Our Budget-Friendly Sofa: Ikea Friheten Sectional Review

Ikea gets a bad wrap on occasion, so I felt it was my budget-friendly duty to bring you this Ikea Friheten Sectional review. We bought this sofa for our previous apartment — we were limited by a space of 96″ and multiple friends had raved about this small-space sofa (shout-out to Sadie!).

I initially expected that we’d invest in a nicer sofa, perhaps something from West Elm, but with our space restrictions, this was the only sectional sofa that would work. And, funny enough, we had a West Elm sofa this summer (the Henry Queen Sleeper) while our sofa was still at our old place (we had subletters there) and we HATED it. The Ikea sofa is 100% more comfortable than the much more expensive West Elm sofa.

IKEA FRIHETEN SECTIONAL REVIEW: THE BASICS

Let’s start with the fact: the Ikea Friheten Sectional Sofa is only $599. Seriously, $599. As Adam pointed out when we bought our bookcase, “That’s ridiculous, our sofa barely cost more than that!” (Slight exaggeration). it’s 90.5″ wide, which is perfect for cozy spaces, but it also doesn’t feel too small in our current condo, which is bigger than our old place.

We bought ours at the Ikea in College Park, MD, loaded the three pieces in the car (we do have an SUV), and then Adam put it together with me pitching in occasionally when an extra set of hands were needed. When we moved it from our old apartment to our new place, the movers were able to transport it in one piece — but we actually switched the side of the sectional once it was in our living room. Super easy to do (though maybe confirm that with Adam…it didn’t take him long, so I’m going with easy.)

The sofa pulls out into a full-size sleeper sofa and it has ample storage under the chaise. We went with the Skitefbo Dark Gray, but it also comes in black, beige, light gray, and blue.

HOME DETAILS: Sofa / Coffee Table / Bookcase (and a budget-friendly version if you have more space — we couldn’t fit the 16″ base on the cheaper version, ugh!) / Black and Ivory Pillow / Leopard Pillow / Faux Leather Pillow / Mirror {similar} / Rug

 

IKEA FRIHETEN: STORAGE + A SLEEPER

I absolutely love the modern, low-profile lines of this sofa, particularly in a small space. When we had the West Elm sofa in our living room, it felt like the high arms cut off the flow between our living area and the dining area. With the armless side of the sofa facing out into the larger space of our room, it lets everything feel like it’s flowing without disruption.

I fought a sectional tooth and nail, but, after having both a non-sectional and a sectional, I have to admit, this is so much comfier when it’s just two of you and when you’re entertaining. It’s much less awkward to have people conversing while lounging on a sectional than sitting in a straight line. And, is this comfy even though it’s Ikea? 100%. We’ve now had this for three years and it’s held up beautifully (beyond a few cat scratch incidents…notice the tape on the edges to stop her from using it as a scratching post).

The Friheten Sectional pulls out into a double bed — is it the comfiest bed ever? Probably not, but it’s supportive and good enough for guests. We’ve also been known to pull it out on a particularly lazy Sunday when we’re ordering in pizza or Chinese food and watching football.

You also can’t beat how much storage is in the chaise section. Right now, I have all my art supplies, photography supplies, extra candles, decorative items that haven’t found a home yet, and more stowed away in there. It’s clutch to milk every inch of storage space possible in a small condo and this is a lifesaver.

JUST GO BUY IT

Okay, now that I’ve waxed poetic for 650 words about my love for the Ikea Friheten Sectional, it’s time to hit publish. But, if you have any more questions about it — or anything decor related — give me a shout at hmbien@gmail.com!