The combination of this sunny weather and hosting Clara’s pink-and-gold party outside has us thinking about the outdoors again. Picture me in spit-up-stained overalls and a striped hat, trying to shield my tired, new-parent eyes. It feels especially satisfying because we spent months last year renovating the sunroom: ripping up the old carpet, removing broken doors, lifting the ceiling, doing electrical work, installing a plank ceiling, hanging two fans, and tiling the floor. Right now there’s an indoor daybed from West Elm sitting outside (definitely not its long-term fate), an old Ikea coffee table, and a couple of dining chairs that haven’t made it back inside since the party.
We borrowed two of those dining chairs and four outdoor chairs from the dining room for extra seating at the party, and seeing the space filled with mismatched, temporary furniture made us crave something more permanent. So the hunt for an outdoor sofa began.
We decided starting with the largest piece would help us plan the rest of the space. Since we already have a dining table with an umbrella on the deck, we wanted a cushy lounge area shaded by the sunroom-turned-veranda. We preferred woven wicker looks over wood or metal and loved the high-end pieces we’d seen, but those were outside our budget. We also wanted Sunbrella fabric for its reputation for durability, so we checked out several options.
- We liked the style of a Crate & Barrel sofa we found. It came in Sunbrella and was on sale, but it was still pricey and its two- or three-piece base raised concerns that the sections might drift apart over time. We preferred a single-piece sofa to avoid that problem.
- A Pottery Barn couch looked amazing and felt very luxe, but upgrading to Sunbrella fabric added several hundred dollars, and the particular model we liked eventually went out of stock.
- Another Pottery Barn option we considered came in two sizes. The smaller version felt more like a loveseat, and the larger would fit our space, but neither included Sunbrella fabric without an extra charge.
- There was a much cheaper wicker-style sofa on Amazon with excellent ratings at first glance. However, some one-star reviews reported the wicker falling apart after one season, which made us hesitant to choose it for a long-term area like our sunroom.
- We saw a beautiful wicker frame from Restoration Hardware in person. It looked great, but the base was sold separately from the cushions, and the combined cost added up quickly.
- We kept coming back to a Home Depot option in collaboration with a respected outdoor brand. It included Sunbrella fabric, came with generous warranties on the frame and fabric, offered white-glove delivery, and had a reasonable price compared to other options.
Along the way we also scoped out Craigslist, Joss & Main, Overstock, Hayneedle, and Wayfair, but nothing felt as right as the options we’d seen in person. Being able to sit on a floor model and test comfort, height, and fabric texture proved invaluable. When we finally found a floor model of the Home Depot/Brown Jordan chair, it confirmed our choice: it was comfortable, well-made, and looked great in person. That pushed us to order the sofa.
Though the price wasn’t insignificant, we hope this will be a long-lasting investment for the sunroom, which is intended to be a finished, permanent space rather than something we’ll redo in phases. Once the sofa arrives, it should kick-start other updates we’ve been meaning to tackle: building a coffee table, installing sconces for ambient lighting, adding an outdoor-friendly table on the opposite side, and bringing in finishing touches like potted plants and side tables.
Until then, you’ll probably find me in the driveway holding a very cute baby and anxiously awaiting the delivery truck. Deep breaths — but yes, we’re excited for the next step in making the sunroom a cozy, durable outdoor living space.