10 Outdoor Pallet Furniture DIYs for Spring

All Modern Jones 86'' Upholstered Sofa (Was $1,250 — Now $999)

This sapphire rust color in a sleek silhouette is a contemporary twist on Scandinavian style. Built on a solid wood frame, it's durable and comes in multiple upholstery options. The color is chef's kiss too.

Joybird Lewis Sofa (Was $2,455 — Now $1,350)

Joybird is offering up to 45 percent off best sellers and 35 percent off site wide. This best-selling sofa is a major steal right now. It has deep cushions, shelter arms, and pillowed backs to make your binge nights extra lounge-y. We love the gold velvet, but you can choose from more than 10 colors and even more upholstery options. It comes in four sizes too to fit your space.

All Modern Rae 84-inch Upholstered Sofa (Was $1,999 — Now $1,799)

This mid-century style sofa with metal legs is small-space friendly and also comes in a stylish sectional. Available in several colors, the sofa is cushiony-soft and a living room showstopper in this olive green.

CB2 Durant Wheat Velvet Sofa (Was $1,799 — Now $1,439)

This swoon-worthy sofa makes a bold statement in wheat-colored velvet and a striking design at just over 100-inch wide. Featuring feather down cushions and FSC-certified birch frame, we actually can't believe the markdown. It's stunning!

Poly & Bark Argan Leather Sofa (Was, $2,061 — Now $1649 with code LABOR)

If you want something a little more rustic, go for this buttery cognac tan leather sofa. With feather down seating and mahogany finish legs, this comfy sofa gives Magnolia Home vibes for your modern cabin style.

Article Abisko Sectional (Was $1599 — Now $1099)

This small-space sectional in quartz white fabric and titanium-finished legs looks like it belongs in a 5-star hotel. If you can manage a creamy white sofa (ie, no dogs or kids), this lounger is a spot you'll find yourself reading, watching, resting all day long. You can have nice things!

Interior Design Fiona Loveseat (Was $1845 — Now $1476)

This curvy and stylish loveseat is perfect for studio spaces with a retro silhouette that is sleek and totally lovely. The camel velvet is pretty gorgeous but you can also choose from more than 50 color and fabric combos.

Interior Define Maxwell Fabric Sofa by Apartment Therapy (Was $1845 — Now $1476)

Want to really embrace color? This berry hue is rich and so beautiful. Designed by Apartment Therapy founder Maxwell Ryan, the custom sectional sofa (you can choose from a bunch of colors and textures) is inspired by a classic silhouette with modern materials to make it light and comfy. We love the low profile and luxe deep seat you can sink into.

Pottery Barn Pacifica Return Bumper Sectional (Was $2,298 — Now $1,839)

For a subtler pink, this Pottery Barn sectional is actually more compact than it looks at 100-inches wide and features cushions so cozy you won't want to get up to do the dishes!

Burrow Ember Sofa (Was $1599, Now $1359)

Burrow is offering up to 60 percent site wide this Labor Day weekend. With extra wide, extra deep cushions made with triple-foam, plus steel hardware and a hardwood frame, this chenille sofa checks a lot of boxes for the perfect sofa. It also comes in 5 different sizes, including sectionals.

Crate and Barrel Aris Grande Deep Track-Arm Sofa (Was $1,899 — Now $1,614)

If you're a fan of the Nancy Meyers aesthetic, this coastal-style sofa - with clean lines and deep bench seating - is for you. It comes in 230 different fabrics and colors!

Burrow Range 4-Piece One Arm Sectional (Was $1799 — Now $1439)

Blue lovers, we haven't forgotten you! This compact modular sectional is perfect for hosting, napping, and streaming. It's designed for those tight corners you need to pivot a sofa into.

Article Sven Tufted Velvet Sofa (Was $1499 — Now $1049)

The blue and green varieties of this popular vintage-style sofa with tufted seating are on sale now. Go get 'em!

Harper & Bright Designs Chaise Lounge Sofa (Was $754 — Now $596)

This super affordable sofa requires no assembly and comes in a chic boucle fabric. We love the elegant chaise style, perfect for lounging and hosting.

West Elm Palour Sofa (Was $1699 — Now $1,444)

This 82-inch sofa in the color mauve (tho you can choose others) has a posh Bridgerton quality we love. The frame is sustainably sourced and the bench seating keeps your seat intact while you binge on past episodes.

