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An Honest Review of My White Ikea Ektorp Furniture

An Honest Review of My White Ikea Ektorp Furniture

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With a house full of kids and animals, if anyone is qualified to write an honest review of Ikea’s Ektorp furniture (in white might I add), I can proudly say I am highly qualified. I have owned the Ektorp Series couch and chairs, with Blekinge White slipcovers, for over two years and wanted to share my candid experiences with you as I have had many of questions about my furniture choice from readers.

review of Ikea Ektorp Furniture in white after two years

Two years ago, I ordered Ikea’s Ektorp Sofa and 2 of the Ektorp chairs from ikea.com as the nearest Ikea was 2 hours away. We had to pay $100 in shipping and there was a bit of a fiasco with receiving our order in a prompt manner, but once our packages arrived….assembly was super simple.

ikea ektorp furniture review

*Above photo from Ikea.com*

Some may call me cray-cray for choosing white living room furniture when I have 2 cats, 2 dogs and a 2 year old boy (with another boy on the way). Well, yes.. I am a little crazy, but there was  logic to my madness. You see , the Ektorp is of the slip-covered variety and washable. Plus, if for some reason washing the slipcovers didn’t do the trick, a pair of replacement slipcovers for my entire living room set (2 chairs and 1 sofa) would be under $200. And what were the odds that I would need to replace the entire set anyway?

My Ikea Ektorp Furniture After 2 Years of Use:

Ikea Ektorp Couches and Chairs White

While the slipcovers are offered in about 9 different colors (including grey, red, beige, blue), I chose the “Blekinge White” , because I was dead set on having white furniture. There were actually two types of white fabric to chose from, “Blekinge White” and “Stenasa White”, and I went with  “Blekinge White” because it was cheaper…like $200 cheaper. From some casual research, I had also observed that the “Blekinge White” variety did better in the washing machine and was a purer hue of white. As I am looking on ikea.com now, it looks as though the “Blekinge White” may be discontinued. It looks as though the only white slipcovers now available are the “Stenasa White” and the “Vittaryd White” and from what I can tell, the “Vittaryd White” looks just like the “Blekinge White” that I own.

grey transitional living room

The “Blekinge White” fabric feels very durable and is similar to a cotton twill/ canvas. It is a “white” white.

Ikea Ektorp Vittaryd white review

*Above photo from Ikea.com*

Structure and Frame of the Ektorp Series After 2 Years

The furniture itself is very comfortable but smaller than the previous living room furniture we owned….the design is more sleek, streamline, and sits lower to the ground (this took some getting used to). In comparision to our old, more bulky furniture, the Ektorp set seemed oddly small at first, but I think it was just an adjustment to go from bulky furniture to more modern, sleek furniture.  As you can see from the ikea.com photo, there is not a ton of depth to the design (which was a positive for us as we owned a smaller living room at the time). It is also very light weight.

ektorp-sofa-white__0446441_PE596545_S4

*Above photo from Ikea.com*

After two years of heavy use, the form and frame of the furniture has held up extremely well. The cushions have maintained their structure (no butt indentations or cushion deflation), which is highly impressive to me.  I believe the durability of the furniture is due to the firmness of the cushioning….which could be a drawback to some when comfort is concerned. But, in my opinion,  the Ektorp series is still comfortable. My husband even commented on how impressed he was with the comfort of the design.

Now about those white slipcovers……..

Blekinge White Slip Covers After 2 Years

You know how I told you the “Blekinge White” is a white-white? You are probably now looking at my personal photos saying ” Liar…looks more like cream to me.”

living-room-silk-4

Well, while the slipcovers do very well in the washing machine, I will admit I do not wash them often…..I have maybe washed them 3 times in the 2 years that I have owned them. **Update 7-16-19: I changed my slipcovers to to Lofallet Beige. You can read that review by clicking here. **

In between my summer, spray tans rubbing off, my toddler’s peanut butter covered hands, dirty dogs jumping on the couch,  red wine spills and general wear and tear, I would say that although I have been able to get most of the stains out (with prompt application of Oxy-Clean spray and a little elbow grease), there were times I neglected stains and did not remove the slipcovers and wash them (which I should have). So, while the slipcovers are still white, they have become dingy in some areas, but not enough to bother me.

light and airy living room-8

I read where another blogger has 4 boys and was able to maintain the pristine condition of her white slipcovers by washing them once a month with “Oxy-Clean” detergent and a little bit of bleach as needed.  I think if I would have put forth more effort into throwing them into the washing machine as she did, and not simply spraying the stains with “Oxy-Clean”, my couches would still be snow white.

On the rare occasion I do wash the slipcovers, I use a little bit of bleach and detergent. After washing them, I only let them get about 60-70% dry, before placing the overs back on the cushions.

All in all, I am extremely satisfied with my Ikea furniture. I would just warn those of you looking to purchase white slipvocers, that there is some effort required. …you need to be pro-active about stains and spray them with “Oxy-Clean” (I swear by this stuff and no one is paying me to endorse the product), remove the slipcovers and put in the wash.

Not only have they held up well, they provide a “Pottery Barn” look for less than half of the cost. Where just 1 sofa from Pottery Barn will cost about $1600, I bought my entire living room set from Ikea for $700. You cannot beat the price!

For your convenience, I have included affiliate links. That simply means if you click on one of the links and buy something, I receive a small commission, but don’t worry… you won’t pay a dime more.

