outside spaces

IKEA: I love it and hate it all at the same time. The room inspiration set-ups tempting me to buy whole suites of furniture I don't even need, the crazy crowd, and that cinnamon roll aroma wafting through the air...I've never caved on one of those cinnamon rolls, but I feel like it's only a matter of time.

I would never go near that place on a weekend with the hellacious crowd, but a Wednesday night!? I can handle that. The impetus for the visit was simple: I walked out onto the deck yesterday and had this sudden feeling, "I need to buy furniture for out here...today!"

I had spent time in the past perusing the IKEA options, but I was never really excited about anything they had -- which begs the question why I decided to go anyway? I think the budget-friendly quality of IKEA and their relatively large selection always makes it an attractive choice. Plus with the outdoor furniture, it all comes in individual pieces so you can buy the pieces to create the layout that best fits your space.

Still, there weren't any combinations that excited me:

ARHOLMA: had the shape I was looking for, but that color! It looks like it's been already sitting out in the sun for years. I just couldn't get down with the color.

APPLARO: looked great, not quite the color I wanted, and requires re-glazing from time-to-time.

ENHOLMEN: the straight back didn't feel comfortable to lounge on.

GARPEN: the fabric looked like it would wear quite a bit over time.

KUNGSHOMEN: this was more the color I was looking for, but I wasn't to crazy about the shape. And with these sectional pieces being the most expensive of all the options, it just wasn't going to work.

Of course, there were many other simple lounge chairs to choose from, but I wanted something for comfy lounging (when I'm working from home on nice days) but also for seating if we have people over to the house. All the lounge chairs seemed either/or, but I decided I couldn't know that unless I tried them out! So I went to the store to look around, bee-lined straight for the outdoor furniture (no use getting distracted). I was feeling like Arholma was really my only hope for couch type seating and as I stood contemplating what color I could possibly spray paint it...I stepped back to get a wider view and another combination caught my eye...AMMERO!

It was a combination that wasn't online, it was the color I wanted, simple lines...and it was ON SALE. Done and done. Took a picture of the aisle and bin to find it in, and voila! Outside seating for less than half what I was expecting to pay. I love it when that happens!