Summer whites in the livingroom. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017
Summer whites is a way to confirm that the summer is here. That means changing the covers of the furniture to white ones.
Summer whites in the livingroom. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017
What do I mean by that? Well, with all the white light in the summer I always feel I need even MORE light and white by changing the covers on the furniture in the living room. I don’t need to change the curtains as they are always white. Some might say that it is enough with the light outside and the eventual sunshine and that you therefore should have dark colors in your home in the summer and light colors in the dark season. I feel the other way around is the way to go. Summer whites in the summer and dark colors in the winter.
Summer whites in the livingroom. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017
So, the other day I changed the covers of the EKTORP chaiselongue and the small JENNYLUND armchair to white from grey (the very pink fleece cover there is protection against dirty cat-feet). Neither is particularly hard to change cover on even though you have to remove the armrest on the chaiselongue to be able to change the cover. I have done that often enough to be comfortable with it.
Summer whites in the livingroom, the EKTORP chaiselongue. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017
Yesterday I switched the livingroom carpet from dark blue to off-white. To do that I needed to move the sofa-table and all that was on it and on the shelf under it off the carpet. Only then could the carpet be changed.
When the carpet area was already empty, and carpet changed, I decided I’d also take that opportunity to change the cover of the sofa from grey to white. To change the cover of the sofa demands space for the work.
Summer whites in the livingroom. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2017
Changing the cover of the 2-seater KARLSTAD sofa is a lot of work. First you remove the cover of the four pillows. Then you remove the armrests with the sofa-legs. Then the legs from the armrests. Then then cover of the armsrests. Then the large cover over the rest of the sofa. Then you put on fresh cover for the large part of the sofa. Then put the fresh covers onto the armrests and then attach the legs (2 for each armrest) to the armrests. Then attach the the armrests to the sofa (4 screws each). The sofa is then ready to get back the seating pillows and the back pillows. Changing cover on the KARLSTAD sofa is actually the same thing as assembling it from scratch, twice. So I tend to not change the cover of the sofa too often…
The non-fresh cover has to be dry-cleaned. You cannot put it into the washing machine unfortunately. And it really needs cleaning by now.
The summer white covers need to be on now until at least when the dirty ones have been cleaned. Hopefully no cat with dirty feet will step on them meanwhile before I’ve put a protective towel or such on the now summer white furniture.
The KARLSTAD 2-seater sofa is no longer sold at IKEA, only the 3-seater. So if I want a new cover for it, I need to get it from BEMZ, and that is pretty expensive. The EKTORP chaiselounge with armrest is no longer sold either. The light grey cover I have for it is from BEMZ. The JENNYLUND armchair is still sold and apart from the white cover I have a dark grey cover and a dark blue cover with white flowers for it. Its first white cover shrunk enormously in the laundry and can no longer be used. I’ve saved it as a pattern to be able to make my own cover one day.
Part of the darker livingroom. Photo: ©nini.tjader.2014
I like the white covers, they really bring out the colours in the surrounding artworks on the wall. I have a fondness for white covers but also have a black cat – need to keep stocked up on pet hair removing tape!
The Karlstad isn’t available at all in the UK now. I had always wanted to purchase it after my old 15 yr Ektorp wore out but it was discontinued just as I was about to purchase. I am moving to a new flat soon and cannot decide upon any of the other sofa’s so will be putting up worth a couple of poangs until something turns up. The Karlstad was a great classic sofa, I can’t understand why they stopped manufacturing it:(
The KARLSTAD 3-seater is still sold here in Sweden. I think it might be just a matter of time though before they stop selling it. The 3-seater also has some very nice light-grey covers that I love. It is a pity they stopped selling KARLSTAD. It is great classic model with , as I see it, elegant lines. The sofas IKEA sell today are much too bulky and clumsy I think. There is none there I really like today. I always liked the EKTORP though as that is so comfortable to sit in. When I last bought a sofa though the EKTORP had no covers I liked as I wanted a grey sofa. The white is nice, but a bit unpractical. My neighbours two cats regularly come to visit and when then have passed the garden their feet often enough are dirty.