Before & After - An IKEA Sofa Makeover

When it comes to design, I'd rather not settle. Times may be tough, but with a little out-of-the-box thinking and a good helping of elbow grease, you don't have to either. Case in point: When our friend Jordan and her husband first moved into their small New York City apartment, they didn't have a single piece of furniture, save for an air mattress slowly deflating with every passing day. In need of a quick, affordable solution that met their short-term needs (a place to sit and sleep) and long-term wants (extra storage and a bed for guests), they headed to—where else?—IKEA. 

There, they settled on the Manstad, a sofa-with-chaise that has a double pull-out bed AND hidden storage (only at IKEA, right?). And at a cool 900 bucks, the purchase was a no-brainer. There was only one problem, but it was BIG: the quality of the fabric was as poor as the price was low—so coarse that it was impossible to keep clean and lint-free.  

Since a professional reupholstery job would have cost more than the sofa itself, Jordan went looking for the next-best-thing at Bemz, an online retailer that sells ready-made slipcovers for over 90 IKEA sofa models—but, as luck would have it, not for the Manstad. That left only one option: she'd have to do it herself! Since the sofa (like most things from IKEA) came in several ready-to-assemble pieces, she reasoned that she could cover each piece separately. For the seat cushions and arms, which have visible seams, she would use custom cushion covers; for everything else, a couple of yards of fabric would do. Here's how she did it, step-by-step, using only a staple gun and an Exacto knife, IKEA hacker style!

1.  To begin, she went to one of my favorite online resources, the Slipcover Shop. They have tons of ready-made and custom options and best of all, they get the job done fast. (Jordan received her custom order just four days after placing it!) Although they don't take C.O.M. (customer's own material) orders, they have hundreds of in-stock fabrics to choose from. Jordan decided on a basic twill in chocolate.

2.  To cover each of the seat cushions (which, you might remember, have visible seams), she ordered the Elasticized Fitted Mattress Cover, which is just like a fitted sheet, only more durable. Once she lined up the seams, she used a staple gun to secure the cover to the underside of the cushion, pulling it taut to create the look of a sewn cushion. (When using a staple-gun to affix fabric, place your first staple in the center of the side you're covering, then alternate on each side of that center staple until you work your way out to the edges.) Here you can see the elasticized mattress cover on the raised seat cushion, before it was stapled. (You might also recognize something familiar in the storage compartment!)

3.  To cover the sofa's arms, which also had visible seams, she ordered two Zippered Cushion Covers, which are made especially for cushions (or in her case, arms) with box corners.  Since the bottom and back edges of the arms wouldn't be visible in her small apartment (the sofa sits against a wall), she had the zipper located along these two adjacent sides. Before she put the cushion covers on, she marked with chalk all the points where the arms screwed into other parts of the sofa, then made tiny incisions into the fabric with an Exacto knife.  

4.  Finally, she covered the remaining portions of the sofa (the bottom frame and the two rectangular back pieces) using a staple gun and about three yards of fabric.  

And there you have it! A sofa that's practical and, with a little Designer DIY, just as polished. So when it comes to designing your space, I hope it just proves that with a little imagination and a bit of elbow grease, you really don't have to settle! And in times like these, is there anything more satisfying than that?

Comments

[Margaret]

Hi eddie-
How did she match the fabric so closely?

[Meg]

Did anyone find out what sizes she ordered for the seat cushions and the arms?

[tom]

hi,
have a look at www.savemysofa.com. Not just saving your sofa but allso good for the environment

[MH]

Hi Eddie -- where is that coffee table from??

[t-cushion sofa slipcover]

Timely example for a project I'm working on. It would be helpful to know the cost of the project. FYI, www.tcushionsofaslipcover.com has more information about slipcovers and sofa makeovers.

[Kate]

Hello! I am buying the very same couch on Monday and want to cover it in a charcoal grey fabric. I'd love to know exactly what your friend ordered, so I can order mine, too, and assemble ASAP.