IKEA Morabo (Was $1,249 — Now $1,049)

Featured in a light green fabric and metal legs, this 4-seat sectional is your new favorite spot to chill — at an affordable price!

West Elm Avalon 68.5" Channeled Sofa (Was $1,399, Now $1,189.15)

This sweet seater in evergreen velvet and channel tufting is small, stylish, and luxe. A keeper!

RIBBA Frame

IKEA is a steal for frames compared to other frame or custom frame shops. I have been using the Ribba frame for years for large-scale prints, gallery walls, and photo-sized frames. Mix them with vintage frames and trinkets like above to add character and a little soul to your space.

FLÅDIS Basket

I use these seagrass baskets everywhere to store and hide unsightly things like laundry supplies, my daughter's toys, and even to cover planters. They're collapsible and under $10!

TORNVIKEN Kitchen Island

I was searching for a kitchen island forever until I came upon this oak one and I love it! I get compliments on it all the time from guests who are surprised it's from IKEA. There's roomy storage on the shelves on one side and legroom on the other side for bar stools. I chose Serena & Lily barstools to give the look an upgrade.

BLANDA MATT Bamboo Serving Bowl

This bamboo bowl and serving set is perfect for serving big salads while entertaining.

HILDEGUN Dish towel

I grab a few of these every time I visit IKEA. They have a French country vibe and work as dish towels or dinner napkins. The 79 cents is kind of an insane price too.

ULLERSLEV Sheepskin

This real sheepskin is the soft texture every cozy home needs. I have one draped over my daughter's desk chair, but they also look great on a dining bench or in a reading nook.

BERGPALM Duvet Cover and Pillowcases

These striped duvet cover sets are a great cotton canvas for guest, kid, and master beds. I love that they come with two shams, and I'll top them with a printed quilt from Coyuchi or patterned pillows from Coterie Brooklyn to elevate the look.

FJÄLLARNIKA Duvet Insert

IKEA is also great for duvet inserts. I say go with a mid- to higher-range here for one that has some weight and comfort.

IVRIG Glass

Stemless wine glasses, which is what I use these for, are also ideal for water and juice!

STOCKHOLM Mirror

Mirrors can be so expensive! Why?! I use this walnut veneer mirror in my bedroom, just above a walnut dresser. Love the 24-inch size.

JÄMLIK Scented Tealight

I bring a few of these out for dinner parties. The sweet vanilla scent isn't overpowering and the candles give just enough light to make it feel like a cozy and intimate occasion.

LAGKAPTEN Tabletop

I've been using this tabletop for more than 10 years! It started as a sewing table with MITTBACK trestle legs and now works as my WFH desk, holding my printer on one of the trestle legs. My daughter has an IKEA desk too that we swapped with HILVER bamboo cone-shaped legs for a modern look.

LACK Wall Shelf

I've used these floating shelves for forever too. For kitchen shelves in my junior one bedroom in San Francisco a decade ago and now in my daughter's playroom to hold all of her Legos.;)

MÅLERÅS Picture Ledge

I use these picture ledges in the kitchen to hold my IKEA wine glasses, a beautiful paddle cutting board from Crate & Barrel, and a small plant.

ÄNDLIG 3-piece knife set

These IKEA knives, also a long-term purchase, stay sharp, are comfortable to use, and are great for everyday use!

BUMERANG Hanger

Finally, these IKEA hangers are affordable and look great to streamline your closet decor. No wire hangers here!

IKEA Items I Avoid

I tend to avoid the more popular items from IKEA, such as the best-selling POÄNG Armchair. If you have one, no judgement! It's a great chair. I have a kid's one in my daughter's playroom that we inherited. But I've slowly invested in more quality pieces that feel unique and bring my joy when I walk into my main spaces.

Here are a few items I avoid:

IKEA has a lot of great mattresses, but a $100 mattress doesn't quite feel like a hundred bucks. I purchased the ÅSVANG Foam Mattress for my daughter's IKEA bunk bed, and maybe because of the slats below, it is SO uncomfortable. We use it to hold her stuffies for now and plan to add an extra foam cushion above.

