I’m still couch hunting…
Oh! — also, something happened to me at Ikea that’s never happened before. We’d been meandering through the Emeryville store for about 30 minutes when I stopped to take a picture of this stool…
Suddenly, I realized that there were no windows in the building, which FREAKED ME OUT. Then, I realized that there was no easy way to get out of there if anything happened. It was just one gigantic people-filled box with colorful furniture and fake plants and those Swedish meatballs, and that freaked me out even more, because I’m a little bit claustrophobic, even in big places like Ikea. If I can’t see a window or an exit sign anywhere, I can’t breathe, and my chest tightens up like I’m having an asthma attack.
I wonder if Ikea does that to anyone else? Or am I the only weirdo?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Hi Karen! I’ve been following you for awhile but felt compelled to actually leave a review on this post, because I’ve been dealing with the same issue. Same couch for 12 years, 5 homes, 3 kids that were all born within 3.5 years, and 3 pets. It’s time. I was contemplating the Ektorp too, but changed my mind after seeing some on Craigslist. They look horrible used – all wonky and out of sorts. I have narrowed down my search to a modern leather sectional, like the Jasper in a brown leather from Room and Board or the Serena in leather from Joybird furniture. It should hold up to all my household companions (hah!), be easy to wipe down, and hold up for a long time. Plus I don’t have to wash and change slipcovers. I also appreciate the slimmer and more modern lines. Now if only I can find the 3-5k to purchase…?
Right after the first baby (11 years ago!) I bought LEATHER couch at Macy’s to replace my fabric couch. A dream to clean! Some stuff that ended on the couch was actually pretty gross, but I just wiped it off and then used soap and water, and it was clean as new once again. When we were moving 3 years ago, my husband wanted to buy a new couch for the new house, because the leather color kind of rubbed off from the “old faithful”, but I had a different plan. Lo and behold, the second baby came along a year after our move! Now this couch is facing at least 10 more years of life, ’cause there is nothing wrong with the old broken-in slightly weathered leather couch. Just like a good old cowboy saddle, still in a good shape. It also has a magic effect: anyone who lays on the couch for more than 5 minutes, falls asleep. It’s a keeper.
Ikea… *sigh* I’m certainly glad I’m not the only one feeling the same about this store. One was open (or öppen, according to their email ad) in our neck of the woods with much fanfare a couple of months ago. After initial 2 weeks of parking lot craziness, I’ve finally decided to stop by and take a peak after work on my way home. I’ve figured that I’ll look around for 15 minutes or so just to get an idea of what all the hype is about. I walked in, rode an escalator up to the second floor, looked around at all the plastic, metal, and particle board stuff that looked rather cheap and really didn’t appeal to me, and decided to head home. I’ve suspected that something was wrong when I realized that I was walking in circles around the room setups after I’ve passed one room at least three times. I’ve started to freak out when I’ve realized there is no visible exit. I’ve tried to follow the overhead exit signs, only to find out that some are leading me to the emergency exit doors. Finally, after about 20 minutes,
I’ve found a real exit, and ran down the concrete stairs to escape the conundrum. Alice in Wonderland feeling. Never again! lols
We have the Ektorp sleeper love seat and regular Ektorp couch. The sleeper sofa is much better built than the regular couch – cushions are super comfy. I’ve had that about 16 years and still have the original slipcovers on it. The couch – well, it’s been great for kids. I can wash the slipcovers, I don’t care if my kids mess with my $400 couch, but after 8 years, it looks a little sad. Not so sad that I won’t hold on to it until the youngest is out of elementary school, but definitely “family room” more than “living room” for entertaining.
Hi Karen, You’d be surprised at the prices at Ethan Allen. They are right in the same ballpark as Pottery Barn. They have great sales, free designer services and you can pick the fabric. I did Sunbrella fabric for my indoor couch…no fading! There’s an Ethan Allen in Corte Madera. Take a look 🙂 The quality can’t be beat.
So we also went to Ikea this past weekend! That place stresses me out because I can get lost lol. We let our kiddos play int he play area for the first time – you only get 30 minutes on the weekends. I’m like – it will take me 30 mins just to find the playa rea again!!!
We also JUST bought a new couch! We got a grey sectional from Costco and it’s amazing!!! It was actually cheaper than that Ikea one…
That’s funny, I was just going to start writing about the gray sectionals at Costco, LOL. One of our friends just got one, and he and his wife have one dog, two cats and (in a few months) a new baby. They had an old leather one that the cats had gone to town on. Several of my family members (with babies and pets, too) have bought Costco couches, and they all seem to play well. They clean easily (depending on the material, of course) and last long!
that is awesome to hear! we love it so far. I cannot stand leather – it’s too hot and sticky in GA lol
I have memories of the backs of my thighs sticking to leather furniture when I was a kid! I love the idea of it being so easy to clean though.
