A Winning Project

At The Point
77 Comments

This idea had been floating around in my head for a year.  There I sat on the deck every day in an old chair wishing for some pretty furniture.  Click HERE to see the project of building the deck.

This space is usually cluttered with pool toys and various floatation devices.  At five feet off of the ground, it feels a bit like being up in the trees.  But it definitely needed some furniture!  James and I went to Pottery Barn to get inspired and wowsa!  It was fabulous stuff but way out of our price range.  So we decided we could build our own.

We rummaged through the pile of old wood behind the barn and started measuring and adding numbers in our heads.

Figuring out angles and measurements is not my strong suit, so I’m glad to have a CPA smart guy husband to do the heavy thinking.

Since I was planning to add cushions and a skirt, it didn’t matter too much if the wood was rotten looking.

While the guys built the frame for a bench, Patience and I searched through our junk to find a something we could use as a base for a small coffee table.  We settled on this metal basket that I bought at Round Top last spring.

We found bits of beadboard leftover from the ceiling of our front porch.  I painted the beadboard with the paint left from my bathroom floor and left the rest of the bench natural.

The slats in the seat are bits we cut off the end of the deck floor when we built the deck.  Keeping every little scrap has come in handy.  But don’t tell my husband I said so.

I spent a whole day sewing the cushions and pillows.  Making cushions is not my favorite kind of sewing, but I am always glad that I did it after it’s finished.  There are lots of great tutorials on You Tube for learning to sew cushions.  You can do it!

The only purchase was the foam for the cushions and all of the outdoor fabric (all at 50% off!).  My friend Stacy gave me the old burlap sacks that I used around the middle of the cushion.  Thanks Stacy!

I used whatever old pillows I could find and recovered them for the back of the bench.

This one says, “Be Kind,  Ephesians 4:32”.

Confucius say: Many pillows make much happiness

Now I have a lovely spot to lounge with a magazine and pretend to be watching the children swim.

The view from behind the magazine….

Won’t it be nice when the weather cools down?  Once it’s too cold to swim I will be able to hide out there with a book and a blanket.

Year ’round usefulness.

Linking to: Perfectly Imperfect Furniture Party, Transformation Thursday, Furniture Friday

Funky Junk's Saturday Nite Special

77 Comments

  4. you amaze me, when I grow up I want to be you….well, not so sure about the 9 kids part, I’m not that kind of superwoman…so glad God knew you were the woman for that job <3

  7. Not surprised at all. Much deserved win.

    So… since it’s now a table base, are you looking for a new light fixture?

  8. I was sure it was your project, with your deck and I knew that colour from your house, I picked your project and voted for you, so glad you won!

  10. Will you come make this at my house? I love it! And I can admit it now… I even voted for you on this one! LOL Enjoy your time on that wonderful deck!
    Susan

  12. Wow Lisa! Love the transformation! I really love the cushions you did!
    Deneen
    dreaming-n-color.blogspot.com

  15. And you’re coming to my house when?….Next time you’re by Lisa D.’s, please drop on in and give your wonderful ideas. Kristiana and I want to start a “junk” collection from which we can pull for projects such as this. We just need to find a spot to keep the stuff! LOL Your project looks absolutely beautiful!!

  16. Oh how incredibly exciting!! I knew this had to be your entry!!! It just had you written ALL over it! Congratulations!! ONce again I am so excited for you!!

  17. Yes, Yes!! We knew you could do it…. and you sure can do it!
    This is just stunning…. Sigh, Oh to have a reason for an outdoor pool 🙂

    Enjoy every minute you sit there…. especially the minutes with a book 😉

  18. Hands down winner! Love this project. I pictured myself building something and figured I wouldn’t even know how to make it stand up! Kuddos to you and your crew!

  20. Yay, Lisa! Yay for the judges! 🙂 Your creativity and abilities never cease to amaze me. I never did figure out why my home computer wouldn’t allow me to cast a vote, but I was able to vote from the one at the church office. Just proves it pays to go to church! 🙂

  22. You are amazing! Love it. Oh, to be able to sew like that?!!!!

    I can just see you all cuddled up with a soft quilt and a good book. And it will be too cold for the children to swim so you can just send them right back inside 🙂

  23. So glad you won…..super excited for you…..now…..when can you come to Mississippi and build me a wonderful deck…..plus ….I want the pillows and the whole nine yards…..You did a super job

  24. It came out beautiful!!! Great job!!! I really like the backround color! The whole thing looks so inviting!

    Many Blessings!

