AN UNEXPECTED AND EARLY CHRISTMAS PRESENT...

Did you know St. Louis now has an IKEA?  It opened at the end of October! YAY!!!

I have been waiting and waiting and waiting for an Ikea to come to this area because I have been wanting one of their Ektorp sofas.I had heard so many good things about them and have wanted one for a VERY long time. However, with the nearest store over 4 hours away and the astronomical costs of shipping, I couldn't have one.  Boo!!

When I found out this spring that Ikea was coming to St. Louis I started saving and counting the days until I could finally buy one and although I hadn't quite saved enough money we took a little trip to the new Ikea a few weeks ago to check it out and to make sure that the Ektorp was what I really wanted.  You know I had to go and check out the comfort and quality factors before making that purchase..wink, wink.

If you've never been to an Ikea you really MUST go.  They're HUGE!!!  They have a play place where you can drop off your little ones while you shop.  They have a restaurant with awesomely yummy food and the one in St. Louis has three floors...it's an ALLLL day shopping trip for sure!  Make sure you wear your walking shoes!!

Anyway, I have to say that I was super impressed with the store and with the quality and the comfort of the Ektorp sofa...but not so much the size.  It seemed a little small.  It's not really small but the cushions are so big and fluffy that it didn't seem there was any room left for sitting.  However, the loveseat with chaise was perfect!

LOTS of room! and the comfort factor...WOW!!...but we left the store that day without one because I still had some saving to do (Whaaa!) Not to mention that with Christmas coming up, all our extra money was spoken for.  You know how that goes, right?

Anyway, I figured I would probably be able to get one at tax time.  That's just a few months away and since I had already waited about three years, what's another couple of months, right?  However, much to my surprise, my Christmas bonus from work was a little more than I was expecting.  The Lord really blessed me because not only was it enough to finish up the Christmas shopping for the kids but there was enough left over to put with my savings to get my Ektorp.  YAYYY!!!

The hubs and I took a vacation day this past Friday and drove up to Ikea St. Louis. We came home with this...

Yes, it was in boxes. In case you didn't know, all Ikea's furniture comes in boxes and has to be assembled and THE INSTRUCTIONS DO NOT HAVE WORDS...PICTURES ONLY! I have to say though that it was very easy to assemble.  It only took about 20 minutes from start to finish...not bad!!  Then it took about another 30 minutes or so to put all the slipcovers on, with the chaise slipcover being the most difficult.  Not gonna lie that one was a booger! The cushion is just so big that I had a hard time maneuvering it into the cover.  The hubs had to help with that one so I hope I don't have to take it off and wash it too often.  Hehe.

Anyway it's totally gorgeous and HUGE (about 15 inches longer than our last sofa) which is why it's not centered under the mirror.  Of course you know my OCD will not allow the mirror and sconces to be off centered for too long so I will be centering them as soon as I get the chance.  It's also SUPER comfy and I like the fact that I can move the chaise to the other end or in the middle if I like.  It's adjustable, which is ideal for someone who likes to rearrange furniture as much as I do. Hahaha.

Now I know you're thinking that I'm CRAZY for buying a white sofa with kids in the house, but here's my reasoning for buying this specific sofa...it's BECAUSE I have kids in the house....this sofa is inexpensive (half the price of the last one I bought), has a 10 year limited warranty and the entire thing is slipcovered, which means I can take any or all the covers off anytime I want to wash (and bleach) them. You can't do that with a regular sofa no matter how dirty it gets.

Also, when these covers get worn out I can buy a whole new set for just $99.00 instead of buying a whole new sofa. Not to mention that if I ever want to change my decor and go for something darker, I still won't have to buy a whole new sofa. I can dye this one since it is 100% cotton or I can simply buy a new Ektorp slipcover set in any of the other colors Ikea offers. They have dark gray, red, brown, tan, striped, etc...most of those covers though are dry clean only and that's why I didn't choose any of them right now.

What it all boils down to with this sofa is that I have choices, lot of choices but without the expense. Now that's what I'm talking about!

Would you buy a white sofa? Have you ever had a white slipcovered sofa or an Ektorp? What is your opinion of them?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on or about your experience with a white sofa!