Our roundup of the craziest IKEA sofa hacks

If you’ve been looking at IKEA sofas for as long as we have, you’ll notice just how much IKEA has been trying to step up their sofa game by constantly adding all sorts of functionalities to their newer sofa models. 

It’s not unusual for IKEA sofas to come with features like removable sofa covers, interchangeable sofa legs, mounted neck rests, hidden storage compartments, and different styles of sofa beds, just to name a few. 

But despite them, legions of IKEA fans still love the thrill of hacking their favourite blue-box sofa to make them truly one-of-a-kind.

Fair warning: The hacks we’re about to share with you take IKEA sofa functionality to a whole new level. In fact, they’re so out-of-the-box (and pure genius) that you might even want to recreate them at home.

You can never have enough storage

Tempting IKEA sofa hacks you might want to try for yourself
Ikeahackers.com

A common issue that most homeowners have to deal with is figuring new ways to use their space more effectively.

A sofa can easily take up the most space in any living room, so it’s easy to see why someone would want to amp up their storage by giving their sofa more of it, like this EKTORP sofa that was hacked to accommodate a series of Trofast bins.

Using four TROFAST bins and a few H-profiles (either metal or plastic), the containers were mounted underneath the EKTORP, allowing for easy sliding out for convenient stowing.

Turn your sofa into a charging hub

Tempting IKEA sofa hacks you might want to try for yourself
Ikeahackers.com

It’s no fun running out of battery juice when you’re streaming a movie marathon, and while some of us have the luxury of having a power outlet located conveniently near our sofa, the rest of us sadly….don’t.

The good news is, there are some creative ways to work around this issue, and one of them is this LACK TV bench-turned charging hub that’s designed to be conveniently hidden behind the sofa.  

Of course, there are easier ways to do this with a sofa slipcover that has a built-in USB port and wireless charger, for example.

Did we mention more storage?

Tempting IKEA sofa hacks you might want to try for yourself
YouTube.com/JelenaDIY

Though this isn’t exactly a sofa hack in the literal sense, we thought this particular hack using IKEA KALLAX shelves was worth mentioning. 

This ‘modification’ was made by Jelena, a Berlin-based YouTuber who did it with the intention of being more economical (and practical) with her space and furniture. 

Instead of hacking an existing IKEA sofa, what she did was build a bench sofa from scratch using IKEA KALLAX shelves, some loose wood pieces, cushion foam, fabric and power tools.

The result: A stunning DIY-ed KALLAX sofa bench with plenty of storage space underneath. Love!

The hack-friendly IKEA sofa 

Tempting IKEA sofa hacks you might want to try for yourself
IKEA.com

This one also isn’t technically an IKEA sofa hack. but we love it so much that we’re still going to include it here anyway. 

If you haven’t heard of the IKEA EKEBOLl sofa, you’ll want to it’s IKEA’s industrial-style sofa that combines wooden shelves in its metal frame for practical storage to a design that typically doesn’t have any.

And because of its industrial-style frame that can be configured to have its armrest on the left or right, or even arranged to be a sectional, we can see it being hacked into a shelf for books, shoes, children’s toys, gadgets or even a hanging garden.

In fact, we love The EKEBOL so much that we reviewed it here.

From un-fancy to pretty fancy 

Tempting IKEA sofa hacks you might want to try for yourself
melo-drama.com

Some IKEA hacks are done to save space, while others are done to save money, and that’s exactly what Krys Melo did with her IKEA KARLSTAD sofa. 

Krys wanted to make her sofa look more expensive and luxurious than it actually was, so she took her white IKEA KARLSTAD sofa covers and dyed them a gorgeous pink in her bathtub.

But she didn’t stop there she took her sofa hack a couple of steps further by swapping out her KALLAX’s legs with mid-century pegs that she spray-painted with white and gold paint, and tufting her cushions with fabric buttons of the same colour.

What she ended up with was a stunning, pastel-pink mid-century-inspired work of art that’s barely recognised as an IKEA sofa.

Thinking of giving your sofa brand new look minus the hassle of DIY-ing your own hacks? Start with a machine-washable slipcover that you can customize to create the look you want. Take our sofa slipcover fabric samples for a test run here:

How to keep your home clean with a new kitten

So you’ve decided to adopt your first kitten—congratulations!

Having a new pet around is always a happy occasion, especially with this tiny and furry thing keeping you on your toes with its immense cuteness. 

