Backyard Remodel - DIY Sofa & Loveseat

Now that our deck is pretty much complete, we needed to find something that we could relax on. We have been looking at sectionals and outdoor sofas for awhile but everything we found cost more than it did to build our deck so it didn't make much sense for us to buy. We enjoyed building our coffee table and console so we thought we'd try to do something ourselves.

We found something we liked at Nebraska Furniture Mart that was on clearance for $1,500 - and it was only one piece.

We checked out one of our favorite DIY sites, and Ana White had created a similar version that resembled a sofa from Restoration Hardware so we had to try it. She provides great instructions, a shopping list and a cut list that's easy to follow. Luckily, we still had Dad's pickup so we went shopping at Home Depot...

That's a lot of wood

Excited to get started on a new project

Next, we needed to start making the cuts. We decided to build a sofa and a love seat at the same time so we did all the cuts together.

Keeping an eye on all the wood

 Someone kept sitting right behind the saw...

Covered in saw dust

For the loveseat

Once we made all the cuts and piles for each project, we broke out the Kreg Jig and started pre-drilling all the holes.

Definitely recommend the Kreg Jig

 We started by putting together the legs for each project.

Showin' some leg

Then we attached the rest of the supports to build the frame and we brought them up to the deck to see how well they fit.

The boys seem pretty happy with the sofa

And the love seat

They both work on the deck

 Then it was time to add the extra supports for the seat.

Adding support and tacking everything down

Next, we added the slats for the bottom of the seat. We used the nail gun to save some time (it was pretty hot out!). Tequila is not a fan of the nail gun, so he had to make sure things didn't get out of control.

Supervising

 Then we added the back slats to the love seat and decided to call it a night after a 13-hour work day.

95* at night did not make for a comfortable day...time to relax

 The next morning we got up to finish the sofa and start some of the prep work with painting.

Start of a new day

Of course, Tequila had to check out his new love seat.

Not too shabby

 Since we knew what we were doing, it didn't take long to attach the back to the sofa.

With the attached back

Ready for the next step

We started prepping them to paint, so the first thing we did was add wood filler to smooth out any of the cracks and since it was hot we were able to start sanding almost right away.

Sanding complete

Since we were using bare wood, we had to make sure to use outdoor paint and a lot of primer to seal it and lock out moisture. We began priming with Zinsser using a brush.

First coat of primer

About 1/2 way through the sofa we realized that we should have probably painted the wood first before putting it together because getting into all of the nooks and crannies of the slats was not easy with a brush, Since we didn't want to take everything apart, we decided to splurge on a paint sprayer. We found one that attached to the air compressor and will never go back. It was really hot out, even in the evening, so we were really thankful it helped cut down the time and was able to reach areas we couldn't with a brush.

So much easier

We used 2 coats of primer and started with the paint. You need to wait at least 24 hours between coats, so it's been a busy (and hot) week.

First coat of outdoor paint

We added a second coat of paint and let it sit for about 48 hours to let it cure a bit. Then it was time to take them out back to see how they looked.

They fit!

Then we brought out the cushions. It took quite a bit of time to find cushions that matched our style and our budget but after a lot of searching and a few trips to the store, we found exactly what we needed and they were over 60% off!

A little sunny but someone found his spot

My handsome boys

We still have more to do, but we are really happy with the result. The best part is that we spent a fraction of what it would have cost to buy them to build them - even with all the cushions we bought. It's almost time to start firing up the BBQ :)

Someone really likes his new sofa

We'll have more to share next week with some better pictures...until then, we'll be resting trying to get over this summer cold. Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend!

XOXO,

Sara, Brian & Tequila