Q: Please help! We've just moved to a new apartment and I desperately want to replace our tired, bulky, and peeling cheap leather couches with a nice modern sectional to accommodate our love for lounging. But finding a stylish, comfy and practical couch on a budget is proving to be a real challenge.
What I really love is the idea of a sleek, low-slung, modular sectional like this one, especially how it can be rearranged into a lounger for two.
The problem is, on our budget, we can only afford something like this in fabric if looking at reputable stores. But we have a not-quite-potty-trained two year old, and another one in the plans in the next few years, and for that reason I'm really leaning towards leather upholstery. I've seen leather sectionals at that price point from online stores such as www.lafurniture.com, but I'm dubious about their comfort and quality - all these stores seem to be using the same stock photos and not providing any info about the brand or make of the product, and I'm wary of ordering such a big-ticket item without seeing it in person. I'm debating going with a darker shade of fabric that won't show stains as much, but am terrified of the smells of various toddler bodily emissions permanently seeping in.
So I'm looking for help and advice! Does anyone know where I could find a modern, clean-lined leather sectional semi-similar in style to the one pictured that won't cost upwards of $4K? I should say I'm not a fan of traditional or vintage style, tufting, or spindly legs, and I'd prefer it to sit very low to the floor. On the other end of the spectrum, am I right in thinking a fabric couch with a toddler and two goofy adults who like to eat on the couch is a bad idea? Or are there ways to make it work - I've heard of fabric sealants or stain protectors, but not sure how effective those are. And from yet another angle, has anyone bought big-ticket furniture from one of these mass online retailers, and am I correct to think that a $2K leather sectional sounds a bit too good to be true, and you'd get what you pay for? I'd really appreciate any advice! Oh, and I'm kinda iffy about getting a used upholstered piece with a young child, so I'd prefer to go new rather than Craigslist.
Sent by Kate
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I just helped my brother get the kivik from Ikea. Love seat with chaise went for about $1800. He went with the leather in granin beige, kind of a grey taupe. All together the unit runs 109" from outside arm to outside are and the chaise runs 64" from back to end. They have memory foam cushions which are comfy but not cushy. He is a single construction superintendent, which means he comes home pretty scruffy at the end of the day. No dirt problems so far. Also he doesn't have time for fluffing and primping cushions. Looks sleek and modern without being stark.
I think a sectional in a tightly-woven quality fabric (as pictured) would work just fine for you. Just keep a Bissell green machine handy. I clean all my dogs' messes with it. Also that color won't show dirt. I get tired of all the dark brown leather sofas in the world, although they are easy to clean. I think you should check craigslist and ebay for older clean-lined ones. The quality is much better and you can get them professionally cleaned.
You can have fabric Teflon treated by a competent cleaning service...those that also clean carpets usually offer it. So may the place you decide to purchase from. If you snag a previously owned piece on craig's list (keep looking I have seen great stuff there) have it cleaned and treated in one fell swoop. I speak from experience. If you purchase new many shops will offer to treat it for a fee. Or look for commonly found durable microfiber, any liquid beads up, is easy cleaned off, resists stains and is usually recommended for families.
PS: they don't specify what the fabric is for the sectional you like...ask them. It could be tightly woven as a previous commenter mentioned or be wool. Which is very cleanable and durable if high quality. Most spills can be scooped up if they are wiped up and treated with water and plenty of towels if you get to them fast enough. I have cotton twill slip covers in cream for my condo that are untreated, even those have proven granddaughter proof, we have cleaned off all manner of things including pizza sauce, chocolate and ink but I got to them F.A.S.T.
Like someone else mentioned, Ikea would be a good source. Dania has good design, a little higher priced than Ikea, but worth a look. I'm in Chicago and I've found a lot of discount dealers (of new merch) on Craigslist. I have a two year old as well and a brand new sectional. My husband and I took it outside in pieces to scotch guard the hell out of it. I'm sure that's not a popular product on AT but every spill beads on the fabric instead of being absorbed. It's nice to be able to enjoy the couch instead of worrying about staining the most used and expensive piece of furniture we own.
This doesn't match your vision EXACTLY, but I just bought this super-affordable and smallish sectional from Slumberland: http://www.slumberland.com/furniture/products/raymond-collection---saddle-sectional__pmoea70
It is very comfortable and everyone compliments me on it. I actually got it on sale for about $500 though.
I wanted the same look. I ended up purchasing the this n that sectional from Macy's. It has overwhelmingly positive reviews and we bought a 4 piece modular sofa for about 1200(with a year no interest). It is a microfiber that is very thick and durable with a herringbone pattern(not the usual microfiber that feels"furry"). We have owned it for over a year and it still looks great!
I just saw the IKEA sectional in the store, and it looks great! They have a variety of fabrics available. I would recommend not going with microfiber (especially in a light color). My sectional is microfiber and looks terrible. (I did find a cleaning method, though: rubbing alcohol + scrubber sponge. My Bissell machine uses water and the sofa just soaks it all in.)
Ultrasuede might be a good option.
I would try CB2 or West Elm.
I love the Tillary and it's on sale!
http://www.westelm.com/products/tillary-modular-seating-f554/?pkey=csectionals
Good luck!
http://www.westelm.com/shop/furniture/sectional-sofas/sectionals/?cm_type=lnav
http://www.cb2.com/sectionals/furniture/1
If you go for fabric look for something with a fleck, a bit of texture, a contrasting weave, etc. This will go a long way to disguising wear, general dirt, and any spills that don't clean-up completely.
I second the recommendation for CB2 - a lot of great sectionals offered for a price that wont break the bank. Also, the Kivik from IKEA is great. I have a few friends who own different variations of it and it really is a pretty solid piece of furniture for the price. Avoid West Elm with furniture pieces, though. I've never been impressed with their customer service or furniture quality. Albeit, they have nice things like throw pillows and blankets to add to your new sectional. Good luck!
I would recommend microfiber--the technology has improved, though I'd assume there are still sub-par offerings around. But I recently visited my cousin, who'd recently bought a house and filled it completely with ethan allen (I know... but it still looked nice, at least) and I was really impressed by the microfiber for almost all the upholstery.
(Microfiber, ultrasuede... I assume we're all talking about more or less the same thing, but maybe not.)
A lounger for two? That sounds cozy! I never thought of that as an option when I was shopping for a sofa.
P.S. What I bought instead was a dual recliner which, although unfashionable, is comfortable for TV and dinner with my husband. My actual sofa is for the dogs.
I think you are wise to stick to leather. And in your situation with kids, I think it's also wise to go with Ikea. It may not have the exact styling you want, but the low-slung look I've only seen with higher end dealers.
For kids/house pets/eating with TV I recommend leather, too, especially black leather. Again, it's not fashionable, but comfortable, low maintenance, and durable. Avoid the fake or partial leather because it's flimsy compared to real leather used over the entire sofa. I've traded out a lot of pretty but delicate furnishings without regrets so as to avoid unnecessary resentment of my dogs for acting like dogs. I love my dogs much more than my furniture, so it's no sacrifice to make our home suit them better.
Have you ever checked out eq3? They're Canadian and have beautiful pieces. You may like some of their stuff. http://eq3.com/cat-eq3/process/locale/en_CA/currency/en_CA/page/MORTEN.html
Hi. I ran into the same situation a few months back. I finally narrowed my selections down to two. The tidafors (Tullinge gray-brown from ikea) and the vice versa (from macys)
The vice versa was fantastic! We were ready to pay until I decided to stop by ikea. I find that most ikea furniture is designed for tiny people. The bf is 6'2 and 300+ and I am 5'8. Size and durability were just as much a factor as cost.
We wanted to be able to both lay on the couch. We found the tidafor in an unfinished room display. We also went with the tidafor for cost and because of our doorway (third floor walkup, super tight right turn). The shipping charges were high from macy's and $59 from ikea. :)
Good Luck!
lovesac (horrible name) but great modular sofa. If you get the smaller kind, and wait for some holiday where they can discount, they have the best deal for about 1500. Im waiting for my tax money to get one! Its got a life time warranty on the frame and 3 years on the fabric. what I like about it the best is I can change the fabric every few years and move the sofa around to suit my housing needs without throwing away the couch etc. For now Im using a futon. FML a futon...