Enough about our colorful stools…

…and on to our newest set of colorful chairs. We’re officially on a bold-colored seating kick. Remember those $35 thrift-store chairs we refreshed with green paint and new upholstery for the office? And that free hand-me-down highchair for Clara that we brightened up with sunny yellow paint?

Apparently it’s nothing but the brightest for our buns. This time we went red—a pretty tomato red, to be exact—and it looks great alongside the blue hydrangeas around the paver patio we DIYed last May.

When we revealed the patio last spring, we wrote that we wanted long-lasting patio furniture but would be saving for it. After 13 months of tucking $20 a month into a dedicated patio-furniture jar, we finally had enough to buy two solid wooden Adirondack chairs.

To refresh your memory, we used to have old folding chairs from Ikea parked on the patio. From a distance they were fine, but up close they were peeling, cracking, creaky, and just generally worn out. We bought them over five years ago and they had served well in a sunroom, but left outside in the elements they degraded. They weren’t especially comfortable either—so we’d long had a soft spot for classic wooden Adirondack chairs. The seat slope is ideal for relaxing and the wide wooden arms are perfect for resting a cold drink. We love them.

Good, well-made wooden Adirondacks are pricey, though. We searched Craigslist, yard sales, and thrift stores without luck, so the saving jar made sense. Usually we save more generally for multiple priorities, but setting aside $20 each month specifically for outdoor furniture helped us reach this goal without derailing other plans. Our broader money habits—owning one car, cutting unnecessary expenses, couponing, and paying off credit cards—help keep the budget sane.

We resisted cheaping out on plastic chairs. In our experience, placeholder items often become regrets. Instead we focused on buying real wood chairs that would hold up over time. After weighing several options, we picked a pair that matched our sweet spot of look, protective finish, and value.

Here’s what we considered along the way:

Option 1: A solid cedar Adirondack in a tomato red color with a polyurethane finish for weather protection. It was marked down and included free shipping. We liked the professional finish because it would protect the hard-to-reach joints and grooves where water can gather.

Option 2: A pricier option that was more than double the cost—well-made but out of our budget.

Option 3: A sale option at another retailer that was more affordable, but the proportions felt less classic and a bit squat.

Option 4: A traditional, high-quality version that was on the expensive side.

Option 5: A slightly more expensive version in a different sale, which we liked less than the tomato red of our top pick.

Option 6: Another familiar brand with a plain white or natural wood option, again at a higher price point.

Ultimately we chose the first option for its combination of color, build, and protective finish. Two weeks after ordering, the chairs arrived. After some assembly, our sloped-back, wide-arm Adirondacks were ready. It felt like a small, satisfying milestone. We even invited family over to check them out—there was a lot of oohing, ahhing, sitting, and general approval.

The chairs look great with the hydrangeas. We hadn’t thought about how nicely they would coordinate with the warm wood tones in the fence and Clara’s rock box, so that was a pleasant surprise. The patio still has a long way to go before it’s fully furnished, but this was a meaningful step forward.

Next up, we’re thinking of saving for a square woven outdoor storage ottoman. I also picked up two blue garden stools at HomeGoods that tie in nicely with the hydrangeas and the other blue accents in the yard. Even the blue rain barrel seems to fit the color story now. We’re excited to watch the newer hydrangeas grow in and fill the space so the whole yard feels more planted and complete.

So that’s the latest on our little patio project. Have you been shopping for outdoor furniture or saving toward a specific piece? Is it strange to pick chair colors based on flower colors—or to invite family over just to admire new chairs? Maybe, but small joys like these make a space feel loved, and that’s what counts.