Irecently rearranged chairs in my living room and ended up with an awkward empty spot beside the fireplace. That gap bothered me—it’s one of our favorite places to sit, especially during the cooler months—so I needed a quick solution. Ideally I wanted a new chair I loved or to have one of my existing chairs recovered, but those options can take weeks and get expensive.
When I decide I want to change something, I want it done now. Waiting eight weeks for a custom chair wasn’t appealing, and many ready-made chairs felt overpriced. I also struggled to choose which chair to recover, who should do it, and what fabric to use. Too many good choices made the decision harder. I tend to freeze when there are several reasonable options and I feel pressured to decide immediately.
So I made a practical interim choice: pick something simple and live with it until a better option appears.
In my case that meant bringing home the IKEA Ektorp white slipcovered chair to fill the space. I hadn’t purchased furniture from IKEA much before, so assembling the chair myself felt a bit daunting, but it turned out to be straightforward. I put it together alone without any trouble. While it isn’t quite as plush as my Pottery Barn Basic sofa—probably because that sofa has down cushions—it’s comfortable enough and exactly what I needed for now.
I’ll report back after I wash the slipcover and use the chair for a few months. After years with a white slipcovered Pottery Barn sofa, I still prefer washable slipcovers for family-room furniture. Yes, they show dirt, but every frequently used chair does. The advantage of slipcovers is that they’re washable and bleachable, which lets you refresh the look more easily than fixed upholstery.
Small styling notes: the cozy throw draped over the chair is actually a poncho I found in Target’s clothing and accessories section—I liked it so much I decided it could double as a throw—and the outdoor pillow is from West Elm.
Do you own any IKEA Ektorp chairs or sofas? How do you like them?
And am I the only one who struggles to make decisions about home purchases, or do you sometimes feel indecisive too? I’d love to hear I’m not alone.