Category is: The Ikea Upcycle

We have had a serious monkey on our back for the last few years. It was screaming “GET A NEW COUCH.” When we moved in together, DB had a Karlstad Sofa he brought along. Neither of us were crazy about it, but there wasn’t anything wrong with the damn thing, so we couldn’t get rid of it. It was a nice neutral grey, so for two guys who were just starting to merge styles, it was a perfect piece. For those who aren’t intimately familiar with the IKEA catalogue, here’s an IKEA Karlstad Sofa:

The Upcycle Evolution of this sofa was a slow burn. I’m not sure what you see when you look at the above picture, but all I can see are those LEGS. I have a visceral reaction to them. I wish them harm. They are just so blocky. Why? Why, Ikea? Why-kea? These were the first things to go. In their stead, I found mid-century replacement legs on Etsy from a shop that has sadly shuttered. What a difference they made though!

Photo Credit: @ruthiedarling for Boro Magazine

The legs automatically make the couch feel so much more expensive. And really. Isn’t that all that matters? But seriously, this tiny change held us over for two and a half years. Not only did it give us that mid-century look we so love, it also gave the couch some needed height because we’re aging and our knees can no longer afford a low couch.

Nearly three years later, we have some well-earned ware on poor Karlstad. We’re talking years of parties, pooches rubbing their stank in the cushions, and lots of wine spills. Assessing the situation that - especially with two aging pups and the fact that it was a damn near miracle we could even fit this couch through our very narrow hallway in our fourth floor walk up - we should probably wait, again, to get our dream couch until conditions improve. AKA when we move out of this matchbox. Still desperate for a change, we turned to Comfort Works! Comfort Works specializes in a wide variety of fashionable slip covers for Ikea furniture, targeting people just like us! Folks who have a piece of furniture that is still completely functional but needs Botox - I mean a change.

We decided to go dark because wine stains and chose the Kiko Navy. DB decided to be FEARLESS and also opt for the Comfort Works Tufting Kit. This made me nervous because measuring mystifies me, but he was right. Not only did it give our couch a whole new feel, but it also gave our couch cushions some of their structure back after years of binge watching HGTV. Comfort Works makes the whole reskinning process fool proof. Now, I didn’t get any pics of us changing out the slip cover because it was definitely an all hands on deck situation and we haven’t taught Horton how to us the camera yet, but take a look at some pics of the tufting process below!

Honestly, if you’re not ready to say goodbye to that Ikea sofa because of dem good bones, look no further. Comfort Works delivers and even their customer service is on point! But don’t take our word for it - take a look at our model dog and the finished product. Pictures usually speak for themselves, but these ones can’t come to the phone right now - THEY’RE GAGGED!

Honestly, couldn’t get a pic of the couch without him on it.