We finally got a new, big, comfy sofa! Remember our first sofa, the one with the cup holders? It was a great starter sofa when we first got to Denver, but it was too small and not entirely comfy. We’ve been saving for a few months because we didn’t want to just purchase without the cash saved up.
Sofa shopping is probably one of my top three things I hate doing. It’s overwhelming, it’s boring, it’s expensive and it’s a big purchase. This time it only took us a few hours to make a decision! Second store we went to we found the one we liked at a great price and bought it.
When it was delivered they got the first piece in without a problem, though they did have to remove the front door and the hallway light fixture. That went over real well with the property managers. The second piece however, well, let’s just say did. not. fit. Yep, the ceiling in the hallway of our building was too low so it would basically get stuck when they would try to stand it up.
So, that went back on the truck and was returned. I called and was able to finagle a full refund because that sofa was literally the only one in the entire store that we liked.
At that point we said forget it we’re going to Ikea. We just didn’t want to deal with the struggle of getting another sofa in the space, because ya know, that was emotionally traumatizing. We spent some time at Ikea and often folks think they just have crappy furniture that falls apart. It’s really not true, they’ve come a long way in all these years. They have a lot of solid wood furniture now and some of their sofas were better built than the ones we saw at the high-end furniture stores we went to.
After testing them out it came down to the Karlstad and the Tidafors, and both had their differences. We ended up going with the Tidafors because we tend to prefer a higher back on a sofa. We also liked the shape of it and felt like it would fill our space a little better. The only part I don’t love is the curves of the armrest, but can’t always win. It ended up being one of their most expensive sofas and it was $400 more (including tax and delivery) than the original one we bought but when we got it home we were so happy with the purchase. You may have seen my post on Instagram when it first arrived. Seriously, assembling Ikea furniture should be a part of marriage preparation classes.
Fits perfect, super comfy and looks great. Some of Ikea’s more expensive sofas also come with a 10-year warranty at no additional charge and that includes anything happening to the cushions and the frame.
I look forward to reporting back in six months or so to see how we like it and how it’s holding up. We’ve been living on it for a month now and I have to say every time I sit down I think I mumble I love this couch. You’ll notice the curtains in the background too; also from Ikea. I posted about that here stating that I was trying to come out of my comfort zone.
So far, so good. I’ll share more on the method behind the curtains next week. For now, next up is finding throw pillows and a coffee table that fits better, with a bonus being added storage. What do you guys think of the Tidafors??
P.S. Ikea knows nothing about me. Or maybe they do, I have no idea. I just like sharing products and finds that we truly enjoy and benefit from with you guys.
Hi there we just purchased the grey Tidafors and have had it for a few days only. We really like it and it’s very comfortable.
It seems quite well constructed and comfy so far and not sure if this sofa comes with a 10 year warranty are you?
Kate
Hi Kate!
So far we love ours. It did come with the warranty so I recommend you call your local store for more details. The warranty may only be on the sectional model, not the sofa styles. Not sure which you purchased, but worth a call to the store!
Thanks for your post on the Tidafors sofa Lindsey! My husband and I are considering the same sectional model right now (I think in a slightly darker fabric though, but I’m not totally sure). Just wondering if you’re still loving the sofa a few months in? Is it wearing well?
Hi! Thanks for stopping by! Yes, we are still loving it a few months in! It’s holding up incredibly well, is easy to clean and still looks nice too. I was afraid that the coloring would start to fade, but it hasn’t at all. And our place has just about the same amount of sunlight as a beach, so I’ve been entirely pleased. Good luck!
Hi, I love that you posted this. We’re looking at purchasing a new couch and this is on our shortlist. My only concern is the cleaning… We don’t have children yet, but we do have a dog… and will eventually have kids in the house and at the very least, friends who drink wine… How have you handled the maintenance and cleaning of the couch. What do you do? We used to have the Ektorp (years ago) and I liked that the covers were removable…. But I really love the look of the Tidafors…. Any thoughts or advice on cleaning this one would be helpful. Thanks!
Hi Erika! Thanks for stopping in. Funny you should mention about kids and spills. Every time I drink wine I am so careful because we’ve never had a spill and have never had to really clean a stain from it. We vacuum it regularly with the upholstery attachment on our vacuum and that keeps it clean from crumbs, dog hair, etc. In the past, with couches we’ve had that didn’t have removable cushion covers I’ve used my go to of blotting the spill with a towel, using a vinegar/water mixture to loosen the stain and then baking soda to absorb the liquid. I then vacuum the baking soda up. It has worked but I can’t make any promise with tougher stains. So, not entirely helpful, however the first time I DO need to clean a spill or stain I will certainly report back. Good luck :)
Hello! I have been looking everywhere for a review of this couch, I’m so glad you posted! I want my current couch to be swallowed up in a black hole and never be seen again. I am really interested in the Tidafors sectional. I am wondering how well the seat cushions stay put? We had a sectional years ago that didn’t have a side arm, and the cushions just slid right off. I have 3 kids, so there’s a lot of climbing off and on that will happen. My local Ikea doesn’t have a display to check out, so I’m looking for info from actual users. Thanks for your help!
