The combination of all this nice weather and hosting Clara’s party outside have us back on The Outdoor Update Train. Chugga chugga, baby. Just picture me wearing spit-up-stained overalls with a striped hat to shade my mom-to-an-adorable-baby-who-wakes-up-all-night eyes. It’s particularly exciting because we worked for a few months last year to renovate the sunroom by ripping up the old carpet, removing the old broken doors, lofting the ceiling, getting some electrical work done, installing a plank ceiling, hanging two fans, and tiling the floor. There’s currently a daybed out there (an indoor daybed from West Elm, which has no long-term business being outside) along with an ancient Ikea coffee table. And two of our dining room chairs haven’t made it back inside since the birthday party.
We stole those two chairs, plus four of their brethren from the dining room for extra party seating (they’re outdoor chairs from Target) – and seeing the space filled up with all that temporary/borrowed/mismatched furniture really got us craving some more permanent pieces out there. And so the hunt for an outdoor sofa began.
We figured that buying the biggest piece first would help us determine what other items we’ll need to fill things out. And since we already have a dining table with an umbrella on the deck, we thought a cushy lounge area in the shade of the sunroom-turned-veranda was in order. We knew we wanted that woven wicker look over something wooden or metal (we both fell hard for the Arhaus furniture at the showhouse, but it was more than we wanted to spend). We also wanted Sunbrella fabric, which we hear is super durable and long-lasting, so here are a few of the things we checked out:
1. We liked the look of this sofa from Crate & Barrel, but we heard from a few friends with similar sofas that two-piece or three-piece bases can drift apart, so we’d rather have a sofa that’s all one piece. We did like that it came with Sunbrella fabric, and we appreciated that it was on sale, although it was still $2,222.
2. This Pottery Barn couch looked amazing to us. So luxe and cushy. When we first saw it, it was selling for around $2,000 I think – but it was $399 more to upgrade to Sunbrella fabric – and now it’s no longer available. Womp.
3. This is another Pottery Barn option that’s still available, but the $1,400 version (pictured above) is more of a loveseat. Our space would need the larger $1,800 option, but neither of them came with Sunbrella fabric, which was an additional upcharge of $300+.
4. We saw this one on Amazon for $489 (so much cheaper than the others!) with a really promising 4.5 star rating. I excitedly read about how much people loved it… but then I discovered the one star reviews from people who had theirs for more than one season. Apparently the wicker fell apart after one summer of use for a number of people. Another womp.
5. We’ve seen this baby from Restoration Hardware in the showroom and it’s gorgeous! But the fact that it’s sold without any cushions (it’s $1500 for the wicker part and an additional $555 for the Sunbrella cushions) was kind of a bummer.
6. We had also been eying this one from Home Depot since hearing awesome things about the brand (Brown Jordan) having a really well made product. It comes with a 15 year frame warranty, a 5 year fabric warranty, and free white-glove shipping (they carry it wherever you want it and unwrap it/place it for you). We also appreciated the $1,399 price tag and the fact that it comes standard with Sunbrella fabric.
While on our little sofa hunt, we also checked places like Craigslist, Joss & Main, Overstock, Hayneedle, and Wayfair but didn’t see anything we liked as much. We really appreciated being able to see as many of our options in person as we could – just to make sure they were comfortable, not too low to the ground, and the fabric wasn’t scratchy. In fact, when we stumbled upon a floor model of the Home Depot/Brown Jordan option (technically it was the chair from that set) it pushed us over the edge. It was comfortable and it looked great in person. Boom, this guy was on his way to our house:
Although the price is nothing to sneeze at, we hope that it’ll be a nice long-lasting choice for us, which is the goal with the sunroom (there’s no Phase 2 out there). Its arrival should be the kick-start to some other updates that we’ve meaning to get going on back there, like making a coffee table, installing some sconces for lighting/ambiance, adding an outdoor-friendly table to fill out the other side of the space, and introducing some finishing touches (potted plants, side tables, etc).
Until then, you can find me standing in the driveway holding an adorable baby and waiting for the delivery truck. Really, I need to calm down.
Anne @ Stoneybrooke Story says
That Home Depot couch is beautiful and looks very high end for the price!
