Read more on PRF The price reflects selected options Why we like it: CA, East Palo Alto Most of our products are designed and packaged so that you can take them home yourself. If you prefer, we can arrange delivery (by an independent company) of your purchases directly to your home or business to the room of your choice. Same day, next day or same week deliveries are available. We can also arrange delivery at a later date if you would like. Go to EKTORP series Go to Fabric armchairsLast fall we bought an IKEA Ektorp sofa. At $399, it was a steal. If you’re unfamiliar with this classic IKEA sofa, here’s what you need to know: you buy your sofa base and choose your own slipcover from a dozen or so options. I had planned to get beige slipcovers, but they were sold out. Since we live 120 miles from IKEA, popping in a few days later to pick one up wasn’t an option. So we went with white. Before you tell me I’m crazy (four kids and a dog!) let me explain: I’d done my due diligence.
I’d read many blog posts (like here, here, and here) from busy moms who love their white Ektorp sofas, and who swore they’re not hard to maintain. If you read those posts (and the other Ektorp reviews online), you’ll notice a common thread: the people who love their white couches wash their slipcovers all. (Typical recommendations are to wash weekly or every other week.) We’ve now had our Ektorp sofa for four months. The maintenance routine looks like this: I strip the slipcovers from the base and the couch’s six cushions. I wash them in two separate loads (even though I have a front-loader, it’s a bit much for one load). I dry each load separately to 60 % or so and s-t-r-e-t-c-h the covers back onto the frame and cushions. (I hate that last part.) The whole drill takes about 30 minutes of active time, which isn’t a lot. But it’s not time well spent when I’m actively trying to decrease my time spent on home management. The sofa looks best when I wash the slipcovers every week, but I don’t wash weekly unless we’re having guests or somebody spills something.
It looks pretty good with every other week, and I can stretch it to three if I need to. But that’s still way more time than I want to spend maintaining a couch. I have found a few things that make the maintenance a bit easier:My mom gifted me my first bottle of this nontoxic instant stain remover, and it’s amazing. When I spilled red wine (sad but true) on the arm of the sofa, the Folex made it disappear. (My kids have rules about where they can and cannot have snack, yet I’m the one always spilling wine and coffee everywhere. Anne may mean “graceful” but it doesn’t always fit.)This product relies on grapefruit seed and orange extract for cleaning power, and I love its fresh, subtle smell. My favorite part of washing the slipcovers is the way the whole living room smells when they’re newly cleaned. We use Biokleen because my girls and I have sensitive skin, but the important thing is to choose a detergent you really like the smell of–because the smell will permeate the whole room on that first day.
I use this in every load to brighten and whiten. Similar to OxiClean but I prefer this brand.No, it’s not gentle, but I bleach the slipcovers every 3 washes or so to get rid of the dinginess that comes with having 4 kids and a dog (and a mom who sloshes her coffee). I like my sofa. I love the look of the white. And I know I can buy new slipcovers or dye the ones I have or cover the couch with blankets to protect it. But what I really want is to not be high-maintenance about my furniture. My sofa may have been cheap, but I can’t believe how much it’s costing me. This thing should have come with a maid. IKEA furniture: tell us all about yours in comments. EKTORP seriesIt’s easy to guess just by looking at our EKTORP seating series that it’s comfy. But what makes it really great are all the details you don’t notice straight away – like strong seams, changeable covers and seat backs you can flip to even out wear. Because those are the things that mean you’ll be able to enjoy your comfy EKTORP for years and years to come.
IKEA FAMILY products & offers Fabric sofasFor cozy snuggle times at home, our affordable fabric sofas and other seating give you years of comfort in lots of styles and colors. Most have covers that you can machine-wash or dry-clean, so you can rest easy when the kids munch chocolate in front of the TV. For many models you can get new covers whenever the makeover bug bites. View details aboutlimited warrantiesIkea Ektorp SectionalEktorp Sofa Living RoomIkea StuffsCouch CollectionDetailed ReviewFull DetailedAssembly ProcessHeart IkeaIkea Lack ShelvesForwardFull detailed review of the IKEA Ektorp Sofa Series with pictures of used sofa next to brand new sofa as well as pictures of the assembly process. Bored of the same Ektorp sofa you’ve had for years? Give it a whole new look with machine washable, pet & kid friendly custom slipcovers here now! Designed with comfort in mind, this round armed classic is a favourite in many households around the world. Comfort Works makes custom slipcovers for the entire Ektorp series - even the Ektorp 2 seat sofa bed and Ektorp 3 seater sofa bed which has been discontinued by IKEA.
Our hand made slipcovers comes with side pleats, matching piping and large back cushions which you can rotate to even out wear. Ektorp 2 Seater Sofa Bed Cover Ektorp 2 Seater Sofa Cover Ektorp 2 Seater with Chaise Lounge Cover Ektorp 3 Seater Sofa Bed Cover Ektorp 3 Seater Sofa Cover Ektorp Chaise Lounge Left Sofa Cover Ektorp Chaise Lounge No Arms Cover Ektorp Chaise Lounge Right Cover Ektorp Corner Sofa Bed Cover (2+2) Ektorp Corner Sofa Cover (2+2) Ektorp Jennylund Armchair Cover Ektorp Tullsta Armchair CoverI thought I'd address this today since it is one of the most commonly asked questions I get. "Where did you get your sectional?" Well, years ago we had the Ikea Ektorp sectional with the svanby beige slipcover. It was a big purchase in the sense that I had to talk my husband out of his beloved {and expensive I might add} leather sofa we currently had. I was looking for a lighter look and I loved the idea of a slipcovered sofa because of the washability and a sectional seemed to fit perfectly in our space.
So, I brought him to Ikea, {a task in itself} to try out the Ektorp sectional. He liked it OK. He thought it wasn't too comfortable but for under $1000.00 you just couldn't beat the price. So, I won and we bought it. Before we go into this further I'd like to give my review on the Ikea sectional.For looks I give it a 9 out of 10 stars. The kids had spilled ketchup on it, soda, you name it, and the covers came off easily and washed right out. The cover we had, like I previously mentioned, was called the svanby beige, which I am not seeing online anymore. It was a cotton linen blend that recommended dry clean only. However, I washed and dried mine. It shrank in length a little but to tell you the truth, I thought it was a bit long to begin with , so this was a win win. I also found the cover easy to get back on the couch after it came out of the dryer. Comfort level I would give it a 7 out of 10. A little hard, but still comfortable.
Here are some photos of the Ikea Ektorp sectional. Fast forward a couple years and after listening to my husband complain that it wasn't that comfortable, I started searching for another option with the same look. That is where I stumbled upon a Pottery Barn sectional on Craigslist, too good of a deal to pass up. So, we gave the Ikea sectional to my sister in law and brought in the new Pottery Barn sectional. Here is my review of the Pottery Barn sectional. Looks I give it a 10 out of 10. Comfort level I give it a 9 out of 10. The slipcovers wash and wear great. However, they are a pain to put back on! These ones I wash and hang to dry. It is a workout in itself to get the covers on. The color we have is cream twill and it is exactly the same color as the svanby beige by Ikea. The cushions are wrapped in down which is a nice feature and makes it even more plush. There is about a $3,000 price difference in the two sectionals, and I'd like to show you photos now of our Pottery Barn one to see if you can tell the difference.