  26. Wow that is amazing! Now all i need is a pool, a deck and then i can build that amzing area….. I love it.

  27. This is seriously amazing! We have a deck shaped similar to this and I would LOVE to do that!
    I’m your newest follower – thanks for the inspiration!

  28. This is amaz-balls!!! I’ve been wanting to make a similar sofa for our back porch, but wasn’t sure what to do for the skirt. Bingo! I have a LOAD of burlap bags that will now have a purpose in life again thanks to you 😀

  31. OMG!!! love it…best project I’ve seen in a while. Jeez now you have to worry about people sneaking into your back yard at night sneaking a nap in on those cozy pillows…I know I sure would!!

  33. I can see why you won. That is absolutely amazing!!! I dream of having a relaxing spot like that in my backyard some day. It looks like the most inviting place. And I love how you mixed all the fabrics, they look fantastic together. That is not my strong suit…so it always impresses me when someone can pull off many different patterns like you have. 🙂

  34. This goes to show, how creative a person(s) can be when they are using what they have to make do. Your project went from 0 to 100 in short, because you, like me have the ideas and vision, and you, like me have a handy CPA hubby. The colors you chose and the shabby chicness of the design on the cushions and decor really bring it all together. The photo of the ‘coffee table’ with the pool water in the background is the bomb!

  35. Oh my this is just so awesome it’s beyond words! We are putting in a pool next spring and have a tackle a deck that will go around a portion of it…and now a bench :). Seriously this is just amazing!! LOVE it!

  40. Amazing!!! What talent…. I am inlove with the cusions and skirting!!! I could so enjoy being out there in the winter ( like you referred to ) … a good book… and a blanket!!! Yes….. Thank you so much for sharing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Terri

  42. What amazing beautiful do it yourself project! I just had to stop my and see this for myself from imperfectly perfect. I’m in love…and oh so jealous!
    kim

  43. My backyard would LOVE this. I’m amazed that you spent “a day” to sew all of this – these beauties would take me @ 2 months! I just “pinned” this post on Pinterest.com, so you’ll have some more visitors from there! -diane

  45. Holy cow! That’s beautiful, I wish I could come over and lounge with you! I think it’s so great how you used all the leftover pieces of this and that from previous projects, great job.

    Tania

  47. Great job! I have been surfing thru so many outdoor seating for decks that I’m cross eyed lol. This is absolutely perfect for what I have been wanting to do with ours. Thanks for sharing and congrats on winning you deserve it!

    Deanna

  49. This project is fantastic and will be used for sure. Wish you had a “how to” on the box cushions. I have to make a bottom one and back piece, and just keep putting it off. Did you make your own piping? Beautiful results and well-deserved win.

  55. I really like what you did with the deck! Our pool is also above ground and our deck is built around it. I have been wanting to build something like this on it. Maybe a project for next summer. Wish I could find some of those burlap sacks!

  60. Hi Lisa, all I can say is WOW! You are incredibly talented. I’m filing this away mentally for when I have a deck, which sadly I don’t right now. 🙂 Thank you for posting it on Hometalk 🙂

  61. Wow Lisa! You did an amazing job on sewing those cushions. I can sew pretty well but am entirely too lazy for something that complicated. That looks like such a great spot to relax! I am a relocated Texas girl who misses the Hill Country every day!

    Thanks for sharing that wonderful project.

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  65. Awesome Job! So much talent on one deck! Where did you get the cushion foam? I have looked online and have only found some for $127 Each! Looking for something a wee bit cheaper as I need at least 4

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  73. Hello! What an amazing project! I hope to recreate an indoor version for my dining room. Do you by chance know the name/brand of the striped outdoor fabric that you used? It is lovely. Thank you!

  74. Oh my! That looks so cozy with all those cushions.
    It’s really quite incredible when you consider what you had to start with 🙂

  76. Good day! Do you use Twitter? I’d like to follow you if that would be okay.
    I’m undoubtedly enjoying your blog and look forward
    to new posts.

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