I'm guessing she ordered Elasticized Fitted Mattress Cover in twin size, but the Zippered Cushion Covers are giving me trouble. 35.5" x 29" with a 7" zipper? IKEA is quite a trek from where I live and I'd like the fabric to get here in time for the couch arrival so I can assemble quickly. Unfortunately I don't have the luxury to go, measure, then order, then return and by the couch. :-)

Please could you let me know, in addition to the 3 or 4 yards of fabric she bought to cover the base and cushions, what size the slip covers were?

Many thanks!!

[AV Rack]

Most people settle on a TV stand or entertainment, while overlooking a TV lift.

[Larissa]

Hi I'm still curious as to how much did it cost altogether?

Looked up Bemz, but its simply way too expensive, add the shipping cost and you can buy yourself a brand new sofa already.

Found an alternative for cheap custom slipcovers from Australia though, its called Comfort Works clicky here www.comfortworks.com.au

[Theater Seating]

Sofa set furniture is not only known as stuff of home decoration but also it gives the pleasant moment to rest some times for a tired person. In the modern age it has greater importance in our life to decorate home or office along with pleasant moment of enjoyment.

[HP]

Nice job. But:

a) what did the entire re-upholstering job cost?

b) What sizes did you choose for the base covers, zippered armrest covers and the cusion covers from the slipcovershop website?

c) Any idea what effect it would have on an already assembled sofa if it is taken apart for the re-upholstering job?

Thanks & awaiting answers!

[ikeafan]

Hi. You can order slipcovers for IKEA furniture at www.weuweu.com

[Arshia]

Thanks for your wonderful post. With the price drop on this ($699 now) - it's an even better deal so I can't wait to try your tactic!

[Thank You For Asking]

What a fabulous room! Does not look like it was done on the cheap!

[Lisa@DestinationSeaborn]

Thanks for posting this! I love Ikea but I've never bought the upholstered furniture because of the color selections. I will definately be checking out BEMZ!

[Michelle Amurao]

Wow that is a lot of elbow grease but boy was it worth it! Great job!

[Amphritrite]

Hi, Eddie,

This is something I've been trying to find out for a while:

Could the two main parts of the Manstad stand alone? For instance, if I wanted to use them as two chaises, would I have to reinforce the side that would have connected in order for them to do so?

I don't have room for an L-shaped couch, unfortunately, but I do have room for two chaises; when brought back together, they'd still make a pretty awesome bed ;) Especially if I added wheels!

Could you let me know? Thanks!

[Adam]

Many thanks to this post for the useful tip on reinventing the Ikea Manstad. My girlfriend and I liked the idea of the manstad, but didn't think the fabric was very good quality. This might allow us to have the best of both worlds. Cheers from BC, Canada.

[cctor]

Hi..I'm guessing that the re-upholstering was done before the sofa was first assembled...any idea of how if might affect quality if sofa was taken apart to re-upholster?

[VV]

Can you give a rough estimate of what it cost for this?

[las/b]

Jordan, you continue to inspire. This is amazing. xoxo

[paula]

i am quite impressed. love it!

[Laura]

I just finished a slipcover for an IKEA chair (Tomelilla-now discontinued). I made it from patched together jeans.

[Tabitha (From Single to Married)]

That's amazing - I would have never known it was a remodel and a DIY job at that! Very nice and the whole room is lovely.

[Mona from Toronto!!]

Love this post Eddie!! Awesome details!

Jordan chose a great fabric and the chocolate brown is so rich and versatile!

I bought a leopard area rug very similar to the one in this post. I thought I may have went too "wild", but seeing it in the sofa photograph makes me appreciate the purchase - I guess design advice is true - take photos of your room - bring it to the store and accessorize accordingly. Now I know I can mix this rug with classic/modern accessories so my apt. doesn't look like African Wild Safari. Less is more - which is why I adore your tasteful posts!!

Learning a LOT!!