Never been to Ikea, no wish to even though one opened in my area about a year ago. People were stuck in crazy queues for the carpark going in and trying to get out again according to my local paper. Personally I think it’s worth paying more for things like sofas as they are going to be with you for the longterm and need to be comfortable and durable throughout that time. I’ve actually just been really extravagant and paid nearly £1,400 for a bedroom chair in the most gorgeous textured velvet fabric, but I will own and love that chair for the rest of my life so the “cost per sit” will be pretty low, that’s my logic anyway!
got a couch older than yours
now you have planted that thought in my head about IKEA, good thing I rarely go there!
I’ve had that exact couch for about five years, and it looks like new. I also gave a 7 and 4 year old boys…so I think that’s pretty impressive. I’ve washed the slipcover probably about ten times. I wanted the gray instead of the beige when we bought it, but my husband wanted beige, and it’s held up to stains better than I thought it would.
I started with an ektorp sofa bed before kids, and I’ve been sold on IKEA couches ever since. I’ve had three variations of ektorps in different rooms over the last ten years. Quality is great, but if you have pets or kids, nothing beats the removable slipcover you can wash.
I think it’s comfy (though not one where you breathe an orgasmic sigh upon first sitting down). However, the slipcover trumps everything for me now that I’ve had it. I love that it can be cleaned so thoroughly and easily.
Can’t wait to see what you buy!
I had a roommate that bought the Ektorp for us and I really enjoyed the washable slipcover because her untrained Pomeranian was constantly peeing on it! It wasn’t very deep but comfortable nonetheless. I have a leather dream couch picked out at West Elm!
omg I have been couch hunting too! I live in a 1 bed/1bath grown up apartment lol but when I have family visit they get my room and I get the couch. currently i have a sofa bed but the bed part will kill your back. it’s a killer I tell ya. i literally rather sleep on the floor than on that thing. also it was very fancy pleather (yes very fancy) because I got it when I had a dog who shed everywhere. now doggy is gone (not gone to doggy heaven, just gone to live with my family for a semi permanent vacation) so I don’t have to worry about pets. and I really want something more comfortable and possibly brighter and lighter to brighten up my living room. I have been looking online but haven’t made the step to actually go in store, cuz ya know I gotta read all the reviews under the sun first.
also, totally feel ya on the claustrophobic part!
I get that way too! which is probably why i’ve never taken a cruise 🙂
We bought an IKEA couch with the money from our wedding and the slipcovers are a lifesaver! Quincy used to pee on the couch once in a while (after which I would ground him) and I’m a slob, so we’ve definitely washed those cushion covers a lot. Also the one we have is definitely sleepable.
Those washable slipcovers are SO TEMPTING. Which couch style did you get? The Kivik?
I’m 90% certain it was a KIVIK. We bought it in red.
Tabs is adorable in those photos. He makes my heart melt!
I have a microfiber couch that keeps well. When it gets stains, you just need to clean it with rubbing alcohol or Mr. Clean that is uncolored (microfiber is plastic after all). I don’t know what will happen when I have kids, though, as my house has a lot of white furniture. I refuse to replace them, and if they get dirty later on, well, it’ll give me an excuse to buy something new. I love decorating my house, and I’m always changing my style, so no big deal!
Ikea doesn’t phase me. It’s actually pretty safe if you know how to navigate the space. My husband and I know all the shortcuts and exits (husband’s a walking map), so we aren’t worried about the crowds or if there’s an emergency. We got that place down, yo! LOL! I can be in an out of there and grab what I need in under 10 minutes–you just have to know where each room and shortcut leads to!
Hi Christina,
I’ve heard lots of good things about microfiber couches! I sat on a few earlier in the summer and although I loved the softness of the material I was concerned with how the couch kept the marks from my butt, LOL! But I bet it’s not as intense when you have a white couch.
That’s cool that you love decorating your home. I’m not very good at it, but I’m trying to muddle my way through it! Where do you usually like to shop for home decor?
I have had a few couches through the decades. But for many years, I had a leather love seat that had been my mom’s until she replaced it. It made a good apartment sized couch and I could lay on it since I’m not tall. When I decided to replace it, I looked high and low — really, every store and online outlet you can think of. One Saturday morning, on my way to look at more couches, I passed a yard sale just around the corner from me with the perfect couch out front. It turned out that the seller was engaged and moving to the East Coast. She had been a buyer for Pier 1 and it was a sample couch that she’d only had for a few months and was in brand-new condition. Bam! At $400 it was a fraction of what I was going to pay for a new couch AND she delivered it! I love my couch!
