Young House Love

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Assembling Our Karlstad Ikea Sectional Sofa

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.

the many boxes an Ikea sectional sofa arrives in when delivered

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.

Ikea sectional sofa recently assembled in gray living room

dark gray Karlstad ikea sectional sofa recently assembled in gray living room with fireplace

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.

close up detail of ikea sectional sofa fabric in dark sivik gray

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).

dark charcoal gray ikea sectional sofa in living room with yellow accents

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.

small seating area in living room where ikea sectional sofa was recently installed

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.

large round upholstered ottoman with nail head trim atop yellow pottery barn rug

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.

close up detail of ikea sectional sofa legs in unfinished blonde wood

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):

rendering of darkened legs of ikea sectional sofa

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.

chaise portion of ikea sectional sofa in dark sivik gray with yellow accents

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.

chihuahua sitting atop ikea sectional sofa in sunlight

Apparently it’s a great vantage point to scope out squirrels in the backyard.

chihuahua sitting atop ikea sectional sofa Karlstad in sunlight

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.

Comments

  1. Camille @ The Vintique Object says

    First, I am just so glad to know that you are happy with your Karlstad sofa. Looks great! Second, when we moved to our new house, our twins were just learning to pull up on things, which meant, like you, we needed a place to set down a drink, books, magazines, etc. Instead of a console, we spent very little money on Ikea shelves which ran the length of the wall behind the couch. Just an idea to save some dough, or until you can find the console you want!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      That’s so funny because my first idea to John was floating shelves from Ikea as a console (just like the ones we had in our last house in the dining nook). Should be interesting to see what we end up with!

      xo,
      s

  3. katie says

    This looks even better than I imagined! We ran into a similiar issue with our house once we upgraded one piece of furniture its like a ripple effect. Once we got a new couch we were like “oh this tv is wimpy looking” then we needed a new stand, etc.

    Reply

  5. Jon says

    Hello, I was just wondering where you go that faux sheepskin? I have several real ones but they can be quite pricey, and all the faux ones I see are poor quality or look goofy, and that one in particular has such a nice realistic shag and length, I’d love to know where to get realistic looking faux skins.

    Reply

  6. Sarah-in-Sydney says

    I have just discovered you guys and spent an embarrassing number of hours in the last week reading this blog (my husband is starting to look at me sideways). My two wee boys were in daycare today and I read ALL day *dork*.
    We are doing a major reno of our kitchen, family room, bathroom and one bedroom and new deck (structural stuff so we aren’t DIYing) but I’ve been obsessing over grey and white for months so following this room (obsessively). Just chose my new kitchen today – can’t wait to see what you guys do with yours!

    Reply

  7. Ginette says

    Hi!We have an IKEA couch and love it, but, I would suggest adding a few more legs for support around the middle of the frame. We learned that lesson the hard way!

    Reply

  8. Rosemary says

    Love the sectional!! And I love how you mentioned the legs and how you will be fixing them! I thought it was a perfect sectional minus the odd colored legs.
    I’m currently watching a Kreg Jig infomercial on HGTV thinking “John and Sherry would make a much better infomercial!”

    Have a great blogging/home improvement day!!

    Reply

  11. Pamela says

    Looks great! Love watching the house come together; you’re doing an awesome job. Crazy me, but I noticed John wore his cap thru the whole thing. Reminded my of my hubby, who only takes his hat off to sleep or shower.:) Looking forward to more updates….

    Reply

  12. Jess says

    Does John actually like those yellow pillows?

    I made my own “mood board” for an upcoming room in our home and put those pillows on there and he sent me an email back saying, “I like everything except those stupid pillows!” LOL

    And those pillows were actually one of my favorite things. Too bad he doesn’t realize I’ve already got them ;)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha, yes! We have a full agreement agreement in our house, which means we both have to agree on a new purchase or it doesn’t get to live at our house. Haha.

      xo,
      s

  13. Cameron says

    I am obviously checking your blog waaaay too often because I had a dream about your couch last night. I dreamed that I bought Karl as well, and because he matched nothing in my house, I had to go buy new throw pillows, rugs, etc. And everyone was trying to convince me to buy a cowboy-themed rug that was the color of cream of tomato soup. I think I need therapy, or maybe decorators anonymous.

    Reply

  14. Harinee says

    Hey – What happened to that white arm chair you used to have in the den of the old house? Did you CL that also?

    Reply

  15. Stephanie B says

    Looks great! If you guys go the DIY route for a console table then Ana White has several different plans that would look great with Karl.

