Wednesday, March 25, 2015

New Deck Cushions Or New Deck Furniture?

Do my long drawn out stories make you want to run from the room screaming?
I'm not sure why everything has to be a saga with me. 
Six years ago Bill and I bought the Melbourne Chat Set from Home Depot for our new deck. 
It is their Hampton Bay brand. 



I loved this set. It was a very light bluish beige with brown trim. 
It was perfect because I was really into blue and brown at the time.
By 2012, it was beyond worn out. 
That was a disappointment.
Three years is not a long time. 
The dog had fun ripping apart any cushion cover that had a hole. 


I used drop cloths to recover the existing foam cushions. 
The red and blue polka dot fabric from Walmart was fun and thrifty at only $5.00 for all of it.  
  


Bill bought green replacement cushions for his favorite chairs. I just ignored them.


The green wasn't going anywhere so it became the accent color for summer 2013.



Last year the colors were blue and white.




Here is the thing about the drop cloths. 
They were fabulous for the long, hot, dry summers. 
As soon as it started to rain, we got mildew spots. 

This was after the snow a few weeks ago.

The spots came out with an occasional washing and soaking but it appears the drought is finally lessening and I don't want to have to pull all the cushions off every time it rains. 
It was time to upgrade.
Last summer I shopped for deck cushions but June in Texas was too late to find anything.
Our cushions are extra deep so they were hard to find.
This year I was determined we would shop early.  
On Saturday (in the rain) we shopped at Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart and Target. 
Walmart had a seat cushion but no back cushions. 
This option would've required remaking the seat cushions into back cushions but to the tune of $309.00. 
That does include 2 decorative pillows. I just couldn't do it.
The reviews were terrible and I need more than just two decorative pillows.

I looked at Ballard Designs. 
$609.00 for four deep cushions with welting and two decorative pillows.
These cushions were the bottom and back in one piece but this didn't account for Bill's favorite garage sale chairs.
I liked a gray Sunbrella fabric.
To which Bill shouted,
 "You are so boring. Put some color on it!"

Light navy cushions from Lowes would have been $364.96 but they didn't have ottoman cushions.
 I would have to make those. 
If I am spending $364.96, I don't want to have to make anything! 
Home Depot didn't have a color or fabric I could live with.
"No thank you, Orange. 
I'll see you in October."

This was ridiculous. Replacing deck cushions should not be this hard.
We thought about just replacing the furniture but everything was at least $1000.00 and the quality was not as good as what we have now. In two years we would be in the same boat.
We paid way under $1000.00 for this set in 2009. 
I love the lines of our furniture. It is comfortable. 
In the end I decided that I would just recover the cushions but this time in all weather fabric. 




The fabric, extra heavy sewing machine needles and the thread came to about $140.00. 
Included in that is fabric for decorative throw pillows. 
:)
I love the blue and white wide stripe and the ikat is just too fun. It was on sale for $11.99 a yard. 



So, what do you think?
Did I "put some color on it?"
How have you handled replacing deck cushions?
It should not be this hard or costly.
Here is a sneak peak. 





The reveal will be coming as soon as there is morning sun, no rain, no freezing temps and a couple of other projects are finished.
Have a great day.   

8 comments :

  1. we have to buy new furniture this year, and I know it's all going to be expensive. Love your blues, the ikat does really put a punch of wow in it!! great job!

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  2. Katie,
    I am loving what I am seeing so far. So happy you could make your own. I wish I could sew to do that too.
    Kris

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  3. Love the blu and white stripe. Thanks for sharing at SYS6.

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  4. Love it! Almost nautical.

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  5. Totally loving the look of this!! Very nautical and charming!!

    Thanks so much for your visit!!

    Hugs,
    Debbie

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  6. Love how they turned out! I am going through the exact same saga right now. My cushions are 4 years old and need replaced. I bought the set at Kmart and the cushions are very large and deep. Standard ones won't fit them. Even my foam has started to rot inside. Got to decide what I am doing. Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  7. Nice post, things explained in details. Thank You.

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