Couches are expensive. So many people buy IKEA couches because they are a semi-affordable option. But sometimes, the affordable options don’t give you the exact look you want. What if there was a way to customize and upgrade your current IKEA sofa? (Hint: there is!)
About a year ago, I scored this (discontinued) IKEA Karlstad sofa through my local Buy Nothing group on Facebook. That’s right: IKEA *and* secondhand! Free as a bird, y’all. Upon securing it, I know I’d eventually want to somehow upgrade the couch, because let’s be honest — the cool-toned blue-gray colour didn’t exactly go with the rustic, vintage, exclusively warm-toned decor I have going on in this apartment. (Not to mention the fact that the original canvas covering also sported some pretty hefty damage all over the back and sides, courtesy of the previous owner’s cats…something that also, you know… didn’t really fit the vibe…)
Enter: the coolest find of a company who specializes in upgrading IKEA furniture: BEMZ.
What is so special about BEMZ?
BEMZ is a company that makes custom slip covers for IKEA furniture (including discontinued models). They have an enormous selection of colours and textiles, from ranging cotton canvas, to velvet, to corduroy, to faux leather. After ordering several samples, test-washing them, and staring at them for months in different lighting and from different angles, we settled on the Zaragoza Vintage Velvet in Acorn. It’s a washable velvet (which gives me peace of mind, because if you’ve ever had someone spill on REAL velvet…well, you know how gut-wrenching that is). Plus, this material was on sale at the time, so massive bonus there too!
Slip covers never look as good as real upholstery.
Usually I would agree. But not in this case! The slip covers are made to order and sewn to precise measurements so as to fit your IKEA cushions snuggly. Workmanship is ace. This ain’t your standard sloppy slipcover. People are shocked when I tell them it’s not your classic upholstery: this thing is pristine and tailored. It is textured and moody and soft to the touch. It has completely transformed, not only our couch, but our entire living room!
If your IKEA couch is still in perfectly good condition, but you’re either looking to upgrade or want a custom look without the custom price-tag, this is your best bet. I am so stoked with this purchase and would highly recommend BEMZ to anyone looking to upgrade and extend the life of their IKEA couch as an alternative to investing in an entirely new sofa.
Sourcing items secondhand is already the best option, for both sustainability and affordability reasons, but taking a thrifted piece and then DIYing, up-cycling, or customizing something about it to make it more unique really takes it up a notch.
Would you get a custom slipcover to extend the life of your current IKEA sofa? I’d love to know!