We bought the Amazon Strathwood collection (1 couch and 2 chairs) in early Summer 2012 and I’m happy to report that after 2 years the set still looks brand new. That’s after some neighbors let their two year old smear melted marshmallow and chocolate all over it! The “wicker” is holding up great and we’ve washed the cushion about 3 times to see them come out stain free with no noticeable wear from washing. Overall I still give it 5 stars!
I think the key is making sure to cover them with good quality covers when not in use. We first used some cheap covers from amazon that got moldy and gross after 1 winter. Last year we sprung for some CoverMate covers (also available on Amazon) for all our outdoor furniture and they are AMAZING. They don’t get stiff or moldy like cheap covers and they have really helped keep our budget furniture looking beautiful!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Anne!
xo
s
Kelly says
The furniture looks great. Sounds like the Home Depot one was a good pick. I have to admit my feelings on Pottery Barn furniture are a little sour because the pieces I got from there (dresser and nightstand) have held up horribly over the years and I ordered another piece that I had to return because it was damaged out of the box.
YoungHouseLove says
Yikes, that stinks!
xo
s
Colleen says
How do you guys prefer to hang those paper lanterns you often use for parties? I have some but haven’t figured out the best way to attach them to an indoor ceiling without pulling off the paint.
YoungHouseLove says
We like using string and masking tape over clear tape (doesn’t peel paint like the clear stuff can).
xo
s
Kim says
LOVE your outdoor sofa choice. I’ve been looking for quite a while also. Here in the Midwest, the key to our own long-lasting patio furniture has been (1) keeping cushions indoors when not in use (2) covering in winter months, and (3) repainting (metal) as needed. We have some very nice outdoor tables, chairs etc. and also had two Kmart (Martha Stewart) table+5 chair-with-removable-cushion sets for 15 years. They were a whopping $399 per set. [Just sold a set at a garage sale for $100. LOL] We have a pool & a lake house, so we’re outdoors & using furniture often. Lots of wet bottoms in the chairs. If you make sure it’s all dry, store cushions when not in use or, if not covered, and they will last for years.
Susan (Between Naps on the Porch) says
Sherry & John, I love that one and Sunbrella fabric is so great! Love the one you chose! Do you think you guys might ever put a pool in your backyard?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh how I would love a small salt water one someday. Maybe when the kids are bigger?
xo
s
Marcia says
Have you guys thought of wooden outdoor furniture? I’ve been on the hunt for some budget friendly patio furniture too and came across lots of diy pallet couches that were really beautiful. I also really loved Ikea’s ÄPPLARÖ set. I tried it out in store and it was pretty comfortable.
YoungHouseLove says
Ana-white.com has some amazing plans to make stuff! We were considering building something but then we saw the wicker-look stuff by Arhaus and just fell hardest for that look, so we opted to go that route. Will have to check out the Applaro set though, sounds great!
xo
s
Corbett says
I’m not sure if you have a store like this in your area, but in SoCal we have a store called Just Like The Model. It’s a huge warehouse that sells everything from model homes, so they always have lots of unused really high end outdoor staging furniture for more than 50% off. Just an idea :)
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds amazing!
xo
s
Dee Dee Shaffer says
It looks like you made a fine choice with Home Depot but I must mention that the drifting apart issue mentioned for the Crate and Barrel piece is not accurate. Maybe other brands drift but with the Crate and Barrel sofa comes brackets that keep the sofa together. Then when it is time to store for the winter you take the brackets off and you can stack them in storage. Much easier for us than storing an entire sofa sized piece. If any of your fans buy the crate and barrel piece they will NOT BE DISAPPOINTED. I do not work for c&b, I’m just a very satisfied customer and want to pass on more accurate info to you and your readers.
YoungHouseLove says
So glad to hear that!
xo
s
jamie says
sliiiightly off subject, but have you guys come across some magic solution to the east coast bugs? i live in NC, and, as much as i want to hang outside, the pesky creatures are rather discouraging. creepy crawlies aside, good luck with that sofa and getting more naps!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Jamie! Our secret are those two fans. Mosquitoes don’t like flying when there’s a current so we haven’t been bothered when we’re in that area so far. If we’re out there we flip them on. I also hear planting certain things can fend off certain bugs (in pots on your porch for example). Hope it helps!
xo
s