How to Replace the Legs on an IKEA Karlstad Sofa

The interchangeable legs on IKEA's Karlstad sofa provide an easy fix for damaged legs or you can replace the standard straight birch legs with contoured aluminum legs for a sleeker, more modern look. The legs are attached via wooden dowel pegs and long metal threaded hex drive bolts. With just two simple tools and a new set of Karlstad-compatible legs, you can quickly replace the existing legs with little effort.

Step 1

Remove any furniture or objects from behind your Karlstad sofa. If your sofa is close to a wall, pull it far enough away from the wall so you can tilt it on to its back to work on the legs.

Step 2

Lay a large canvas or plastic drop cloth or blanket on the floor behind your sofa and then tilt the sofa back on to the cloth or blanket. If you're dealing with a large Karlstad corner sofa, tilt the sofa on to one of its two back sides.

Step 3

Look at the bottom of one of the sofa legs to see the head of the bolt that secures the leg in place. Match a hex wrench from your set to the space in the bolt.

Step 4

Insert the wrench head into the space and then turn the bolt counterclockwise until you’ve unscrewed it completely. Pull the bolt from the leg and then pull the leg away from your sofa. Set the leg aside and then repeat this process to remove the other legs.

Step 5

Prepare the legs as needed. For example, if you’re using a Karlstad birch replacement legs, tap the included wooden dowel pegs halfway into the peg holes at the top of the legs with a mallet. If you’re using Karlstad aluminum legs, slide the included washers on to the included bolts.

Step 6

Align the first leg with a corner of the sofa. If you’re using a birch leg, align the top of the leg with one of the corners so that the peg on the leg aligns with the peg hole at the inside of the corner and the bolt hole on the leg aligns with the outer hole on the sofa. If you’re using an aluminum leg, align the corner of the top of the leg with the corner of the sofa and the bolt hole in the top with the bolt hole near the corner. The inside corner peg hole on the sofa isn't used with aluminum legs,

Step 7

Attach the first leg. If you’re using a birch replacement, enure the bolt hole is properly aligned, then tap the bottom of the leg gently with a rubber mallet to push the peg into the hole. Insert an included bolt into the bolt hole at the bottom of the leg and then turn the bolt clockwise with a hex wrench until you’ve secured the leg to the sofa. If you’re using an aluminum replacement, insert a bolt through the bolt hole at the top of the leg and then turn the bolt clockwise until the leg is secured.

Step 8

Repeat the alignment and attachment processes to replace the other legs as needed. When you're finished, lift your Karlstad sofa up on its new legs. Remove the drop cloth or blanket and return your sofa and other furniture to their original positions.