But having a new kitten at home also brings about another concern: cleanliness. Bringing in a new, unpredictable pet means that disruptions will be made to your regular schedule. 

As a kitten won’t be housetrained just yet, certain measures need to be taken to ensure that your home still maintains a certain level of cleanliness.

If you’re feeling a little anxious about kitty’s arrival, we’ve got you covered with some handy tips to keep your home spick and span at all times, even with your new furkid living under the same roof.

Have A Handheld Vacuum Handy

Black & Decker

Most of us will already have a vacuum at home, but hear us out when we say you should definitely invest in a handheld vacuum cleaner. 

A handheld vacuum will be lighter and easier to reach out to if any accidents should happen with the new kitten. That includes mess like the kitten tipping over its kibbles bag, cat hair on just about everything, and more. 

By having a handheld vacuum like the Black & Decker dustbuster QuickClean Cordless Hand Vacuum With Motorized Upholstery Brush around, you’re more likely to clean up the mess as soon as you see it, simply because it’s more accessible than your bulky vacuum cleaner. 

Brush Your Kitten Regularly

https://www.instagram.com/p/ByVueJAAncZ/

It goes without saying that cats shed—a lot.

One of the wonderful things of being a cat owner is that you’ll soon find cat hair in just about everything you own, from your sofa to your clothes, and maybe even the milk in your cereal. 

To remedy that, be sure to give your new kitten a good brush regularly. Do it daily especially if it’s a long-haired cat. 

This regular brushing will also lessen the issue of hairballs around the house, seeing as cats tend to groom themselves often.

Get An Automatic Food And Water Feeder

How To Keep Your Home Clean With A New Kitten
Image credit: Kickstarter

Kittens are playful, so chances of them messing up their food and water bowls are pretty high.

But that won’t happen if you don’t leave open bowls of water and food lying around. 

Invest in automatic food and water feeders, and you’ll have one less mess to worry about. It’ll also ensure that your kittens are not overfed, and fresh water will always be available. This helps if you’re busy and don’t necessarily have pockets of time to feed your cat. 

One important thing to note is also to keep your kitten’s food and water bowl out of the kitchen.

While it might seem natural to place it there, water spills will make the kitchen more accident prone, and you definitely don’t want that to happen in your home. 

Instead, place the food and water bowls in a less high-traffic area of the home.

Also, place a mat under the bowls to catch the spillage. You won’t even need to mop it up later—just toss the mat into the washing machine.

Keep Low Shelves And Kitchen Counters Clean

How To Keep Your Home Clean With A New Kitten
Image credit: Pexels/ Marko Blazevic

The good news is that your kittens don’t have the ability to jump up to the higher spots just yet.

The bad news, however, is that they can reach the lower heights. Worse news? They won’t stop trying, being the playful and feisty kittens that they are. 

Hence, it will be wise to keep your lower shelves and kitchen counters free of items that they might be able to get a hold of. Think fragile items as well as objects that may contain spillable liquid. 

If you have reed diffusers in your home, it will be wise to discard them.

Not only will they pose as a playful item to your new kitten, but its contents are also harmful to your pets and the essential oils may burn their skin. 

While you don’t want to hinder your new kitten from its true nature of climbing, keeping areas where it may get to clean will give you peace of mind for your home’s cleanliness. 

Get A Good Litter Box

You might think that a litter box cannot get any more innovative, but modern inventions will surprise you. 

Far from its original design of being just a box filled with litter, they now come in a variety of shapes and designs, including the most home-friendly one: a covered, top-entry litter box, like the Petsafe ScoopFree Ultra Self-Cleaning Litter Box. 

Without the lid of the litter box open and the litter exposed to a playful kitty, you run less risk of having to clean up the mess when your kitten decides to scatter litter out of the box. 

With a top-entry litter box as well, your kitten won’t bring residual litter out of the box and onto the rest of the house.

This is because a top-entry litter box means that the cat will need to land at the top of the litter box first before exiting it.

If it were a traditional litter box, it would step away from the box with its paws covered in litter sand, which won’t be good news for your floor.

Invest In A Pet-Friendly Sofa Slipcover

How To Keep Your Home Clean With A New Kitten
Image credit: Unsplash/ Mikhail Vasilyev

Take a good look at your current sofa—is it made out a fabric that’s pet-friendly?

