So I did it, I bought a SECTIONAL for our porch for my husband for Father’s Day.  He deserves it.  It is the Echo collection from Pier One. And blends nicely with the Kaboo chairs from World Market I already had on the porch. The Echo has a good support and is three separate pieces.  Not cheap but reasonable on sale compared to Restoration or trade sources for outdoor furniture.

It won’t last forever but my love it probably won’t either;;

This all started one day when my husband came inside after being out in the yard with our boys and said “I need a chaise lounge thing”…this announcement kind of scared me a bit.  I had visions of he and my boys in Home Depot purchasing something tacky (no offense honey) not that there are not some lovely option at the Home Depot (hello Martha Stewart collection) BUT I of course wanted to have input into this decision and possible addition to our outdoor decor.

So of course there are three issues:  DESIGN, COST & DURABILITY.

So yes OUTDOOR FURNITURE IS SOOOOO PRICEY.  I am amazed how many people spend more on outside furniture than i have spent on my inside furniture.  Which brings me to the next point…and that is price point.  Like anything else in our economy there are various options, knockoffs, quality etc.

I will tell y’all what is really pricey….the CUSHIONS.  If you want to save, buy foam and make your own cushions…will save you a fortune!

Then durability.  My husband is a big man..in fact none of us are tiny including the three (soon to be four) year old so I knew we needed something sturdy but we did not have room for a double chaise and frankly I didn’t see a single chase making it too long on my porch. So this one is three sections, good underside support. Seems durable so far.  At least as durable as I discovered I could probably get for less than a the price of a used car.

 And this basket looking, sturdy wicker design.  Well I love it I must admit. Cushions are outdoor fabric but throw pillows are not.  I am a wild and crazy like that using regular pillows outside!

Our porch is long and narrow…basically like a bowling alley and we have a dining zone at one end so a sitting area at the other end made perfect sense (especially since the big tacky kid blow up pool is right near that side of our screen porch!)

 I really felt a chaise was going to “stick out” too far into the walkway to the garage (and our fancy laundry room a.k.a CLOSET) so when I spotted this mini sectional at Pier One I knew I had stumbled onto something. It’s not to big but cute and sturdy!

The poufs are $39 from Target and they are covered in outdoor fabric!  I love the stripey ones from Dash and Albert, they also outdoor rated but they are $250 each!  BUT they are a bit larger and honestly would be a better scale..oh well I will make do with Target I think;

We really enjoyed our porch this past Flag Day! Bunting by Winey Wives on etsy!

So there you go, our new outdoor investment.

And most important, well other than the fact it is comfy for my family and something my husband and kids enjoy, is how it looks from dining room where I sit with my laptop and coffee some mornings!  I love how the Target flower pillow blends with the dining drapes.  The pillows are not outdoor rated but the porch is covered and screened so I think they will be fine.  We shall see.

Several of my clients and friends and I have been working on their outdoor spaces! I am going to be sharing a few snapshots of their spaces next week (on in Midland, Texas…one in Nashville and one in Houston).  One was a huge investment, one was a small porch with a smaller budget and one was what I would call “mid range.”  For now, I am headed to MAINE, yes MAINE for a little work and play.  I can’t wait for the cooler temps and see lots of these chairs! The true outdoor furniture classic!

Where have you found good outdoor furniture? Was it worth the investment?