2C2708" /% When I moved into my first apartment, I couldn t wait to fill it up with things I loved. However, it s never that simple. There are soo many things to consider before you settle on a piece of furniture, artwork, or any other key element in setting up your place. You re gonna consider the space, the layout, your budget, logistics and, of course, the design. For me, the deal breakers were budget and space. First time living on our own, first apartment, basically starting from scratch, so budget was a huge part of this decision making process. And then our apartment was tiny okay not Europe or New York tiny, but 600 sqft and add to that the fact that I had spent my entire life in a house :P Given the situation, I was pretty much limited to getting stuff from IKEA and all the while, my brain was screaming NO. We are NOT getting cookie-cutter, done-to-death, big-box store pieces But alas, my rational side surfaced (rather languidly, might I add) and won my emotional brain over.

Forced to make do with IKEA furniture, I had to find the best looking things for the least amount of money (even  at IKEA!) This was two years ago, don t freak out, guys. We ended up buying the Klippan Love Seat for our main living room seating at the time it seemed like a good choice, it was the absolute cheapest sofa they had, it was small (which we wanted) and the design was pretty minimalist and not something we couldn t live with.

In retrospect, however, I need to warn the world of this evil piece of design. Please. No matter how little your budget is, do not, I repeat, DO NOT buy the Klippan Love Seat. Unless, of course, you like struggling with overflowing slipcovers and plastic tube things that pop out of the sides. Guys, you know I love the Swedish institution, my previous post on IKEA Essentials is proof of that, but this sofa design was clearly a bad intern s summer project that somehow made it to the shelves! I have struggled with this sofa for about two years now and the bad thing (or good?) is that it just won t fall apart! Okay maybe it isn t so bad. Anyway, I really think you should spend a couple hundred more and get a better IKEA sofa (if you must buy IKEA) than get this and curse it for the rest of its life. If anyone has had a good experience with this guy, please tell me about it I m sure the Klippan might have worked out for some folks!

I think this narrative is getting really long and boring (?) now. (Tell me in the comments section below if you d like to hear more narrative like posts!) The point is, this post stems from my experience with a budget sofa and I want everyone to have better options even if they re working with a tight budget and space. It s hard to find nice looking sofas that fit a small space and are under a certain budget, so I thought I d put together a list for everyone who s thinking of buying one.

You re very welcome ;)

Without further ado, here are the seven small space sofas under $600, in no particular order:

Priced well under $600, this elegant sofa is an easy choice for a small space. This number is from Overstock and after buying our bed from Joss and Main, don t find it hard to make big purchases online without seeing the piece in person. The best thing is to do your research before making a decision. You re very likely to find people online who have had first hand experience with the brand or even the same sofa!

I really like the nail-head detailing on this sofa from Joss and Main, again, an online retailer. When I was doing my research for this post I saw this guy on their website but the flash sale is unfortunately over now :( However, similar pieces and even the same ones are featured multiple times at the website and  this is just an example of the kind of stuff you can find there. Joss and Main is one of my favorite online stores for home decor, furniture, kitchenware and bedding, among other things. Their customer service is great and they re really quick to answer any questions about an item if you message them on their website or on their facebook page.

The Karlie sofa is a mid-century meets modern tufting kind of design. I love that it s from Macy s so you have the option of paying the cost over a period of time. If you don t care for the Praline color, it also comes in a burnt orange for the brave souls out there!

Another sofa from Macy s, the Chloe Velvet is sure to add glam to your living area. I like the pop of soft blue and it would look really pretty in a white space. Actually, I think a friend of mine has this piece (in cream) in her one bedroom apartment and it looks and feels great! Also, it s the perfect size for a small apartment, but not too small to be awkward :D

I m all about clean and simple design with crisp lines so you can play with texture and color. The Nockeby is a great example of what IKEA excels at minimalist and functional design. Okay so sometimes a small space needs one large piece to set it up and only working with small-scale furniture can really make the space look boring. Play with scale by adding one large piece (this guy right here) but make sure your other elements are small so it doesn t cramp up the space!

This is one of my favorite sofas from IKEAs catalog right now! I love the mid-century leg design and the dark grey fabric. The short armrests also add interest to the design. Love it! The best part is, you also get a whole bunch of options for the fabric and legs, as well. Points for IKEA. *woo*

I had to put a Chesterfield on this list, it just wouldn t have been complete without one. This one, however, is perfect for a small space and won t crowd the living room unlike regular Chesterfield sofas. I came very close to purchasing this last year, the price was so great and I love the design but then I backed out last minute and decided to wait for a Crate and Barrel design that I fell for.

There you have it folks, a great round up of budget small space sofas that won t disappoint on quality or design. If, like me, Crate and Barrel isn t in your budget right now (why oh why) then you ve got some great options for small space sofas right here! I missed out on World Market in this list, they also have good furniture at a low price point, so do check out your local store. Is there a sofa you d like to be on this list? Tell me about it!