The stretch of beautiful weather and hosting Clara’s party outdoors pushed us back into full-on outdoor-improvement mode. Picture me in spit-up-stained overalls and a striped hat, sleep-deprived from late-night feedings but determined to make our sunroom-turned-veranda feel like a proper outdoor living area. We spent months last year renovating the sunroom—ripping up the old carpet, replacing broken doors, raising the ceiling, updating the electrical, installing a plank ceiling, hanging two fans, and tiling the floor. It finally feels like a true covered porch, and now we want furniture that fits.
For the birthday party we temporarily dragged a West Elm indoor daybed and an old Ikea coffee table outside, and borrowed two indoor dining chairs that never made it back in. We also added four Target outdoor chairs for extra seating. Seeing the space filled with mismatched, temporary pieces made it clear: we needed a durable, comfortable outdoor sofa to anchor the area and guide our other purchases. An outdoor sofa would set the scale and style for the rest of the veranda—coffee table, side tables, plants, and lighting.
We wanted a woven-wicker aesthetic rather than metal or wood, and we were set on Sunbrella fabric for its well-known durability and weather resistance. We compared many options in person and online so we could test comfort, seat height, cushion feel, and fabric texture. Here are the main contenders we considered:
- Crate & Barrel’s Ventura-style sofa appealed to us for its look and the Sunbrella upholstery option. We liked the design, but many similar multi-piece sofas can shift apart, and we preferred a single-piece base for stability. It was on sale but still priced around $2,222.
- A Pottery Barn model felt incredibly plush and luxurious. It was expensive—roughly $2,000 originally—and upgrading to Sunbrella was an additional cost, making it pricier than we wanted. That specific version later became unavailable.
- Another Pottery Barn style offered a loveseat-sized option for about $1,400 and a larger sofa for around $1,800. Neither came standard with Sunbrella; adding Sunbrella fabric added several hundred dollars to the price, which pushed this option down our list.
- We found a very affordable wicker-style sofa on Amazon for about $489 with strong initial ratings. It looked promising on paper, but some one-star reviews reported that the wicker deteriorated after one season. The risk of low longevity made us wary of that bargain option.
- Restoration Hardware’s wicker sofa is stunning in person. The showroom piece looked great, but the retailer sells the frame and cushions separately: the wicker base was priced around $1,500 and Sunbrella cushions were an extra cost. Separating the two felt like an unnecessary complication.
- One option stood out for build quality and warranty: a Brown Jordan set sold through Home Depot. It included a 15-year frame warranty, a five-year fabric warranty, white-glove delivery, and Sunbrella fabric as standard. The price was about $1,399—considerable, but competitive given the warranties and service.
We also searched Craigslist, Joss & Main, Overstock, Hayneedle, and Wayfair but didn’t find anything that matched our priorities—durability, seat height, cushion comfort, and an authentic woven look. Being able to sit on showroom floor models really helped. When we stumbled across the Home Depot display (technically the chair from the Brown Jordan set) and tested it, it felt comfortable, looked well-made, and checked the Sunbrella box. That in-person experience pushed us to move forward.
We decided to purchase the Brown Jordan sofa. The cost is meaningful, but the long warranties, Sunbrella cushions, and professional delivery convinced us this is an investment that should last. We hope it will be the finishing touch that kick-starts other projects for the veranda: building a weatherproof coffee table, installing sconces for soft lighting, adding an outdoor-friendly dining table on the opposite side of the space, and layering in potted plants and side tables for function and style.
For now you’ll find me standing in the driveway, baby in arms, excitedly waiting for the delivery truck—trying very hard to stay calm while picturing the completed outdoor living area. This sofa should help make the sunroom’s next chapter a comfortable, long-lasting one.