Outdoor Sectional

When we moved into our new home this summer, one of the very first things we wanted was patio furniture.  We have a great backyard and were really looking forward to sitting outside and enjoying it.

Unfortunately, for me I fell in love with a beautiful and very expensive outdoor sectional at Crate & Barrel.  After the heartbreaking reality set in that we couldn't afford the sectional I wanted, I started searching for one we could afford.  Little did I realize that all the sectionals I liked were either too expensive or were poorly made.  Luckily, as I searched the web I ran across a great site, Ana-White.com.  This site is a DIY fanatics dream.  There are hundreds of free plans for all types of furniture.
Did you find a sectional you ask??? Why yes, I most certainly did :-)  There were plans for this great Simple Modern Outdoor Sectional.

Simple Modern Outdoor Sectional - Ana-White.com

I enlisted the help of my hubby, since I am a little apprehensive about using a circular saw.  He did all of the wood cuts to ensure I didn't cut off a finger.  I counter-sinked all of the holes and we both put in the screws.

After all the benches were put together it was time to putty and sand all of the holes.  Patience is definitely a virtue I am lacking.   So for me, waiting for the putty to dry and sanding was probably the most time consuming part of the entire build.

We didn't attach the benches to each other so we could move them around as needed.

Once all the putty and sanding were done, I put a stain on the sectional to protect the wood from the elements.  I used Cabot Australian Timber oil in honey teak that I purchased from Lowe's.

I love bright colors so I was hoping to find cushions that were either orange (my favorite color) or red.  I was able to find the perfect cushions online at Wal-Mart.

Building this sectional was so much better than purchasing one.  First it was a heck of a lot cheaper.  The wood and supplies totaled about $250.  The cushions were the most expensive.  I spent around $500 for all 15 pillows (I purchased the red accent pillow from Garden Ridge).

Second it was so gratifying to make this on our own.  Now I have a list of things from Ana White's website that I am going to build.  I do plan to take a class at Home Depot or Lowe's to help me learn how to use the power tools.
It took us about 1 week to finish the project.  We could have completed it in one day if we were able to, but kids and life got in the way.

We also built a small table to go with the sectional, but I have been too lazy to finish the putty and stain it :-(

The patio also needs a little work, I want to refinish the concrete so it will look better.  I will share that project with you also.