Since John jokingly called me “genetically one-quarter egg chair” in a post, I’ll own it — I’m part egg chair, part dog fur (there’s always some on me), and part ceramic garden stool. That tangent aside, we recently added a sofa and coffee table to our back porch, and the next thing we needed was a comfy chair to complete that seating area.
Our first instinct was to buy the matching $749 chair that pairs with our sofa. It would have guaranteed a cohesive look and eliminated worries about clashing styles, but it also occupied a large rectangular footprint that might crowd the corner. We wondered if a less matchy, more playful option might be more fun in the long run.
We also considered a hanging egg chair, like a $498 option from Anthropologie. It felt like it could be a great fit for a relaxed outdoor lounge, but we questioned comfort without plush cushions and worried about kids attempting stunts on it. With hard tile beneath, safety was a concern, and there were logistics about whether the porch structure could safely support a hanging chair without reinforcement.
Next we looked at a stand-mounted egg chair, like a $590 pick from Joss & Main. This solved the ceiling-support issue but still left us uneasy about kids swinging or twisting it. The futuristic shape also didn’t feel like a perfect match for our woven outdoor sofa, though it would probably delight our kids.
We found a similar style on Pinterest from World Market that might have worked better with the sofa, but it was sold out when we checked. The hanging-on-a-chain vibe still made us hesitate.
There was also a roomy, boat-like chair at Joss & Main that looked cozy, but it was too large for our space and carried a $1,500+ price tag—more than we wanted to spend. It felt more suited to a dream Bali poolside than our modest porch.
We kept wishing we could find something that sat low to the ground like the egg chair we’d loved at the showhouse. It had the perfect color, swivel feature, and comfort level. After checking multiple stores and searching online, nothing seemed to match that mix of features.
It reminded us of an older Pottery Barn chair that once sold for $1,300, though that one ran warmer in tone than our cool brown/gray sofa and didn’t swivel—small but meaningful differences.
Then we had an idea: maybe GreenFront, the store that supplied pieces for the showhouse, had another of the same egg chair. We learned that around half of the GreenFront furniture at the showhouse had been on loan and was being picked up afterward, so we called to ask if we could buy that exact chair.
We nervously asked John the Builder whether the chair was available to purchase, and his answer surprised us: the team planned to buy the showhouse chair together as a thank-you gift for our work on the project. We were touched and insisted on paying, though they wanted to gift it. We’re still figuring out whether we can sneak them the money, but for now we’re grateful they chose to surprise us.
The wicker ties in so well with the sofa, and the seat fabric is Sunbrella, so it stands up to sticky toddler hands and muddy paws. We did decide not to keep the wicker side table that accompanied it; I prefer colorful ceramic garden stools outside, so we returned the side table with the rest of the borrowed pieces.
Now the corner reads more like a mix of wicker and ceramic: the egg chair paired with a shiny red garden stool adds the splash of color I love, while still fitting the overall outdoor feel.
The chair has already become a favorite. Burger uses it often, and the kids love lounging there too. The swivel is great for gently rocking while holding the baby, and it’s quickly become one of my go-to relaxing spots while Clara plays nearby.
That wraps up our Great Egg Chair Hunt. We still need to finish furnishing the other side of the sunroom—I’m picturing a small bistro table under the second ceiling fan so there’s still room to walk around it. We also need to build a box to conceal the wires running down the brick wall.
From a wider perspective, we temporarily parked our dining chairs around the outdoor table since they’ll likely see more use in nicer weather. They’re made for the outdoors, and Burger has already claimed one of the cushions as his new lounging spot, so that’s a vote for keeping them out there.
Are you shopping for outdoor pieces right now? Maybe you’re part garden stool too. If so, we might be related.
For more posts about decisions we weighed while furnishing our home, see our rundowns on doorknobs, kitchen lights, rugs, dining tables, sectionals, washers & dryers, and our outdoor sofa.