Just 2x4's and 4x4s and some bolts. We got the flooring off of our local Buy Nothing group. Just a social area in our driveway. Everything but the top was painted in black, then verathaned, then hit with some matte spray to kill the gloss and make it feel less gross when you lean your elbows on the edges. More on reddit.com

can we see a pic of the underside? More on reddit.com

I built one in 2019 using 4x4 posts for legs, built a frame of 2x4s and used decking timber on top. Cost way less than a bought one and it’s way more sturdy. Made some benches to match too More on reddit.com

The Ana White plans are fine. You’re not going to be making heritage furniture you’ll hand down to your grandkids but so what, if you like the designs they’ll hold up just fine. I’ve built some of her plans before and two things I’d recommend are to add glue to the joints where it just mentions pocket screws. Glue will add additional strength and there’s no reason not to do it, just use a waterproof glue for exterior like Titebond III. The second, for outdoor furniture I recommend you get the stainless steel pocket screws. They hold up much longer and won’t discolor the wood when moisture gets to it. As for finish on the cedar recommended in the plans, there are multiple options depending upon the look you like. If the piece gets a lot of sun and you want to keep the color of the cedar you’ll need a finish with a UV protector like marine spar varnish (I like Epifanes) or exterior polyurethane like General Finishes Exterior 450. If you want something more natural looking, you could use something like Waterlox or an oil like tung or boiled linseed oil. Regarding your other comment about where to source, I’m on the opposite side of the country and can’t help other than to say anywhere except Home Depot or Lowe’s. More on reddit.com