Although our delivery was initially scheduled for February 4th, the sectional arrived earlier than expected. As first-time Ikea sofa owners, we were surprised by how many boxes the Karlstad came in, but having assembled plenty of Ikea furniture before, we jumped right in and even recorded a time-lapse of the process—turns out it took longer than we’d guessed.
For anyone who can’t watch the video, here are the key points: the sectional looks great in the room and we’re thrilled with the finished result.
We especially love the fabric: it feels durable and has proven resistant to Burger’s claws, which is a huge relief. The dark charcoal color hides spills and drool from a dog and a baby, and because the whole sectional is slipcovered—including the arms and frame—we can wash it if something really messy happens.
Karl is a substantial piece. It took a little while to get used to how much more room he occupies compared to our old couch, but he quickly won us over. The sectional fits the space well, the deep charcoal tone suits the room, and it’s extremely comfortable. We’re already planning a big friends-and-family movie night once we upgrade to a larger TV.
Karl’s size made us realize the room needs a few larger-scale pieces to balance the space: a bigger rug, a new media cabinet, and more colorful artwork on the walls would all help. The area next to the window currently feels accidental—there’s a small game table under the light, but we’re considering turning that corner into a play and toy storage zone for Clara and future children.
We’re also planning a long, narrow console table to sit behind the sectional. It would provide a place for lamps and drinks and would complement our current ottoman-and-sheepskin setup, which looks great but isn’t very functional for holding items. A console would keep the space child-friendly and introduce a softer, rounded element to contrast Karl’s strong angles.
We’re also considering a DIY update for Karl’s legs. Ikea offers sleek metal legs, but we want to keep the chunky wooden legs that came with the sofa for stability. That said, we like the look of darker-stained legs—similar to a higher-end sofa we admired—and think darkening or painting Karl’s legs would make them feel more refined and cohesive with the charcoal slipcover.
While we debated swapping the legs for tapered or spindle options, we decided to keep the original legs for support and the peace of mind that comes with the manufacturer’s warranty. Instead, we’ll try staining or painting them darker to achieve the look we want without sacrificing strength.
Even with a long to-do list—staining or painting the ceiling beams, building a sofa table, adding a larger rug, upgrading the media cabinet, changing lighting, and creating a play area for Clara—we’re happy to let the room evolve gradually rather than rushing into purchases. We’re already enjoying the sectional: I can fully stretch out across six feet of cushion, Clara has cozy corners, and the chaise is perfectly suited to Sherry’s lounging style.
Burger has claimed nearly every cushion and cranny, creating new favorite spots to curl up, leap, and perch. We even caught him in a hilarious sit-stand pose, balancing business in front and relaxation behind—an excellent vantage point for squirrel-watching in the yard.
Overall, we’re loving our new sectional and the way it anchors the room. We’ll take our time on the remaining updates and enjoy the new comfort in the meantime.
UPDATE: We’re still loving Karl over a year later. Check out our little update post here.