    Reply

  16. jenifriend says

    the couch is beautiful! i love your idea of re-staining the legs on the couch, but make sure you read the entire warranty first. with some warranties, the requirement is that the item not be modified in ANY way, to include painting, to retain the warranty. i’ve seen this in some electronics and with a few house decor items, such as armoire’s. :)

    Reply

  17. Hillary says

    I’ve been contemplating a Karl for my family room and was wondering…do you think the chaise could be attached to the shorter end of the sofa? Our space will only allow us to go to about 130″ wide on the side where we want the chaise. Would it look weird because the cushions on the short side are narrower than the chaise cushion?

    Reply

  18. Ashley says

    Really hate to be a bother, but have a question that I’ve been meaning to ask for some time! The hubs and I have the same PB rug as you have (in yellow!) and were wondering how you keep yours looking so snazy and clean! Ours isn’t “dirty” by any means, but we do get small spots often. Any suggestions would be SUPER appreciated! BTW…you guys ROCK!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Do you guys wear shoes in the house? We have a strict no shoes policy that seems to cut down on a ton of dirt in general. We also have lots of woven door mats to catch dirt before Burger can track it in. And we don’t eat on the rug ever (if we have a snack on the sofa we toss a blanket on our laps to catch anything before it can hit the carpet. That’s really all we do. Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  19. Emily says

    I just took a picture of my weirdo dog doing the same weirdo thing! She’s relaxed, but still ready for action. I thought she was the only one. Glad she has company!

    Reply

  20. Corissa says

    Would your current rug fit next to the window ? (when you get a bigger one for the couch) It’d be perfect for the play area you were talking about by the window. I see using some low cubes/shelving for toys. They’d be hidden behind the couch, but really useful for toy storage. I’m jealous of the room and the light.

    Reply

  22. Kara says

    I love it! And your comment about “business in the front, relaxation in the back” actually made me snort and laugh out loud. Who doesn’t love a good mullet reference?

    Reply

  23. Marie Elena says

    Love the couch! My husband and I are looking for one that can withstand abuse from our two dogs, and the best option we could find was leather. Now I’m thinking we’ll need to take a 2-hour trip to the closest Ikea (*sigh*) to check out Karl. One question – how are the cushions attached to the frame? Our current sofa has velcro that’s supposed to hold the cushions in place, but I feel like I’m constantly shoving them back in place!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      They just sit on the frame, but we haven’t had any issues with shifting at all. The fabric choice might help (it’s sort of like denim) so they stay in place really well!

      xo,
      s

  24. Leah says

    I love Burger!! He’s so darn cute! I’ve got a little 4 lb chihuahua that likes to perch in weird places and sleep under our covers.

    Reply

  25. carly says

    I love the new sofa! We have a gray sofa and eventually will need an upgrade so I will keep this in mind! I almost knew you were going to do hints of yellow, but do you have any other suggestions for another color that pops against the gray (fyi we painted our room Behr Flint Smoke). I was going to do pops of navy, but thought that might be too matchy matchy and I got matchy matchy tacky tacky stuck in my head :)

    Reply

  26. katie says

    I have been smitten with Karl and now am seriously considering convincing the husband that Karl (a smaller version) would be a lovely addition to our home! I too have grey wall colors and am finding that the dark grey gives a nice balance of dark vs light. OH LOVE! Question: how is Karl’s durability and comfort level? Would you say that you have no problem cuddling up to him?

    Reply

  27. becca says

    Hi! If you’re planning on selling your current rug, please let me know! I’d love to buy it. I’m in Idaho, so not a local, but if you’re planning on selling it, please let me know!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Becca,

      We have plans to move our Moorish Tile Rug (from Pottery Barn a while back) into another room when we get a bigger rug. Sorry! Maybe try ebay?

      xo,
      s

  28. Bri Frost says

    can i just say i have been in love with the moorish yellow rug from pottery barn for a while now and need errr want one for my grey and yellow study … so when you get that bigger rug for Karl you just let me know… all though if i were you i would never part with that beaut

    Reply

  32. Valerie says

    I have the same couch in the charcoal gray without the chaise extensions. Let me warn you, since it looks like Karl is in a nice, brightly lit room: the slipcover will fade! I didn’t notice it was happening until after I moved apartments a few days ago. My beautiful couch now has a light, purplish area on the seats :(

    Reply

  33. Savanna says

    We got a large ottoman last year- the design might work really well in your space with Karl!

    This isn’t the exact one that we got, but it’s very similar:
    http://www.artvan.com/Furniture/Store/Product_Cocktail-Storage-Ottoman_10051_10052_-1_350019702_30004_30000

    I know you two love a good storage ottoman! We love that it’s soft and rounded, but we can flip sections over when we have company and need a place to put snacks and drinks. It’s nice to be able to flip just one square, or all 4 if needed!

