We finished the deck a few months ago. The moment it was done, HH and I started searching for furniture to put on it. We see ourselves hanging out casually on the deck – both as a family and as a couple pretending we don’t have kids after the kids are in bed. We’ll do some entertaining out there as well but most of our get togethers will be with family or friends whom have children so we envision a laid-back and super comfy atmosphere. Ideally, I wanted sectional. I’ve had this feeling from the start {before the deck was even finished} that an outdoor sectional should live on the deck.
Even though we started looking at furniture shortly after the deck was completed, we weren’t itching to buy something right away. We wanted to get a feel for what was available, come up with a price point, save some money and read a bunch of reviews. We knew if we waited until closer to fall, we could potentially take advantage of end of summer sales.
The hardest part was setting a budget. After reading a ton of reviews and product descriptions and figuring out what we wanted from an outdoor sectional, we were in sticker shock. When it came right down to it, we were sure of two things: 1) we wanted a simple, modern sectional large enough to not be dwarfed by our fairly large {~15′ x 17′} deck and 2) we wanted whatever we bought to last a good long while. We quickly discovered those two things would cost a pretty penny. We searched craigslist, local outlets, home improvement stores and liquidation sales {there’s a Hayneedle liquidation outlet within driving distance} to no avail. If we found something with a great price tag, it was lacking in style and/or quality. When we found dreamy sectionals, our excitement was usually dampened by crazy high prices. {I fell hard for all things mamagreen until I saw the prices!}
After weeks and weeks of searching, we kind of dropped it thinking it would be another year before we would commit. We spent a lot of time on our naked deck {not on our deck naked}. The kids used it as a stage or outdoor floor for play. We had picnics on towels. I would workout on the deck while the boys were in school and Mabrey was napping. HH and I would pop out on the deck at night after the kids were in bed and talk about how nice it would be to actually have something to sit on. Once we saw how much we were using the deck without furniture, we were giddy all over again and decided to start the search back up. Hardcore.
Keeping our desires {aesthetics + durability} in mind, we set a limit of $1,500. OUCH. However, we didn’t want to throw money at something we didn’t really like and we didn’t want to spend less now just to have to spend more to replace lower quality furniture in a year or three.
After extensive efforts {i.e., a lot of googling}, we narrowed the selection down to these five options…
1 – IKEA Ammerö While the price tag of this sectional was enticing, we would essentially have needed two of them to furnish our deck like we want to. I tried out the sofa in person at our local IKEA and was less than impressed with the comfort. The cushions are super thin and not at all conducive to outdoor movie nights – which are totally happening someday. Also, I read about the thin legs buckling easily. So even though it was the cheapest option, it was, er, the cheapest option and we would rather spend more $$$ on something that would better stand the tests of time and comfort.
2 – Lloyd Flanders Soho Aesthetically, this was my favorite. But once I mapped out the dimensions on the deck with painter’s tape, it was smaller than what we had envisioned. We would have still needed to purchase a few side chairs to provide the extra seating we were after and the sectional alone was already well beyond our price limit. Sadly, we had to cross this one off the list. But I still love it in my dreams. Soho for.evah.
3 – La Jolla This bad boy had all the seating we wanted and more, all within our price range! We really liked the white wicker-like bases and we thought the peridot cushions would be a fun outdoor color against the red brick of the house. But, again, we read less than stellar reviews claiming the skinny legs – which I prefer aesthetically – bent easily and the peridot cushions faded quickly. In the end, we chucked this one because we didn’t want to fall for the “buy as much as you can!” trap and we also questioned the quality.
4 – Corona {white & peridot} This sectional + table + chair turned out to have the exact dimensions we were looking for to fill the deck nicely but still allow good traffic flow. We thought the white wicker would tie in nicely with our outdoor dining chairs but were skeptical of the peridot cushions, fearing they would fade or we would tire of the color over time. We did like that this option had a squattier base and better reviews than the styles with taller, thinner legs. The main reason we threw this one out was because we found…
5 – Corona {sepia & white} YAY! It’s the perfect size in our price range with good reviews, squat legs, neutral colors and just enough funk to take it off the beaten path. HH and I were both immediately smitten when we found this set but we slept on it just to be sure it was the one. It was. We think the patterned wicker is awesome and weird. It’s sort of a modern take on vintage houndstooth or plaid. It’s not necessarily a pattern I would use inside the house but exterior “rooms” can handle bolder patterns and colors. I think the pattern gives the furniture more interest and texture, too. The white cushions shouldn’t fade as noticeably as the peridot cushions and they give us the freedom to explore different color schemes over the years. We read that the back cushions weren’t super comfy on their own and that added throw pillows really improve the comfort. Um, yes, I can do throw pillows. Bring it. The only thing I’m not crazy about is the matching coffee table but I couldn’t find where we could opt out of it. We’ll see what it looks like in real life. If we’re not feelin’ the matchy-matchy look, we’ll probably sell it and try something else.
As for where we bought the sectional from, we googled the sofa’s name and followed every link until we found the best deal. We’d never heard of LexMod before but they ended up giving us the best price + free shipping. I was able to find a 5% coupon online so our total was ~$1,300. $200 under budget!
The new outdoor furniture is set to arrive in a few days. I’m excited to see it in person on the deck and SIT ON IT. Furniture on a deck. Now there’s a novel idea. Oh, and for your viewing pleasure, the dimensions of the furniture – minus the coffee table – taped off on the deck…
With the sofa decided, I’ve started messing around with ideas for plants, pillows and other deck décor. The ideas probably won’t come to fruition until next spring but it’s fun to think about!
images: 1 & 3) Dana Miller for House*Tweaking 2) polyvore collage, linked within
family life, interior design, kid-friendly