KIVIK Couches
The giant brown furniture has finally made its way out of our living room. We were loaned the set right when we moved into our apartment (which was so awesome). Actually, if it weren't for that brown furniture, us and our guests may have just sat on the floor the entire span of 2013.
2014 called for a fresh start in the little old apartment, so we prepared to buy ourselves our first pieces of sitting-furniture as married people. We moved out the big browns (well, I did not help at all....but, three manly men moved them for me) and headed to IKEA. My sister Bethany and I went first, so we could look around at the decor, and her boyfriend Jon and Montrell drove a little while after us.
I always check out the "as is" section of IKEA before I get myself something brand new. Just like a miraculous sign from the heavens, the very sofa I came there to purchase (KIVIK) was sitting there, perfect as can be...just in the wrong color. It was marked more than half off the original price, so my sister and I sat down on it to claim it (you gotta make fast moves in the "as is" section)! I went and got some isunda gray covers and the additional chaise lounge and we headed to the checkout line. Once everything was purchased (we saved nearly $300), we realized we had no loading plan.
The boxes and couch itself (assembled or not) would never have fit in my Dodge Avenger with the seats down. We contemplated renting a UHAUL...Then, a little imagination later, we decided to stick everything in my sister's hatchback Toyota Yaris! People were staring us down, laughing and giving us the thumbs-up. We t-o-t-a-l-l-y did it. It took two trips of course: One with the couch, the next with the chaise lounge, but we made it happen (Perks of living 10 minutes from IKEA). Never underestimate the size of a Yaris, y'all!
After we assembled the chaise, added the new gray covers to the purple monster and cleaned up the living room, I was a little disappointed. I knew the couches would be lower to the ground than our previous ones, but they looked REALLY low. Too low for our taste.
After I bummed out about for about two minutes, I got to thinking! There's never a problem my thrifty-fab brain can't solve. Lightbulb: Bed Risers! Didn't know if they would work, but I figured if they held up dorm beds, they've got to be doing something right.
I got mine at Big Lots, but Amazon has them too. We put them on and ughh...UGLY. Then another lightbulb moment hit me...what if we flipped them upside down? (I noticed the tops were more narrow than the bottom) Boom. Brand new couches!
It raised them the perfect amount and they actually look like couch legs. Now, until I figure out a way to nail, screw, glue, etc them down, the couches aren't easily moveable. Eventually, I'll think of something for that little issue, but other than that, I'm loving them. I feel like I have a whole new living room.
UPDATE: 1/20/15: See how they're holding up in a living room update.