    Reply

  34. Adam A. says

    I like your wall colors even more with the addition of Karl. And I am unexpectedly loving the combination of Karl with the yellow rug and pillows! Congrats on the newest addition to your family [room]!

    Reply

  35. Alecia says

    Congrats!!! It looks great! I have to say that I just LOVE your blog. I can’t wait to read the next post and see what you guys have done with the house. Great job.

    Speaking of Karl, have you seen the latest issue of the online mag Rue? I swear that the living room on pages 144 and 163 totally reminds me of your place. Grey Karl-like sofa, yellow pillows (they even have ceiling beams that they painted white.) Just thought you might be interested in checking it out if you haven’t already.

    Reply

  36. Dee says

    The charcoal gray looks fabulous. But the slipcover seems really baggy and like it could move around quite a bit when people start sitting on it every day. Would you say this will involve a lot of maintenance … constantly having to smooth the fabric and tucking away stray bunches and corners? It’s really gorgeous, but I’m concerned that it might start to look like an old dorm room couch after some time passes. I’m just thinking in terms of bringing a similar couch into my home. I’d love to know how this works out for you long term. Thanks!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      The cushions are actually really tight (each individually wrapped) – can you see me wrestling to get them inside each cover? So far we’ve done tons of lounging but they’re still very firm and fitted. We’ll let you know how it works out in the long run (and share pics over the years) of course! The great thing is that the sofa has a 10 year warranty, and we can always invest in new slipcovers for a few hundred bucks if anything crazy happens (a major stain or rip, ten years of wear and tear, etc).

      xo,
      s

  37. Vanessa says

    I love this blog – you guys are amazing.
    Good work with the IKEA sectional, I’m sure you’re all allen-keyed out.
    Where is that gorgeous rug from?

    Reply

  38. Rachael says

    Hey Guys! Karl is awesome!! We needed the same sort of “little table” for behind our couch, but didn’t want to crowd our room, which was most often the case when we put a table between it and the wall. I know you have a HUGE room, but have you considered adding a shelf? then you don’t have to go to the trouble of building a table, just get 2 pretty brackets from HD, paint them to match and screw a board to the top, the table is then at the perfect height for the back of the couch, not too tall or too short, can be as long or short as you wish, and you don’t have to worry about things like keeping the table square… Just a thought! Works excellent in our home.

    Reply

  39. Rachael says

    I have the exact same couch! But I only have the couch part…not the whole sectional. I also love that the color is dark enough to hide stains and I have yellow pillows on mine too! The only thing that was a pain was I assembled it all by myself. My boyfriend was at work when it arrived and I didn’t have anywhere to sit besides the floor so i though i’d just assemble it myself. It was tricky, but i did it!

    :) Great minds think alike!

    Reply

  40. daryn says

    Haven’t read through the 500+ comments (how DO you guys keep up with us?!?) so I’m not sure if someone else already mentioned it, but: Have you thought about mounting long shelves behind the sofa (at console height) to save some $$? I’m pretty sure IKEA’s Lack shelving would do the trick and be able to provide all the function you are looking for! Just a thought…though I’m sure whichever way you end up going will look AMAZING, as always. :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Funny enough, the Lack shelf was my first idea! But John is really into building something with more storage on the sides and a more “unusual” look. Should be interesting to see where we’ll end up!

      xo,
      s

  42. chelsea says

    It does look good, was the savings (buying at IKEA rather than a more expensive store) worth all the assembly? I can tell you my husband would not think so…

    Reply

  43. 'Stasia says

    Welcome, Karl. He looks great and I’m digging the gray and yellow combo. The rug looks fantastico but I hear what you’re saying about the size. Having said that – if you eventually find a new rug and want to sell the yellow one – please let your readers know – particularly this one. Instead of Craigslisting it – I’d be interested and can pick up in RVA. Thanks!

    Reply

  44. annette moore says

    Maybe you told us already…and if you have, so sorry, but where did you get those lovely mustardy pillows on the couch? Looking for some like those myself. Thanks!

    Reply

  46. annette moore says

    I have another question. I noticed you mentioned a strict no shoe rule. We had the same growing up and I do now, but how do you treat guests? family? friends? etc. Just curious as I am trying to find a way to get my in-laws to respect the house rules. :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We have a basket of shoes by the door so it’s usually a good visual clue (and friends and family kick off their shoes when they see it). If people don’t we don’t usually ask them to (unless it’s raining or snowing and their shoes are super messy) since we never want to make people uncomfortable, but for the most part people just see our shoe basket and take theirs off without us saying anything!

      xo,
      s

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