I will have to come back and read all of the tips. I, too, own white Ektorps (everything-- 2 chairs, sofa, and loveseat). I have 5 kids and 2 cats (but cats don't really count, do they?). It does get dirty and, even with bleach or Oxyclean, I can't get all of the stains out. My kids eat only in the DR or kitchen (not because of the sofas, but because eating all over the house means way too much work for me) and we do not wear shoes in the house, but dirt happens. It IS a lot of work to change them. The washing isn't bad . . .just the putting on and off (esp. the on, even though I leave it a little damp). What I do is have 2 sets, so I wash one set slowly (at my leisure) but the sofa is always covered. No way would I wash every week! But, DH and I still think this is the best option. He hates leather (the feeling) and I feel a little iffy about it (I've been a vegetarians for decades), plus the cats' claws would scratch it. We see how disgustingly dirty the white gets from just BODY DIRT (I'm not even talking food!). Yuck. So, I like the fact that they are actually clean, even though they may not be spotless. DH wants to replace them when the kids get older, but frankly, guests have put more spots on the sofas then the kids . . . Oh, and the nice thing about the white covers is that they are truly cheap. I still cannot figure out how a sofa cover is only $49. So, if the stains get bad enough, I'll get another set. I used to use matelasse coverlets on them, too, but it ended up getting messed up too often, so I stopped.

Well, since a lot of you seem to have recently shopped for smaller sectionals, do you mind a brief hijack for me to ask a question? The configuration of my family room dictates an even smaller sectional - I can do a sofa along one wall, but need only 1 seat along the other side. (Picture Mari's without the extra middle seat on the shorter side). That wall runs about 72" long, so I need a side that is shorter than that or I stick out into traffic. Basically, what I need is one of those sofas with the long chaise sticking out of one end, but I want the chaise to have a full back and arm at the end, if you know what I mean. I have found a few sectionals like this, but they are super-expensive (Pottery barn has one that runs about $4K, Nantuckit also makes one that's even mnore). I'd can't spend that much. But when I looked at the flexsteel configuration, they don't make that single-chair-with-an-arm that I need to butt up against the long corner sofa. I'm not even sure a sectional is the best choice for this room - the room has some unique challenges that I'll probably post about someday -- it's small and very oddly configured. But in the meantime, has anyone seen a sectional with a super-short-one-seater side that doesn't cost an arm and a leg?

Comparing IKEA to Lee is not a fair comparison. Lee sofas are my favorite brand stylisitically, but they are very pricey -- around here they are more expensive than PB. IKEA sofas are dirt cheap. I've owned several and some hold up better than others. Right now, we have the Karlstad line of sofas in our basement - a corner sectional and a loveseat. Both are going on 2 years old and still look brand new in spite of being in my kids playroom where they serve as trampolines and forts just as often as are sofas. But I owned a different IKEA sofa (the Ekeskog) where the cushions slid off the thing every time someone sat on it. They are also suprisingly comfy -- some IKEA sofas are not, so I would recommend sit-testing something in person before buying. If you want to go IKEA, I'd stay with a darker color (to avoid staining). I wouldn't count on washing the slips regularly because they can be a pain to get on and off and they can shrink. The upside is that IKEA tends to keep the same styles forever, so if your cover gets dirty (or you're just in the mood for a change), you can buy a new one for not a whole lot of money. If you've got the money for Lee, it's definitely a better sofa, but for a the size sectional I have in the basement, you are looking at $800ish for IKEA vs. at least $4K for Lee. Even if the IKEA one dies and I have to replace it, I can do so 4 times before approaching the cost of the Lee.

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