You may already know that the IKEA Friheten is the sofa bed you want. The harder part can come later: which colour and upholstery will actually look right in your home?A sofa takes up a large visual area, so even a small shift in tone can change the whole room. Light grey can make the space feel quieter and more open; brown-orange can add warmth; dark grey can create a stronger anchor; black can make the sofa feel sharper and more formal.
Start with the mood you want the room to have. Do you want the sofa to blend in, warm up the space, add contrast, or become one of the main design features? Once that is clear, comparing the Friheten fabrics becomes much easier.
Faringe Light Gray is an easy fit for modern or minimalist rooms with white or off-white walls, pale wood, black metal details. It keeps the sofa visually quiet and leaves more room for artwork, rugs or accessories to carry colour.
For a Scandinavian-inspired room, Faringe Light Gray works well with oak or ash, beige textiles, warm white walls, plants and woven accessories. Add cream, sand and visible wood grain so the room feels relaxed rather than overly grey.
Friheten Faringe Brown-Orange works naturally with walnut, cream, olive green, terracotta and materials such as jute, linen and wool. Because the colour already has personality, it usually looks best when the surrounding palette stays simple.
IKEA Friheten Skiftebo Dark Grey suits a contemporary room that needs a deeper neutral. It works well with black accents, medium or dark wood and off-white walls. In a small or dim room, lighter rugs or curtains can keep the overall space from feeling too heavy.
If the Friheten layout works for you but the IKEA factory palette feels too restrained, professional reupholstery can give the sofa a much more personal look.
Velvet, dark blue, green, red, beige, brown and faux-leather finishes can move the Friheten away from a standard retail appearance.
The current Friheten range can be summarized simply:
| Upholstery | Material / Feel | Colours |
| Faringe | Polyester fabric | Light Gray, Brown-Orange |
| Skiftebo | Polyester fabric | Dark Gray |
| Bomstad | Leather-look coated fabric | Black |
Faringe gives you the lightest neutral and the warmest colour in the current range. Skiftebo provides the deeper woven grey. Bomstad changes the surface character with a smoother, leather-look finish.
Faringe is a polyester upholstery with a woven fabric look. Light Gray is the more adaptable version; Brown-Orange is warmer and more expressive.
If you are comparing Friheten Faringe Brown-Orange with a grey Friheten, choose based on the room. Brown-Orange asks to be part of the design; Light Gray gives the rest of the room more freedom.
Skiftebo is also polyester-based, but its Dark Gray version gives the Friheten a deeper, more grounded appearance. It suits buyers who want a neutral sofa without going as light as Faringe Light Gray or as smooth as Bomstad Black.
If you are considering IKEA Friheten Skiftebo Dark Grey, the practical question is whether the room has enough light and contrast to support a darker sofa comfortably.
Bomstad is not leather. It is a coated fabric designed to create a smoother leather-look surface. Choose it because you prefer that finish, not only because black is easy to coordinate.
When comparing Friheten material options, the most useful distinction is this: Faringe and Skiftebo are woven fabric choices, while Bomstad is a coated leather-look finish.
If the Friheten design works for your home but the factory palette does not, colour should not be the reason to walk away from the sofa.
Grand Jeles specializes in refurbishing and reupholstering IKEA Friheten and Manstad sofa beds. Its Friheten collection shows a broader visual range, including pink, red, dark blue, green tones, beige, brown and other colours, along with velvet and faux-leather finishes.
If you are shopping for a sofa, that gives you the option of choosing a professionally refurbished Friheten in a colour or finish that better suits your room. If you already own one, professional reupholstery can change the appearance without replacing the whole sofa.
The real advantage is not simply “more colours.” It is the freedom to choose the upholstery around the room you actually have.
| Explore Current Friheten Colours and Fabrics |
Yes. You can reupholster an IKEA Friheten. If you still like the sofa’s footprint, sleeper function and hidden storage, reupholstery can be a practical way to keep what works while changing worn fabric, colour, texture or comfort.
The key is choosing the right level of intervention. A protector, a fitted slipcover and professional reupholstery solve different problems.
Current Friheten corner sofa-beds use stationary, non-removable upholstery on the frame. That does not prevent professional reupholstery, but it does mean the work is more involved than unzipping a factory cover and replacing it.
Before choosing fabric, identify what you actually need.
If the upholstery itself has failed, a loose cover may only hide a problem that still needs attention.
A good Friheten reupholstery project renews the visible material without compromising the functions that make the sofa useful.
The pull-out sleeper still needs to move freely. The storage lid needs to open and close without fabric catching at the edges. Seams and attachment points should stay clear of moving components, and the chaise and Friheten armrest need to return to the correct position after any disassembly.
This is why a sofa bed should not be treated exactly like a simple fixed-frame sofa. New upholstery should not disguise loose connections, damaged support areas or a sleeper mechanism that no longer works properly. If those issues exist, they are better assessed while the sofa is already being opened for refurbishment.
Aftermarket Friheten covers are available for different configurations, but fit matters more than the product photo. Confirm the exact sofa version, chaise orientation, attachment method and care instructions before ordering.
Once fitted, open the storage and convert the sofa fully into bed mode. A cover that pulls tight, shifts repeatedly, bunches into a moving area or interferes with the storage lid is not a practical fit.
A slipcover makes the most sense when the original upholstery is still serviceable and you want a removable change. If the material underneath is already torn or heavily damaged, reupholstery is the more complete solution.
