Hey friends! Okay, so I just got off my Instagram after answering a lot of questions once I posted a series of video stories on the new slipcover I bought for our Ikea Ektorp sectional yesterday. I just purchased the Nordvalla Beige colour and love the new shade and how it's brightened up our living room. I now have 4 covers for this couch, oopsie....how did that happen??? Anyways, I decided to get on here today and get a post together for anyone out there perhaps looking to purchase a piece from the Ektorp line of couches. I have put together a list of the FAQ's I've gotten on this sectional and the slip covers and am sharing them with you guys today in hopes it will help you with your debate on whether or not to buy this couch.
I should also say before I get started that this is in no way sponsored by Ikea. This is just my honest to goodness opinion of this sectional after owning it for 7 years.
Alrighty, so lets begin with some questions I've been receiving.
1. Is it comfortable?
Yes, it is a comfy couch. We have had plenty of cozy nights, afternoon naps and even sleepovers on this couch. The seat foam is a medium-firm feeling in my opinion and may not be for everyone though, and the back cushions are more soft. What I wish in terms of comfort for this couch, was that the depth of it could be deeper. The depth is about 18" for your bum to sit on before you touch the back cushions, so it's not super deep in comparison to some other sofas out there. Although, the lack of the depth has never really bothered us. My husband who is 5'11" can comfortably sit back on this couch with his feet on the floor, but if you are taller then this, the Ektorp line might not be deep enough for you.
2. Has the foam lost its shape, or are the cushions saggy?
No, it has never lost it's shape. This is probably the number 1 thing I can speak highly of with this couch is the miracle foam that lays within this sofa! We are not gentle on our couch either, our kids have ran across it, bounced and jumped on this thing countless times. The dogs are also up and down about 100 times a day. This is our main living room too, we use this couch daily to watch tv so it's definitely a high traffic zone. I don't know how it doesn't look like a saggy mess by now, but it seriously feels and looks as good as the day we bought it, no joke! I do make a point to rotate the back cushions once a week to make sure there are no main wear areas. Oh and that's another thing, none of the cushions are attached to this couch, not even velcroed down, which I LOVE....they just sit there nicely, so I can easily rotate thing when needed....oh and it makes for a great fort making walls, ceilings and floors, (I know the kids would want you guys to know that!)
3. How often do I have to wash the covers?
Hmmm, this depends on which cover is on there?? When I had the white cover on, I probably washed it with bleach every 2 weeks, and I found by the end of the second week it really started to look dirty. That being said, we have 2 kids, and 2 dogs that were not super careful all the time on there. At the beginning I would tell them, no food on the couch and they were good with that for a while, but then life happens and we forget. Also the dogs, I mean in and out of the back yard to do their business.....and well....sometimes that business would make it's way in trace amounts on the white couch!!! TMI, sorry, but this is real life here and a real life review. We tried the throw blankets too for the dogs to lay on, but it would still some how manage to get dirty.
My honest opinion is that the white cover, although so pretty, is too hard to maintain the clean look of for very long. To me it was way too high maintenance. I have read so many blog posts on people saying that the white is great and so so easy to clean and care for, even with their dogs, cats, kids, giraffes, tigers, lions and bears....ohhhkay anyways, I feel like they are lying, haha....that or we are just a filthy family! So for me, I put the white cover on all excited over it's beauty...then take a few nice pics of it, maybe leave it on for another 3 weeks then get fed up and put it back in storage. I also don't want to sway anyone from deciding on the white cover either! I'm just giving you my two cents and how it worked for our family. It may work great for you and your family, so if it's something you are thinking of, I say give it a try!
When I have my Nordvalla Dark Grey cover on which is usually in the fall and winter we would probably wash it once a month, which to me was way more realistic! So yeah maybe the dirt is still there but now I just can't see it....oh well, I'm fine with that. I would rather not see it staring at me reminding me I need to clean it every day!
My new lighter option for a cover, is the one I bought yesterday, the Nordvalla Beige. I love that this one is still light without being too light or dark, so I will have to report back later on how often I have to clean this cover, but here are just a few pictures of it up close so you can see the true colour of it.
4. Are the covers hard to take on and off?
It's a big job, I'm not gonna lie! Ugh, the very thought of washing and putting it all back on makes me shudder. I always make a point to put them all back on slightly damp. It makes it way easier to stretch the fabric over and onto the frame. So just be sure to take them out of the drier partially dried. Also the dampness helps to get the wrinkles out. If you give them a bit of a pull when you are putting them back on, it stretches out the material nicely so the wrinkles release. Taking it off is easy, all the cushions have zippers and the large main cover is attached to the frame with velcro.
Ok so these are the main 4 questions I have been asked time and time again since the very first day I showed our Ektorp sectional in our home via my Instagram. I love this couch and would buy it again if I had to choose. You can't beat the price point for a sectional! I mean $999 for a slipcover sofa to me is a steal of a deal. I love I can change the entire look of our living room, just by changing out the slipcover colour. I mean it really shows in all the pics above how different our living space can look with just a new cover on the couch. I can't be tied down to anything when it comes to decor, I change my mind constantly!
So yes I would recommend this couch time and time again. To me it's as great still today as the very first day we bought it. I hope this helps any of you that may be thinking of purchasing this couch. You can always leave me a comment or questions below if there's anything else you would like to know that's not mentioned above.
Have a great night friends!
Dale