But I'm considering whether or not to get a 3-seater Ikea sofa - it's the Karlstad, Tylosand, Kramfos or the more expensive Stockholm. Considering both fabric and leather covers. Sample pix below.
I've been to many sofa stores recently, including Evov, Massimo, Air, XZQT, Lifestorey, Mondi, Furniture Warehouse, stores at IFC et al.
Some things to consider, pros and cons:
Sofa 2 Seater Top View
1) Quality and durability of Ikea sofas have always been debated. Sofa 2 Seater IKEA They start creaking, start giving way, rusting etc. But they also have 5-yr warranty. The Stockholm has 25 years of warranty. Still, do I want the hassle of changing sofas, calling up Sofa 2 Seater IKEA and all, should anything happen?
2) Price. A bit plus point. 3-seater in fabric: Karlstad $549, Tylosand $949, Kramfos $799, Stockholm $2295-2695. In leather, a bit more pricey.
3) Plywood/particleboard has been frowned upon. But lots of China-based manufacturers (I shall not name names here) use plywood, when I asked them about their materials. I've vaguely heard about particleboard gas emissions (?) - anyone heard the same?
Sofa 2 Seater Top View
4) Stockholm is touted as a high-end, high-quality and long lasting series. BUT i checked their materials. The sofas use plywood etc for the frame (similar to their usual sofas), with the exception of solid oak legs. Is Stockholm worth the money? It's close to $2k+ for a 3.5-seater.
5) Find Ikea's Karlstad especially comfortable. Not the sofa-bed model. After trying out sofas in the above-mentioned stores, though their designs score an A, comfort is lagging quite far behind.