It might not be the first thing you consider when you’re thinking about how to keep a home clean with a new kitten, but the right sofa material will make it a whole lot easier.

For example, your sofa’s fabric should be made of one that is tightly woven—such as velvet or leather—so that your kitten’s claws don’t get stuck in them. 

Also, it goes without saying that removable sofa slipcovers make your seats a whole lot easier to clean, especially when a new pet decides to mess it up. Just remove, toss it into the washing machine, and you’re done for the day!

Thinking of making your sofa more pet-friendly? Take our sofa slipcover fabrics for a test run by having them sent to your doorstep here: 

Should you move on from buying IKEA furniture?

When you think of good quality furniture that’s reasonably priced and also modern and sleek in design, the first retail store that comes to mind is IKEA.

But now that you’re way past graduation, climbing up the career ladder and buying your own home, you’re craving to create a space that looks very different from your college dorm room.

You want a space that reflects your unique style, and more importantly, looks like it belongs to an adult.

You’re wondering: Is it time to move on from buying furniture at IKEA?

To help you decide, we’ve put together a handful of questions that’ll help you decide:

What’s your budget?

Should You Move On From Buying Furniture At IKEA? Here’s How To Tell:
Image Credit: Unsplash

Being a practical bunch, we have to say it: At the end of the day, your budget will dictate your options, and if you’re short on cash, IKEA would definitely be one of your most wallet-friendly. 

Don’t get us wrong though  the stuff there is amazing, and you can often end up totally blowing your budget even when you don’t intend to.

However, if you’re looking for more exclusive designs that aren’t as readily available and can afford them, then it’s probably time to move on from IKEA.

What is your living situation?

Deciding where you buy your furniture from depends largely on your living situation.

Are you living in a rented home? Are you looking for something that can easily be packed and moved whenever you do? If your answer is “yes” and “yes”, IKEA is your go-to furniture store.

IKEA offers perfected the flat-pack model that makes moving super easy, and because their products are so easy to dismantle, transporting and moving them will cost you much less than having to move whole furniture pieces.

Should You Move On From Buying Furniture At IKEA? Here’s How To Tell:
Image Credit: pexels

Another major benefit of the flat-pack model is that the furniture is highly customizable. So you can change, tweak or entirely remodel your existing furniture using simple hacks such as these.

On the other hand, you might be looking to invest in furniture that will last you generations to come.

In this case, you’ll want to explore beyond the flat-pack scene and look for custom-made or one-of-a-kind pieces from more exclusive brands that offer family heirloom-worthy pieces.

Do you love or hate DIY projects?

Should You Move On From Buying Furniture At IKEA? Here’s How To Tell:
Image Credit: pexels

Do you feel an incredible sense of accomplishment whenever you’re able to assemble furniture yourself?

A 2011 experiment called The “IKEA Effect”: When Labor Leads to Love wanted to find out if people valued DIY projects differently than products that came pre-assembled, and the study found that DIY-loving subjects tended to value products more if they assembled it themselves.

On the flip side, you might be one of those people who absolutely abhors the idea of going furniture shopping only to come home and realise that you have to assemble it yourself.

While every piece of IKEA furniture comes with instruction manuals, screws, bolts and everything you need to put it together, it might be a better idea to move on if the thought of DIY-ing any kind of furniture (including paying someone to do it for you) frustrates you to no end.

What’s your age?

Image Credit: Unsplash

You might be wondering: what has age got to do with shopping at IKEA?

According to a study carried out by the financing company, Earnest, your age does play a role in whether or not consumers shopped at IKEA.

The company analyzed data of spending habits of more than 10,000 American shoppers, and found that shoppers in their 20’s who are just kick-starting their career and moving into their first apartment tend to look for furniture that’s affordable.

However, those in their mid-30’s have a different set of buying preferences, and the study found that many of the subjects stopped shopping at IKEA by the age of 34.

Even if you do have an IKEA-inspired home (which we absolutely adore), it  may very well be that you bought many of your furniture from IKEA as a young adult, have held on to it for another decade or so, and are now starting to gravitate towards more exclusive or higher-end brands.

Either way, having a healthy touch of IKEA in your home is never a bad thing, especially since it’s totally possible to make your space look more expensive than it really is for less.

Love IKEA? Get our top tips on how to decorate your home without breaking the bank with a FREE copy of our Timeless Living: How To Design A Classy IKEA-Inspired Home ebook:

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