Hi there! The cushions are not removable, so they stay very put! The cushions are sewn to the base of the sofa, if that makes any sense, so they can’t slide. Downside is that you can’t flip them over, positive, is that they don’t slip, or sag at all and it’s easy to vacuum around the seams where they’re connected. I think it’s great, though, I don’t have three kiddos so can’t speak to that side of it! Good luck, I still highly recommend this sectional!
Hey there, thanks so much for your post, super helpful. This couch is on our short list as well. I love through back and snuggle factor :) just curious as to how the couch has held up with one year of use? Would you buy it again? What color did you purchase? I’m considering the green and can’t make out from the picture if that’s what you chose. Does the fabric pill?
Thanks so muc!
Hi Stephanie! This coming week I’ll be posting a follow up review of the Tidafors sofa, so stay tuned (you can add your email in the right hand sidebar to be notified when I post it!). To answer your questions though, it’s held up well (more to come on that), I would definitely buy it again, ours is gray and no, it hasn’t pilled! I do always disclose that we do not have pets or children, so I can’t speak to how it would hold up with them. More to come this week!
Thank you for the review. It is very helpful. We are considering this sofa for our basement and I was nervous that it wouldn’t hold up but it seems like yours still looks good. We found it to be very comfortable with the high back and large cushions and that is what is selling us. I can’t find the measurement though for the side that comes out into the room. Would it be possible for you to measure yours and tell me how far from the back that right side comes out? I would really appreciate it as we have limited space and I’m hoping it will fit. Thank you.
Was lucky enough to find the Tidafors love seat today at the New Haven, CT store in the “As Is” section…they also had the sofa, but there was a hole in the upper cushion, right at the seam, which I could have repaired easily, but the sofa would not have fit my space. The piece was assembled in the As Is section, so I had to take it apart to get it home – eight nuts/washers and two bolts/buys/washers removed and I had four pieces that fit easily in the back of my SUV.
I have two dogs, and within 10 minutes of completing assembly and getting it in place, there was a dog curled up on one side! I almost didn’t want to get up to go to bed! According to one of the staff at the store, there is an ottoman available, but it is a half circle instead of square or rectangular.
I am going to purchase the Kivik storage ottoman, large enough to be used for seating if needed, and extra storage is a bonus!
Hi Anne – that’s great! I love scoring great finds in the As Is section! Good luck with it, we still love ours!
Do you happen to know the minimum doorway width the pieces can fit through? We do not live near an ikea and will be ordering online. I would hate for it not to fit once it gets here. Our doorway is 29 inches. Looking at the box dimensions on the Ikea website and it looks like one may be to big. Wondering if we can open up the box and carry pieces through separately. Thanks!
Hi Nicole – the pieces aren’t that large once out of the box. the boxes for this couch were HUGE! They took up our entire living room. We had to take everything out of the boxes and move the boxes out just to put it together! I think your best bet would be to remove from the boxes first. Good luck!
Hi Lindsey,
We found the Tidafors in the bargain corner today (brand new in the boxes) but were completely confused by the arm on the right or left. We know what we need for our living room but the staff weren’t all too helpful and we had to go by the pictures on the box. Can you remember whether yours was arm left or right? I know by the date on your post you purchased this sofa a while ago now but just hoping and praying we picked the right one!
Thanks!
Hi Caroline! I believe ours was arm left – chaise right. So when looking at it straight on the arm side is on the left and chaise is on the right. Hope this helps!
Oh my gosh! Love lived loved your reviews on this sofa. Ikea needs to send you commision?
We are putting together our Tidafor and can’t seem to connect the pieces correctly! ?. I know it’s best not to overthink and follow directions exactly, but our corner piece is still sitting lower than the sides. Any hints before divorce court! ?
Hahaha! Great comment! The corner piece was the absolute hardest. I tried to help my husband guide the connectors into place. You do have to push really hard on the sofa piece to get it close enough together to force them together. I also kind of shoved my hand between the two pieces to see if I could help guide it too. It took a million tried to get it together! Good luck and so sorry for the late reply, my blog was down for a long while!