Wow. I thought I was going to make it through this winter season without experiencing the SADZ, but this week I have just been dragging. I’m sick of the chapped lips, I’m sick of the snow, I’m sick of the dirt, I’m sick of the gray, I’m sick of coats and boots, I’m sick of pretending I’m not wearing pajamas all day, I’m sick of it all!!! I tried to fight the good fight this year, I tried to embrace the winter as best I could. I/We did a pretty good job for sure, but man, it’s been getting to me! I don’t know if it’s necessarily mentally healthy to start dreaming about the spring, but I’m doing it, and it’s soothing. Wrap me up in a blanket and give me a pacifier, (aka a device where I can search for patio furniture and research decking), and I’ll be happy-ish, at least I’ll stop crying.
Aren’t you guys glad you come here :)
Anyways, I’m still very much considering transforming our concrete slab located in the back corner of our yard into some sort of useful and pretty patio, wherein we can chill all summer long. In doing such considerations I have also been ruminating on a budget, and have been trying to figure out if this thing is really possible. My ideal situation would involve this project costing zero dollars, but since that is kinda unrealistic, I’m searching for affordable outdoor sectionals that still look not-totally-crappy. There are some contenders in this bunch, and I’m still very much always liking the price of the Ikea pieces, I’m just wondering how well they really hold up and look. Anyone with experience in this dept please chime in and let your girlfriend (aka me) know what you think. Part of me sometimes just wants to blow the budget and go for a piece like this, because A) it is large enough for me and all of my friends to hang out on, B) has nice mid-century-ish lines and tufting, C) looks a little bit more tailored, and D) has not that boring brown wicker that most of America must love. Howeves, that would defeat the purpose of having a budget and I’d have to cut somewhere else, I’m proposing the kids’ school lunches. Out of this selection the top contenders would have to be #’s 1 | 10 | 13 & 15.
Thoughts? Have you been there, done that? Do you own an outdoor sectional? Do you hang out on it all the time, or never? Let me know!
And cheers my fellow Eirelanders, my ancestry DNA tells me I’m 11% Irish, I’ll probably have to drink some Jame-O and eat a potato tonight, shucks.
hey there! long-time lurker, first-time commenter, hi!
just wanted to link you to a couple DIY outdoor sectional options:
– Ana White’s 2×4 outdoor furniture set: table; sofa; sectional
– Karen’s knock-off Restoration Hardware set: intro; build; reveal
You’d have to get/make cushions for both these, but either would be cheaper (Karen’s wasn’t but that’s because she splashed out on having her cushions made).
i feel you on the seasonal depression, hang in there! (fistbump of solidarity)
Ugh, March is the worst. I was just going to chime in with Karen’s Restoration diy. You could definitely pull this off Alison.
Oof, March. Why did it decide to be so cold the last two weeks? I’m definitely considering a DIY plan now that you guys have given me such good examples. We will see…
Hey Monica! Thanks for these links! I am new to both of these sites, so I’m excited to snoop around. Karen’s sofa is really amazing! The wheels in my brain are already turning. The biggest hurdle for me is getting cushions, I really don’t want to make any – I’ve made enough cushions in my day, and I’m over it ;)
Fistbump returned.
Hi Scoops! Do NOT make your own cushions, lol. Between the foam and the fabric it’s too much of an expense to screw up and too much of a headache. It was worth the $600 or whatever it was for me to have everything made for me. And I’m a hard core doer. :) You can *also* buy much cheaper black cushions from Ikea which are super-plain and really nice. They just weren’t thick enough for what I wanted plus they were sold out by the middle of summer when I was starting to make this behemoth. :) ~ karen!
Thanks for the feedback Karen! Your sofa turned out so great, you should be proud! I’ve made my own cushions in the past, and although they turned out pretty darn good, sewing doesn’t come naturally to me, and I’d rather just have someone else do it. Thanks for leaving a comment!
I think I remember in one of the comments on the Ryobi site, that Ana said she sized her plans to fit some Home Depot outdoor cushions.
Spring is coming!
Hi – I know this is not necessarily a thrifty option but we bought our outdoor sofa and lounge chairs from Costco with the Sunbrella fabric and they are going into their 9th season of use – despite the cringe-inducing upfront investment, I am amazed at how well they have lasted. Until a couple of years ago, we didn’t even use covers on them (in Canada, no less!) and the only damage to the cushions was from a rogue neighbourhood cat. The foam inside the set we got must also be fantastic as it is still quite firm despite an immense amount of use.
Although they are definitely not the cheapest up-front option, something to consider…
Good luck!
Hey Mark! Thanks for the advice on the sunbrella fabric. The sectional that I was looking at that was out of my price range was made of sunbrella cushions. Your comment prompted me to go take a look at my amazon shopping cart (where the sectional had been residing for the last week). To my surprise, amazon was now offering me a $200 coupon to try and entice me. Well, it worked. The sofa was now just $200 over my original budget, and with your recommendation to invest in good out door fabric, I had to do it. Plus every review I read about the sofa was 5 stars. Thanks!
Awesome! I’m sure you won’t regret it.
I agree with Karen 100%. Ten years ago I was renovating our cottage front porch and planned to hire a carpenter to build two L-shaped sectionals with storage underneath. (I don’t have your mad DIY skills unfortunately!) In the planning stage when I started pricing cushion, I was surprised to find that cushions alone cost as much as whole sectionals with cushions. I didn’t want the furniture. I really wanted built-ins, both for storage and to customize/maximize the space, so I waited until December outdoor sales and bought enough Sunbrella with piping cushions for both L-shaped sectionals. Then I had the contractor create the built-ins around them. He got a big LOL out of it, but I saved a bundle.
Hey Sally, Thanks for the comment. I love that you had your own built-in seating made, I was on the fence about the whole idea but in the end I did go ahead and order a sectional that I got for a steal made with sunbrella fabric, but I still have questions for ya. First, how is your sunbrella fabric holding up? Are you happy with it? Secondly, where did you find long ‘L’ shaped sunbrella cushions? That was one of the things that I was searching for, but couldn’t find long custom cushions. Thanks!