Outdoor Sofa

It’s time for a patio makeover!!!!! After years of apartment living and several cross country moves, we finally have a patio space that needed some TLC and decor. Patio furniture can be super expensive though and with a limited budget, we needed to get creative! My wife had been telling me a list of all the things I could build to put in the patio for months. Who does she think I am? Bob Villa? I didn’t even own a saw and she had a “honey do” list a mile long of furniture requests and home improvements.

If I was going to start tackling this list, I needed a saw. Yes, I know most home improvement stores will cut a certain amount of lumber for free, but I did not want to be “that person” with a mile long list of cuts I needed. I decided it was time to bite the bullet and buy a saw. Now, the trauma nurse in me is terrified of using saws because I have seen the results of saw vs hand or other appendage too many times. I decided a miter saw was going to work best for my comfort level and needs.  I went with a RYOBI 10in Compound Miter that was functional and affordable……along with ALL the safety equipment that would keep me from being a patient in my own trauma center.

Now I had my saw, I needed some plans that were relatively simple as this was going to be my first attempt at any kind of full on DIY building.  I decided on these Outdoor Sofa plans on Ana White’s website and got to work!

The plans are simple and use only 2x4s. I made my cuts and began the base frame.

Then I made the arm rest pieces.

Then attached them together.

Next, I attached the boards for the seat and the one board for the back.

After attaching the top board to the back, I decided to add an additional board for support. This is where things got a little messy. I did not have a pocket hole jig, nor did I want to take off the top board to screw in extra support board so I just kind of winged it and tried to feel in the screws at an angle and hope for the best. In doing this, one side of the board is a bit uneven, but is unnoticeable with the cushions in place. If I could go back, I would have done that differently.

I sanded the entire sofa and decided to seal and waterproof it with Olympic Waterguard Clear Wood Sealer rather than stain it with any particular color.

One thing mentioned in the plans is to build the bench according to the cushions you are using. DEFINITELY do that! I went exactly by the measurements in the plans and looked for cushions later (I don’t follow directions well I guess). I ended up finding a good deal on the cushions at Big Lots on clearance, but due to the size of the cushions, they are normally a bit pricey. Here is the final project with cushions: