It’s here!
The outdoor sectional + chair + coffee table we bought for the deck arrived and, even though nights are getting chilly around these parts, we went ahead and set everything up. Because we’re impatient. Assembly was non-existent. The only thing we had to do was remove the furniture and cushions from boxes then place everything where we wanted it. These shots aren’t styled AT. ALL. Like I mentioned before, I probably won’t focus on this outdoor space anymore {at least not hands-on} until next spring.
As for the furniture layout, I taped the dimensions of the furniture onto the deck before we ordered it. When all the pieces were removed from the shipping boxes, we knew exactly where we wanted what. Painter’s tape doesn’t lie. The arrangement and proportions of the furniture are perfect! The longest side of the sectional sits parallel with the back of the house. The side chair is opposite and angled in. This leaves plenty of room for foot traffic from each of the adjacent patios and it feels as if you’re walking into/through a real room. Similar to not shoving furniture up against all the walls of an interior room, the outdoor furniture “floats” in the center of the deck away from the edges.
We deliberately left a gap between the house and the back of the sectional. This way, we have easy access to an outdoor water faucet {it’s rarely used as we have another one on the front of the house}, cable hookup and electric meter.
We’re really happy with the furniture. The cushions are comfy. You can’t feel the wicker-like base through them. We knew from reading reviews that we’ll probably need to add some throw pillows to further improve back comfort but the sofa is not at all uncomfortable as-is. It’s comfy! In fact, once we sat down to try it out we didn’t get up for a long time.
The outdoor fabric and synthetic rattan are quality materials. The cushion covers are zippered and machine washable so they can be removed and cleaned easily. Whenever we purchase/paint something white, we always get a few raised eyebrows because apparently kids + white = incompatible. But, what I’ve discovered with kids + white is quite the opposite. White has a way of looking clean even when it’s dirty. {Unless it’s really, really filthy.} Something about the brightness of it tricks the eye. So, no, we aren’t scared of the white cushions getting dirty. They are outside and we have kids. They are going to get dirty. Not a big deal. I’ll wash them from time to time and they should be fine. I’ve also thought about putting some kind of plastic storage tote behind the sectional to toss cushions and pillows into when it’s raining but I won’t be babying the furniture. I don’t have time for that.
When we ordered the set, I wasn’t too keen on the coffee table but it’s growing on me. It’s nice and low with a tempered glass top perfect for resting drinks and snacks on. I can’t promise I won’t tweak it later on down the road but, for now, it works.
I purposefully took these photos on a sunny day and left them unedited so you could see how much of our uncovered deck is shaded by the house’s deep overhang. The deck is on the north side of the house. These photos were taken shortly after noon. The sectional and coffee table are completely shaded and the side chair is in full sun. In the dead of summer, the coffee table and part of the sectional might receive a little bit of sunlight but, for the most part, they should stay shaded.
This is the view looking over towards the dining patio. {Don’t mind the massive dirt and weed hill in the background. That mound is leftover from our excavating days. We’ll use it to backfill around the deck at some point and, eventually, we want to add a kitchen garden to that part of the yard.} The deck and patio furniture don’t match but they complement each other well.
There are two things I should point out about the new deck furniture just in case anyone else is looking to buy.
1) The furniture is pretty light and easily moved around on the deck. We haven’t noticed it shifting when we sit down but if we do, we’ll probably come up with a way to clamp adjacent sectional pieces together. Also, I could see heavy tornado-like winds blowing these pieces all over. But, that’s what tornados do I guess.
2) The rattan pattern isn’t consistent from piece to piece so adjacent pieces of the sectional don’t match up exactly. We were prepared for this though, as the sales pictures are quite accurate. It doesn’t bother us but it might bother someone else.
All in all, we’re really happy with our purchase! We’ve already spent hours relaxing on the sectional and taking in the view from the deck. I’m scheming ideas for throw pillows, greenery and a way to disguise the electric meter. It would be nice to have solid plans in place so once spring comes next year, I can act quickly to bring them to life. I’ll keep you updated!
This post was not sponsored in any way. I just love sharing good stuff!
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images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking
family life, interior design, kid-friendly