3 STEPS TO UPDATE AN OLD SOFA

Is there anything sweeter than reading the words 'IKEA klippan sofa free' on Gumtree and finding out that the sofa in question is available to pick up tonight, one road away from you? I think not. The IKEA Klippan is a total classic - there's been one in every student house I've lived in, but my parents have one too and its simple lines blend in perfectly next to their designer pieces. You can't fault the price either! We thought we should buy a second sofa and I had my eye on some lovely vintage-style ones, but we weren't even sure a second sofa would fit in our living room, let alone look good, so we decided to get this one as a placeholder.

The cover was a little misshapen and there were a couple of stains, but I think the reason this sofa is so popular is because it just stands up to everyday life. It has a very sturdy frame and the cushioning keeps its shape - even after my boyfriend and I hauled it up six flights of stairs (this, obviously).

But, in three easy steps, our little sofa looks good as new, and I think we're actually pretty happy to keep it as is!

CLEAN If your sofa has a removable cover, pop it in the washing machine and run it for two cycles to really give it a good clean. If you have a white cover, use a little bit of bleach to get rid of tough stains. Let it air dry outside if you can - the sun actually bleaches stains too! When they are dry, put the covers back on and, if there are any lingering smells, try a few spritzes of febreze. Our sofa smelled perfectly nice, of washing detergent and general homeliness, but it was weird how much the smell of someone else's home affected the smell of ours!

COVER A replacement sofa cover for the Klippan is only £35, but you might have a sofa without an interchangeable cover or not have access to an IKEA. I used one of my favourite blankets as a throw, tucking it into the crease between the seat and the back to secure it. A few cushions will perk it up a bit and can be easily changed along with the seasons. If your cover still has a couple of visible stains, you can buy great dyes that go in the washing machine with your covers and offer really pigmented, even coverage (we used Dylon on our other sofa).

DISTRACT As a finishing touch, don't forget to style around your sofa! I never noticed how bare that wall was until we put the sofa there and I was forced to look at it. The side table came from my parents' attic, and the two prints are actually sheets of high quality wrapping paper, a tip I shared in this post about affordable art. I also thought about painting the little silver feet (inspired by this site), but I think I'll save that for another day.

In the end, I didn't have to buy anything at all for our new sofa, meaning an instant living room upgrade for £0!