Kivik One Seat Section With One Arm
Intro: Kivik One Seat Section With One Arm
My couch and loveseat are not at all comfortable, and I got sick of it - shopped around and the Kivik line at IKEA looked fantastic. It's comfortable, firm, within my budget, and the wide low arms on the loveseat are perfect for my home workstation. There was just one problem - a dealbreaker - it's 75" long and the wall is 69.5". What I needed was something exactly like it, only shorter.
Luckily Bernadette and Kym at the Mall of America IKEA were there to suggest and secure the parts for me to make that happen. The Kivik one seat section could be modified to attach an arm from the loveseat and easily fit the space. Kym knew there was a set of these arms in as-is, and called to ask them to sell me just one.
I bought that and a new one seat section and took it home that day, but the cover was a tricky issue. IKEA doesn't sell just an arm cover, and the cheapest set including an arm in the fabric I wanted (Tranas black) is $189. After thinking about it over the week I decided to go instead with Ingebo red for the seat and Blekinge white for the arm. The Blekinge white sofa cover set cost $49, and the extra cushion covers may come in handy as a spare set.
The total expense to update my living room including the sofa, modified seat, covers, and a $20 Lack coffee table came to under $800. This is what the one seat with one arm looks like finished:
Luckily Bernadette and Kym at the Mall of America IKEA were there to suggest and secure the parts for me to make that happen. The Kivik one seat section could be modified to attach an arm from the loveseat and easily fit the space. Kym knew there was a set of these arms in as-is, and called to ask them to sell me just one.
I bought that and a new one seat section and took it home that day, but the cover was a tricky issue. IKEA doesn't sell just an arm cover, and the cheapest set including an arm in the fabric I wanted (Tranas black) is $189. After thinking about it over the week I decided to go instead with Ingebo red for the seat and Blekinge white for the arm. The Blekinge white sofa cover set cost $49, and the extra cushion covers may come in handy as a spare set.
The total expense to update my living room including the sofa, modified seat, covers, and a $20 Lack coffee table came to under $800. This is what the one seat with one arm looks like finished:
STEP 1:
This is my old loveseat. Can you tell were my spot was?
STEP 2:
The Kivik arm has four holes that you screw bolts into. The bolts they provide have a gap about a third of the way down where they stop once screwed all the way in. Those bolts then go through holes on the seat it connects to, and are secured by a washer and nut on the other side.
The challenge is that the one-seat section doesn't have holes for the bolts. I had to drill those.
The challenge is that the one-seat section doesn't have holes for the bolts. I had to drill those.
STEP 3:
C-clamps are provided with the Kivik one seat section frame to connect it to a chaise lounge. These come in handy to hold the assembled seat and arm together to mark the holes.
STEP 4:
Before marking the holes, I verified that the arm and seat were even by holding a vertical level against the velcro across them - made a couple small adjustments, then tightened the c-clamps (and verified again).
STEP 5:
A No. 2 pencil screwed through the holes nicely to mark their spots on the seat.
STEP 6:
IMPORTANT: Start by drilling small, straight holes! Trying to drill too big of a hole can crack the wood, and that would be an expensive mistake.
I drilled the holes a half-dozen times working up to a 3/8" drillbit. On the first hole in each spot it helps to hit the mark with the drill going full speed to avoid catching the fabric and tangling the padding. Use a scissors to clear the area around each hole after it's started.
I drilled the holes a half-dozen times working up to a 3/8" drillbit. On the first hole in each spot it helps to hit the mark with the drill going full speed to avoid catching the fabric and tangling the padding. Use a scissors to clear the area around each hole after it's started.
STEP 7:
After the holes are drilled put the covers on the seat and arm. Use scissors to cut where the new holes are, screw the bolts into the arm, and connect them. The chair back bolt is there to keep it in place but there's no way to screw the nut onto the other side of it. The other three bolts into the base of the chair are secured with a nut and tightened.
3 Comments
GinaC32 8 years ago
Hi i just bought a kivik chaise lounge and a one seat kivik seat since my apt was too small for thr couch buy i still wanted thr arm rests so since ikea doesn't sell the arm rests seperately (stupid) i had to buy an entire couch just for the arms turns outi could only fit one lol My question to you is how did you attatch the arm to the one seat since technically they really aren't supposed to go together?
mike.fields.5 9 years ago
Hi! Nice DIY. I'm curious as to how you were able to get the arm-rest by itself. Is this something IKEA sells? Or was it a unique find? Cheers!
Fieldownage 13 years ago