The past few years we have been transforming our deck into a “living room.” For twenty-some years, our deck was down a flight of steps just outside our back door. We didn’t use it often because it required carrying many things up and down.
When we built our addition, we added a deck at the same level as our living area (which is on the second floor.) We get so much more use out of the deck now. We started with our old table and chairs which is all we had. We ate outside when it was nice, but didn’t hang out there too often.
About five years ago, we decided to purchase a sofa. Outdoor furniture sets were really expensive. Our budget directed us to Target where we purchased a love seat and two chairs. I believe it was the Heatherstone wicker set. It wasn’t what I had hoped for, but it was a start.
We created a seating nook and kept our glass table and chairs. We really enjoyed the seating area. We could sit and talk, read, or just hang out there.
Last year, we wanted to add a sofa. The matching sofa was still listed on Target’s website, but it was not available anywhere in the US. So we purchased one from Walmart that looked similar. It’s close enough, but the construction is not as good. The cushions fall and there is not much support under the seat. I added a rolled-up piece of foam behind the back cushions to make it more comfortable. It will do for now and it has been a lovely space to take naps. The U-shaped seating area is conducive to conversation.
Our glass table and chairs were starting to rust. Also, the way the legs were designed, they hampered seating. So we sold it on Buy Sell Trade and I searched around for a new one. Again, I found one I liked at Target. The legs are at the corners of the table. I bought their open stock chairs, which were cheaper and are easy to stack so when we store these for the winter they won’t take up too much space. Being linear people, we really love the lines. My husband painted the coffee table, which we bought with the love seat, black. We also bought three, foldable side tables.
This year my husband restained the deck. It is 13 years old and he has consistently maintained it. However, we were tired of the grey and he wanted to try something different. We were leaning toward green, but there are so many shades to choose from. We settled on one that has a little bit of blue in it. When he finished, I was worried it contrasted too much with all the green in our yard. However, I love the rich look of the color.
Next up, my husband asked if I could recover the pillows to tie in the color. I selected a fabric from Joanns with stripey shades of green that capture the floor color.
My husband loved them so much, he asked if I could make a few more, perhaps in orange for contrast.
When I returned to the store, I saw this bird fabric hanging next to the original and I thought it was fitting. Sitting on our deck, surrounded by trees, is like being in a tree house. It really is a unique setting.
We typically bring our cushions in every night and store them behind our sofa. It’s a bit of a pain, but it’s the best system we currently have. The weather we’ve been having in Cleveland lately has been outstanding. We leave the cushions out until rain is predicted. A bird “bombarded” one of the pillows. I tried spot cleaning it but was grossed out so I put the pillow cover into the washing machine and air dried it. It washed up beautifully!
I have made so many pillows lately that I can whip them out. A bit of Sunday sewing made for a more interesting deck!
I hope that you are enjoying your summer!
