Upgrading Your IKEA Farlov Sofa with Comfort Works Slipcovers

IKEA sofas are usually an affordable, stylish way to furnish the home. We’ve always had IKEA furniture in our home and added an IKEA Farlov two-seater sofa to our living room two years ago. However, IKEA furniture can sometimes look or feel less than luxurious or high-end. I found a way to upgrade our Farlov Loveseat by adding a slipcover from Comfort Works. In this post, Upgrading Your IKEA Farlov Sofa with Comfort Works Slipcovers, I’ll share my experience ordering and receiving the slipcover and give you an honest review of this slipcover, and how it’s changed the way we use our living room.

*Comfort Works has generously provided the slipcover free of charge in exchange for social media posts and this blog post. All opinions in this post are my own and I will be sharing my unfiltered experience with my new slipcover.

Our Sofa

Our IKEA sofa is the Farlov Two-Seater Sofa in the Flodafor White fabric. You can read my review of the sofa here. I love the affordability and modern/transitional style of this sofa but I had a couple of concerns with the sofa that I addressed in my review. The main issue I had was with the IKEA Flodafor slipcover fabric. It has an open weave, which gives it a slightly rough feel. Others have described it as a mesh-like fabric that collects dirt and debris easily. After nearly two years of use, I began to look for a slipcover in a softer, more comfortable fabric and in a colour that doesn’t show every spec of dirt. Overall, I have been very happy with my IKEA Farlov sofa but wanted to upgrade the feel and practicality of the sofa.

Comfort Works

In case you’re not familiar with Comfort Works, they specialize in making slipcovers for many brands and styles of sofas. If you have a sofa from IKEA, Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, West Elm, MUJI, Rowe, or CB2, it’s likely that you’ll be able to find a new slipcover from Comfort Works. Even if your sofa is now discontinued, Comfort Works likely still carries a cover for it. Their slipcovers are beautiful and highly practical and come in dozens of different colours and fabric options. They carry affordable fabrics, performance fabrics, pet-friendly fabrics, and eco-friendly fabrics.

Fabric Choices

My main priorities in choosing a slipcover fabric were comfort (soft and luxurious feel), durability (able to withstand many washes), and in a colour that would hide dirt between washings (i.e., not pure white). I also wanted a fabric that would elevate the look of the sofa and make it look a little higher-end. Comfort Works has a huge selection of different fabrics and you can order free samples (there is a small shipping charge) to ensure you order the correct fabric for your slipcover. After I received my fabric sample pack, I was able to narrow my options down to three. For the photo below, on the left is the brushed cotton fabric in the sand colour. In the middle is the comfort chenille fabric in the pebble colour. Finally, on the right is the claw-proof velvet in the cream colour.

All three of these options are incredibly soft to the touch and would be very comfortable and cozy as slipcovers. I decided on the brushed cotton fabric mainly because of the colour and the durability (Martindale Abrasion: 29, 000 cycles). The sand colour is a beautiful warm neutral that I knew would create a warm and inviting space. The other two fabrics are lovely and I know I couldn’t have gone wrong with either one.

Slipcover Arrival and Styling

It was a happy day in our home when the new slipcover arrived. Upon opening the package, I was immediately in love with the fabric quality and workmanship. It took about 10 minutes to put the slipcover on our Farlov loveseat and it fit perfectly, even better than the original IKEA slipcover which was a touch too short for the sofa and pulled awkwardly in places. I liked that the slipcover set included covers for the two small decorative pillows that came with the sofa. The overall look is inviting and elegant.

Upgrading Your IKEA Farlov Sofa with Comfort Works Slipcovers

Choosing Your Slipcover

The most important thing is to choose the best fabric and colour for your space. I prefer to choose neutrals for large furniture items like sofas and loveseats. This just gives me more options for decorating the room with pillows, artwork, and accessories. Comfort Works has a wide selection of neutrals as well as more vibrant colours. For fabric selection, consider how you will be using the space- are there children? pets? Will you be eating on the sofa or napping on the sofa? Will you need to wash the slipcover frequently? Is a sustainable product at the top of your wish list? Do you prefer natural fibres like cotton or linen? These are all things to consider and Comfort Works has all the information you need to make this decision.

Our New, More Relaxed Living Room

Replacing our rough-textured pure white IKEA slipcover with our new durable sand-coloured cotton slipcover from Comfort Works has allowed us to be more relaxed in our living room. Previously, it was a “no food” room and I was always mildly concerned seeing children draw or do their homework on it for fear of an errant pencil or crayon. The new fabric hides little messes and is durable enough to be washed over and over again.

The Perfect Fit

I was very happy with just about every aspect of my new Comfort Works slipcover. My only concern was that the seat cover fit the main seat cushion a little loosely. Then I realized the reason for this is that the seat cushion itself had deflated over two years of use. So, the issue is with the Farlov seat cushion itself and not the cover. I’m planning to add a batting wrap around the seat cushion and will share that with you when I do.

Value

Some people might question if the price of the slipcover is worth it. My opinion is that it is absolutely worth it. I don’t buy new upholstered furniture very often because I don’t like the idea of throw-away décor, where things are tossed out at the first sign of wear and tear or when trends change. The natural environment is precious and I feel compelled to keep as much stuff out of the landfill as possible. For me, that means buying the best quality I can afford (which often means IKEA or second-hand) and repairing and upgrading furniture when needed.

A new slipcover can more than double the life of your sofa. If your sofa is structurally sound and you like its silhouette and size of it, then I recommend a new slipcover to give it new life. It’s also worth it to have cushions re-stuffed or extra foam or batting added to cushions if they have deflated or lost their shape. So, when you consider the cost of a new sofa, it makes financial sense to purchase a new slipcover. Additionally, Comfort Works carries slipcovers at all different price points.

Summary

I hope you have enjoyed this post, Upgrading Your IKEA Farlov Sofa with Comfort Works Slipcovers. I’m very happy with the cover we chose and thrilled that our family can enjoy our sofa worry-free. I’m looking forward to many more years spent reading, snacking, and cuddling with my boys.