I've never liked IKEA's fleece-like throw blankets made of recycled polyester. They just don't have a lot of substance and the material doesn't feel as good quality as I'd like it too.

Finally, a $10 floor lamp is going to look like a $10 floor lamp (home snob, here, sorry!). The BARLAST Floor lamp or similar is a no-go in my decor book.

Do Lorelai and Max get married on Gilmore Girls?

Lorelai and Max are engaged during Gilmore Girls season 1, but Lorelai ends up calling off the wedding. But while we're over the moon when Lorelai and Luke finally get together, some GG fans wish Max had stayed in Rory's life.

"I’m just going go say it — if Lorelai had ended up with Max, Rory would have been a much more successful adult," Reddit user @StregaCagna says. While Max wasn't Lorelai's perfect match, his particular mix of honesty and kindness would have been so good for Rory. "Those traits, combined with his background as an English teacher, would have meant he absolutely would have been straight with Rory on so many things. Like, can you just imagine how he would have reacted to Jess? Logan? Her dropping out of Yale? Her floating around in her 30s?"

Honestly, if the Gilmores (Richard and Emily included) didn't tiptoe around so many issues, and felt comfortable being vulnerable and honest with each other about the hard stuff, I think a lot of the characters' problems would have been solved. And Max's ability to tell the truth in love would have been a breath of fresh air! He wouldn't have let Rory get away with anything (remember how he doesn't let her take the Shakespeare test when she's late to school?), but that also means she'd develop an insane sense of trust with him.

"I think she would have written her book when she did, but instead of being the Editor of the Stars Hollow Gazette, she would have been, like, the most popular English professor at Wesleyan who had a strong professional network and also wrote for The Atlantic and The New Yorker," @StregaCagna continues.

Of course, there's absolutely nothing wrong with small town papers — I love my small town paper! The root of Rory's issue is that she just completely stopped chasing her dreams, which seems to lead her to an unhappy adulthood. She's dating Paul (whom she can never remember), she's having an affair with Logan (who's engaged to someone else, ick), and she's become the kind of journalist who falls asleep on the job and doesn't have pitches prepared. I can't help but wonder if some structure during her teenage years would have set her up on a different path.

"I will never forget the scene where she’s interviewing [Max] and says she really wanted him to be her step father," user @StruggleDesigner8307 says. "She wanted that father figure and Max was so great."

I do think Rory's friendship with Paris (one of the greatest TV choices of all time) gives her some of that structure and drive, but it doesn't really balance out the way that Richard, Emily, and even Lorelai spoil her. And when you're not used to loving constructive criticism, unloving criticism hurts all the worse. Yes, I'm talking about Mitchum Huntzberger.

"I’ll always be sad that Rory lost out on yet another great father figure when she was saddled with Chris," user @wrenhawkeye says of Max's exit from the show. "A lot of people don’t understand that her spiral to Mitchum’s words wasn’t just because Rory’s 'weak' or whatever misogynistic BS. It’s because Rory has real problems with male validation since her father abandoned her. It also doesn’t hurt that Mitchum was a titan in his field."

GG fans know about THAT Gilmore Girls season 5 arc like the back of their hand, but this whole discussion is giving me more compassion for Rory than I've felt before. Because to be 20 and to hear you're supposedly not good enough for your life's one dream is hard — and to spiral to that degree after a man who has no stake in your life criticizes you just proves Rory put her entire identity into being a journalist. But you know who would have given Rory encouragement while reminding her she's more than just a writer? Max.

I can totally see a Gilmore Girls where Max stayed in Rory's life and offered her guidance on basically everything: boys, college applications, her career aspirations, and even drama with Paris. And I'm not the only one.

"I think they would have stayed in touch past high-school and college," @synalgo_12 says, "and he would be one of the people she'd thank in her work or would be part of her list of mentors or 'influenced by' had she ever gotten her own Wikipedia page or biography."

Somebody call Amy Sherman-Palladino because this is the Gilmore Girls spinoff we need!

​Why did Max Medina leave?

Max ends up leaving Gilmore Girls after Lorelai calls off their wedding. While he sticks around through seasons 2 and 3, and still has an insane amount of chemistry with Lorelai, the last time we see him is in season 3 episode 19 (coincidentally, right before Rory's life really goes off the rails in my opinion).