There is no single best cover for every Friheten.
For everyday protection, a removable washable protector is usually the simplest option. For a neater visual change, a fitted slipcover made for the correct Friheten configuration is more appropriate. For damaged original upholstery, professional reupholstery deals with the material itself instead of covering it.
If liquid protection is the main concern, read “waterproof” claims carefully. A Friheten waterproof cover is a separate third-party accessory, not a built-in feature of the original sofa. Check whether it is genuinely waterproof or only water-resistant and whether it can remain in place without obstructing the sleeper or storage.
Colour matters, but the fabric also has to work with daily life.
Think about how often the sofa is used, whether children or pets are part of the household, how much direct sunlight reaches it, the texture you prefer and how much maintenance you are willing to do. Pay attention to high-contact areas such as the seat edge, chaise, armrest and surfaces handled when the bed is opened.
Also look at the room as a whole. Flooring, wall colour, curtains and daylight affect how a fabric reads once it covers a large sofa.
Not necessarily.
If the existing foam is even, supportive and still feels right, it can be retained while the upholstery is renewed. Replacing serviceable foam simply because the fabric is changing adds cost and material without automatically improving the result.
Reupholstery is, however, a convenient time to assess comfort. If the seat has become uneven or no longer suits the way the sofa is used, the foam can be considered as a separate decision.
Yes. The corner Friheten is designed so the chaise can be positioned on the left or right. Reupholstery should preserve that supported configuration.
“Reversible” does not mean the chaise flips sides instantly. Changing the Friheten chaise side requires the relevant sofa sections to be disconnected and reassembled. If you are moving or redesigning the room, choose the preferred chaise direction before final reassembly.
Reupholstery is most compelling when you already know the Friheten works for your home.
If the size fits, the chaise layout is useful, the sleeper still matters and the storage earns its space, renewing the worn surfaces can be more logical than starting over with a different sofa.
Good candidates include faded upholstery, permanent staining, pet-claw damage, torn fabric, worn seams or a colour and texture that no longer fit the room.
It may be the wrong investment if the layout no longer works, the sleeper and storage are no longer useful, or major structural damage makes refurbishment impractical. Reupholstery should extend the useful life of a sofa you still want.
Once you have decided that the Friheten itself is worth keeping, the next question is how to renew it without losing the functions that make it a Friheten.
Based on years of practical experience working with IKEA Friheten and Manstad sofa beds, Grand Jeles approaches reupholstery as more than a cosmetic fabric change. The sofa can be assessed as a complete working piece: upholstery, frame connections, support and high-stress areas, storage access and the pull-out sleeper are considered around the condition of the individual sofa.
If the original IKEA foam is still serviceable, it can be preserved rather than replaced unnecessarily. When a different feel is wanted, Soft Foam, Medium Foam and Firm Foam are available as upgrade choices.
For Grand Jeles refurbished sofa-bed options, Standard Fabric is included in the base price, while Premium Fabric is available as an optional paid upgrade. For an existing-sofa reupholstery project, current fabric, colour and service details should be confirmed for that specific job.
A workshop visit can reduce uncertainty because photos cannot show texture, tone or firmness perfectly. Grand Jeles workshop visits are available by appointment only, allowing customers to compare available fabric, colour and foam options before the work is finalized.
Grand Jeles also offers Friheten fabric and cover replacement services for customers who already own the sofa. Delivery and professional installation are included in eligible service areas; provide your postal code to confirm service availability and any pickup or return arrangements for your project.
The strongest reason to reupholster a Friheten is not simply to make an old sofa look new. It is to keep a layout and set of functions that still work for your home while renewing the parts that no longer do.
Choose a protector when the upholstery mainly needs protection, a fitted slipcover when you want a removable change, and professional reupholstery when the material itself needs renewal.
That approach also fits the idea behind Grand Jeles’ “Reuse, Revive, Let Nature Thrive” philosophy: keep serviceable components, renew what needs attention and avoid replacing an entire sofa simply because one part has reached the end of its useful life.
Yes. A Friheten can be professionally reupholstered when the original material is worn, damaged or no longer suits the room. The work should preserve access to the sleeper, storage and supported chaise configuration.
Sometimes. A fitted slipcover works well when the upholstery underneath is still serviceable and you want a removable visual change. Reupholstery is more suitable when the original material itself needs replacement.
Yes, third-party protectors are sold with waterproof or water-resistant claims, but the level of protection depends on the product. Check the construction, care instructions and compatibility with both sofa and bed modes.
Yes. The corner Friheten can be assembled with the chaise on the left or right. Switching sides later requires partial disassembly and reassembly; it is not an instant flip.
Yes. The Friheten armrest can be included in a professional reupholstery project so the finished material remains visually consistent with the rest of the sofa.
If your Friheten still works well for your space but needs a new look or a more comfortable feel, the next step is simply to decide what is worth renewing.
Grand Jeles can help you review the available fabric, colour and foam options and plan the work around the way you actually use your sofa.
Contact Grand Jeles to discuss your Friheten.
We are also proud of our commitment to sustainability. Guided by our motto,”Reuse, Revive, Let Nature Thrive”, our services help reduce waste by giving your furniture a second life. By choosing Grand Jeles, you not only enjoy professional service but also contribute to a greener future
Grand Jeles Support
×