Hi SuziL,
What a great find! That’s an amazing price for a practically brand-new couch. 😀
Your reaction to IKEA is EXACTLY the reaction I had the first time I went, and why I never go in. It’s really disorienting and kind of scary! So I’m biased against IKEA just because their stores are a terrible sensory experience.
Hi SJ,
Whew! And here I was thinking I was the only one freaked out by that place. I wanna go back because the prices are so good for some home things, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to unless I take some kind of tranquilizer (seriously).
Where do you usually do your shopping for home decor/furniture?
Ikea scares me! I always feel trapped! I’m going to toss in my vote for a leather couch. Scandinavian Designs has affordable nice stuff that my cats love to sleep on and I like to sit on. Easy to clean, super comfy and looks nice.
Oh, and I love Tabs modeling the MAC blushes! So cute!
Hi Georgia!
Question for you about your leather couch. Do the kitties leave claw marks behind on the leather when they walk on the couch? I like the idea of a leather couch being so easy to clean, but it would break my heart if Tabs scratched it and punctured the material.
When I’m in Ikea I just try to reassure myself that there are sprinklers and that it’s not really the fire trap that in my mind I think it is. The thing that gets me are the twisty paths you have to negotiate to get out and all the slow moving people who clog those paths. When I want out, I want out, NOW!
Not sure I’d ever buy much Ikea furniture again. Most of it doesn’t really hold up well to movers. It’s fine in situ. Except for the kitchen island my daughter bought, none of it has really survived moves without a loss of stableness and sturdiness.
I’ve had a Room and Board sofa for 15 years now and it’s just now starting to show it’s wear and tear. I took the covers off of the seat cushions and pillows and threw them in the washer on gentle and air dried them and had the non-removable upholstery steam cleaned at the same time I had the carpeting in the house done.
I want to replace this sofa with a leather one.
Tabs is a good model! Nora kitty would never hold still for a shadow or blush photo shoot like Tabs.
Ikea has a new couch called the Farlov or something like that and it’s deeper. It’s similarly priced with washable covers. It looks much higher end, kinda like the belgian slope collection from Restoration Hardware. My mom has the one you’re looking at and it help up for 8 years of teens, my very overweight mom, and two tabbies. When it broke because of the warranty they just gave her a new one. So she got another and it’s been going strong for 4 years now. That’s the best part about Ikea, if the frame or cushions go in warranty, you get a replacement.
My best quality sofas from a retailer came from Pottery Barn. I’ve had Pottery Barn and Crate and Barrel for years. The Pottery Barns ones are still going strong after close to twenty years. BUT obviously they were purchased in the late 90’s. I haven’t been in a PB for a few years so I can’t attest to current quality. You can also get PB slipcovers for many of the couches in their line up. They are much more expensive though.
My CB ones didn’t hold up well to international moves but everyday wear and tear was fine.
If you aren’t in your forever home, I’d go with Ikea with because of the kiddo, probably. If they jump on it and break it, you get a new one. If they spill strawberry koolaid all over it, you can get a new cover for not too much money.
My mom also scotch gaurded her cover herself and it wiped up pretty well for every day issues.
My favorite thing to do is get a neutral couch and jazz it up with pillows AND use quilt over the cushions, you just wrap them. The couch stays so much cleaner that way. I have a plummy brown from CK and an indigo one from Target, I swap out with seasons. It’s a very boho look but still easy to manage and it keeps it from being too white or beige.
Re: kitties and leather. I used to have a leather ottoman and my kitties destroyed it. Not from clawing it up, but when they jumped from it, their rear claws dug in. Recently had it reupholstered in a textured fabric that holds no attraction for them and shows no marks. I second the rec for microfiber. Wipes clean fairly easily. I keep a spray bottle on hand with Murphy’s oil soap and water to clean all sorts of spots and spills. Microfiber dries without leaving any stains or water marks. I will add that I bought a traditional style sofa 20 years ago that I thought was pricey at the time -$4000 IIRC. I paid about $1200 recently to have it reupholstered as nothing I found approached the quality of my old one. I’ve spent a lot of time researching how to choose upholstery fabrics, if you want to email me. Good luck!
I love all the discussion and ideas here about what to consider when buying a rather expensive household item. That’s what I love about this blog. There is a wealth of ideas, knowledge and information beyond makeup that everyone is so willing to share.
Hi Karen, I’m going put my vote in for team Leather. We’ve had our couches for 14 years now and we have 2 dogs and 1 child who is now 19. Both the dogs like to have a snooze on the sofas but I have a couple of nice velvety blankets that they lie on. Depending on the type of leather you get ( best to do some research at various furniture shops) sometimes wiping it with a damp cloth or even your finger tips can erase any scratches. If the leather starts to look really bad , we’ve got professional leather sofa cleaners in that can also do repairs so that’s a possible option. Hope that’s of some help.