***UPDATE 12-15-2016*** While I still have the white slip covers on my arm chairs, I have traded out the white sofa slip cover for a darker, more kid friendly color, Nordvalla Dark Gray, also available through Ikea (or you can buy it here ). While I was staying in the hospital giving birth to my second son, I had family taking care of my two-year-old. After getting home, I noticed a big yellow stain on the couch (which I assume was toddler urine). I sprayed it down with Oxy and washed it, but the stain would not come out. Therefore, I decided to go darker. I still believe the white will work with pets and kids, but the trick is immediately washing out the stain. *****

Below is a picture of the Nordvalla Dark Gray slipcover from Ikea.

navajo pillows fall decor

(You can purchase the grey slipcover here)

****UPDATE 4-3-2019: I just wrote a follow-up review on my Ikea slipcovers. You can check it out here. *****

I hope this helped some of you with your purchasing decisions as I know I have had many questions on this topic.

 

Now get out there and design some good vibes! Please don’t forget to Pin!

review of Ikea Ektorp Furniture in white after two years

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Zen Grrrl (@ZenGrrrl47)

Saturday 11th of February 2017

I use a product called WhiteBrite - or something like that - on cotton or linen whites to get out stains or if they get dingy. I use a lot more of it than the container says, and I usually soak whatever I'm washing for a while - so I would test it first if using on something fragile or special or that has any color you want to keep intact. I find it works much much better than either bleach or any of the Oxy products.

Designing Vibes

Sunday 12th of February 2017

Thanks for the tip. I will have to try some out. Not sure that i have heard of that product.

mcgypsyShirley

Tuesday 10th of January 2017

Erica...I am very happy to see this post. I often wondered how the IKEA furniture would hold up and now I feel I know a lot more about it. I actually came across your blog several months ago and I am really glad I did. As everyone else these days, I was going for that Fixer Upper look, by Chip and Joanna Gaines. I made several purchases, nothing big, to create the look. As I was searching around one day online I came upon your blog and realized as much as I love the Fixerupper look, it just isn't me! I bought my home 3 1/2 years ago which was built in 2005 with about 3000sq.ft. On the main level which is totally finished and another 1300sq.ft. Of unfinished space upstairs. The previous owners had planned on adding bedrooms upstairs at some point but never did. The house actually looks like a single story until you see the upstairs. When we bought this place my daughter and her 2 children had already been living with us for 3 years in a rental and we needed to buy so we bought big. She moved out 1 1/2 years later and even though we are just about retired, we love the house and will keep it. Anyway, I fell in love with your living room!! So now I am in the process of selling off things I've purchased, making over some to work and keeping other things that do work. I love your kitchen and dining area too! I am going a bit different with color as I want some black, shades of brown woods and I am bringing in indigo blue and orange as well as the very light blue/teal you have. What makes it for me though are the silver and golds as well as the mirrors throughout. I love elegant and I feel like you do too, but I love that you still keep that everyday look as well. That is what stood out for me with your home. So I guess I should say thank you for saving me from something I really didn't want cause I know I'm going to love this in the end!

Designing Vibes

Tuesday 10th of January 2017

It makes me so happy to hear that you enjoy my blog and taste. Yes, I also thought I wanted the "fixer upper" look, but got bored with it. I am still in the process of putting my signature style on all of the rooms in my house. So glad you stopped by! Good luck with your home. Much Love, Erica

Kerry Horn

Sunday 8th of January 2017

Hi Erica! I happened upon your blog when searching for reviews comparing the IKEA Blekinge and Vittaryd whites with each other. I currently have the Blekinge white cover but I'm looking to change it out for a fresh one. The Blekinge is 100% cotton while the Vittaryd is a poly/cotton blend. I love my current cover and I'm really a little nervous to switch to a different cover with a texture I may not love. Can you give me an idea on the difference in the two fabrics.

Designing Vibes

Monday 9th of January 2017

Hi Kerry, while I do not have first-hand experience with the Vittaryd white, I had a reader tell me she was dissapointed with it as it was not a true white like the Blekinge. I am so sorry I cannot give you more insight...the nearest ikea for me is 1.5hr away.

Danielle

Monday 19th of December 2016

Hi Erica, I thought I'd get back to you and let you know I wasn't relying on what you'd said in your post about the Vittaryd being a rebranded version of the Blekinge when I bought the sofas. I started looking for comments/reviews after my purchase to see if others are disappointed with the non white covers and came across your lovely and helpful review ?. I thought it would be useful to add a comment for those looking to purchase from the current range.

Designing Vibes

Wednesday 21st of December 2016

Thank you so much, Danielle. Your feedback is really helpful. I wish Ikea would bring back the Blekinge white.

Danielle

Monday 19th of December 2016

I've just bought two Ektorp sofas and am very disappointed with the Vittaryd white - it's not white!! It's more of a yellowish cream. They are also poly/cotton. If you hold it up to anything white (eg my white walls or beautiful hand made quilt I'd planned to layer over it) there's a very obvious contrast. One day into it and I've frantically ordered two Blekinge white covers from the UK - I'm in Australia. Just a warning for others if you are looking for "white".

Tara

Thursday 29th of December 2016

I've tried to order them from the U.K. I'm in the US. They said said they don't ship overseas. How did you get them? I'm not ready to give up yet.?

Designing Vibes

Monday 19th of December 2016

Thank you so much for your feedback, Danielle. I am so sad that they discontinued the Blekinge white and I was just assuming the Vittaryd White was just Blekinge white rebranded to increase the price. So sorry!

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