[PKC]

Always a pleasure to read your blog,Eddie and Jaithan.
Thank you for the tip about The Slipcover Shop.
Where can one find a leopard rug similar to the one in the background when the sofa was in transition?

[Rhoda]

Totally looks like it came that way. What a great update, I love it!

[michelle]

really great job! is that a professional photo? it looks great...I like the texture of the cushion, and good choice with the lucite table!

[Anne]

Amazing transformation! Can you tell us about how much the slipcover stuff cost?

[thomas]

love it!

now thats what i call green $$$.

[ralphie]

Hi Eddie

Small spaces are so cool and this one is
so totally chic! Love the lucite table!

Thanks Eddie. Caio

[Michael D.]

Love the leapord rug in the background when the sofa was in transition. Also the lucite coffee table is five star.

Mike D.

[pippa]

that jordan is one smart cookie, and so cute to boot! you are a lucky guy eddie; to have such a talented staff in jordan. give the girl a raise! (lol, I'm her aunt by marriage)

[pve design]

That couch would satisfy my inner couch potato.
Lovely pad with the lucite table.

[Christie Lefebvre]

That is really a very cool look! IKEA has great stuff that you have to soup up a bit don't they? Good color Eddie and the table is a nice balance with the dark sofa. Mr. Eye Candy has done it again...you really are talented :) Now be honest...how many times did you yell at the sofa whilst putting all of the bits together?

Christie :)

[Lucien]

Kuddos to Jordan! Looks fabulous and I love the lucite table! It balances the heavy chocolate!

[Susan]

And tell us about the curtains - they look wonderful with the lucite table.

[shan]

Oh, I love this! The hubs and I need to get new sofa's, but our budget is tight, so I'm so glad you posted this! And Go Jordan, for tackling the project herself! A girl after my own heart!

Love it! Thanks!

[sandra/tx]

That is a great DIY redo. Wow!

[Kindle]

Hey doll! I love that couch! I am totally inspired to do mine now!

Big hugs and another winner!

[hellogorgeous]

That was such a useful post! I wish you had had a blog 20 years ago (when you were in diapers, recovering your mom's furniture :-)

Love the Lucite table as well.

[DawnMarie]

Beautiful job. This sneak peek is not enough. We need a whole house tour. This place looks fabulous from just the one view we get with this photo.

[Elizabeth]

Thank you for the tip about The Slipcover Shop. I'm looking forward to trying them out!

p.s. Your friend's apartment looks great!

[Susie Harris]

That my friend ...is using your brain.... beautiful!

[Ivy Lane]

Superb!

[Content in a Cottage]

Good job. It looks very professional!

[Jenn Carter]

What a great idea! I love the shape of IKEA furniture but have always been disappointed with fabric quality! I LOVE the lucite table with that chocolate brown!!

Well done eddie!

[Kathysue]

eddie, You are a wealth of information.In the current economy this is really an attainable wealth.Thank you so much I am never disappointed in your post .You are the BEST,by far. Hugs Kathysue

[SpitzerTales]

This looks great! How inspiring! I must try something like this ASAP. Thanks for sharing!

[Jacks]

HUNSSSSSSS- love this idea! Think it would work out in Q? xx

[Eddie Ross]

She got the coffee table at a floor sample sale at Plexi-Craft (http://www.plexi-craft.com/, but you can also purchase online. Enjoy!

[deanna]

love the whole look!
Where-o-where can I find that fabulous lucite coffee table?

[Suzanne]

incredible transformation- Now on to the question of the day! where is the acrylic table from????

[hanako66]

Wow, what a great room! I would have never guessed from the top picture that this was an Ikea product...wonderful transformation and beautiful work!

[Sweet Nothings]

LOVING that lucite table!! great work!

Eddie, please come to LA for a flea market trip :) thanks!

[LindsB]

Beautiful job and an even more beautiful apartment! I love that lucite table, and the snakeskin tray on top is gorgeous!