Furnish me this

[booklady]

I'm looking for opinions this morning on just which items consitute necessary furniture. What must you have, and what could you live without?

[liriodendron]

I'm probably the wrong person to answer. We once bought patio furniture when most of the rooms in our house had not a stick of furniture in them.

However, I'd think a bed, a table and at least 2 chairs, and something comfy for curling up and reading (a sofa or a love seat or a comfy chair, but not necessarily all three) would be a good start. As long as you have a closet, you could get away with hanging most of your clothes and folding the rest and putting them on the shelf, so you wouldn't have to have a bureau. The table could be used for both writing and dining, so you wouldn't have to have a desk. Shoot, I suppose you could sleep on the couch and skip the bed, but it would be awkward to try doing it the other way around if you expected to entertain guests. (Or maybe not, depending on the guest.)

I could definitely live without my dining room furniture, though I like it very much. I could probably live without the t.v., I watch so little these days. One item I do miss, though, is the glider rocking chair we had when the kids were small. I've always regretted getting rid of it, it was so very comfortable. Oh, and if I ever had the appropriate sort of porch, you'd better believe that a porch swing would be right at the top of my list. That counts as furniture, right?

[booklady]

So, this question has failed to grab anyone's attention (which is absolutely ok!) But, thanks, lirio, for tackling the issue!

When I moved down here, I was certain that I could be content with "less," with basic necessities. I've got my dining room furniture -- nothing fancy, but people can sit around the table, eat, and visit, and my buffet and hutch to serve as my Red Sox shrine, and a bed to sleep in (a day bed, twin size), couple dressers, bookcases, and in the living room, a wooden arm chair and a wooden rocker, both with cushions. My computer desk and a chest to hold the printer and various supplies. A file cabinet. On old work table. Coupla end tables. I know these things are enough to satisfy my needs. And until I know for sure if I'm staying in Vicksburg, moving over to Jackson, or even going "home," the smartest thing is not to spend money on furniture that I may end up having to move. Living simply is the wisest course.

If you've been to Sturbridge Village, you know that 150 years ago or so people lived pretty much with tables and chairs in their living spaces. Maybe the parlor might have a simple sofa, but wasn't it more like a bench with a bit of covered padding?

I keep thinking, too, about Thoreau going off into the woods for a year to "simplify." I believed that I truly did not need all the things I had accumulated.

But wow! Try living without certain comforts that you've gotten used to! I'm constantly having to patrol my inner greedy self which doesn't give a you-know-what about wisdom and simplicty!

I guess what I'm finding out first hand is that it is much more difficult to live simply that it seems. Or else I am much more spoiled than I realized. Probably both.

[Jane]

It sounds like you have everything you need, and, what you don't have, you can probably pick up at Abrahams! As long as you have a comfy chair for reading, bed for sleeping and a dish or two, you should be all right. Apartmenttherapy.com is a Web site I love, which advocates living well in small spaces with a minimum of fuss but lots of style (inexpensive style).

And, after all, doesn't that describe you: a minumum of fuss but lots of style?

[gailkate]

I didn't answer because I was thinking about it and because I didn't have time to ask what you already had. Now that I know what you have, it's easier.

I would want a couch. I love to read while lying on a couch, look out the window, doze perhaps , possibly snuggle under an afghan in winter... We've just gotten a miserable prediction of home heating costs that made me think we'll be lumbering around in multiple sweaters, coats, and gloves with the fingertips cut off. Shades of Scrooge. I would think even in MS it will get chilly, but maybe not.

As for living simply, why not check out estate sales and craigslist for a bargain couch or futon? Of course you'd have to find a way to get it home, but it might be cheap to hire a local guy with a truck. If you have a neighborhood paper there are probably lots of ads for used furniture and haulers.

The thing is, you can live minimally but it isn't necessarily immoral to want some comforts. You're not talking about furnishing your house in Ethan Allen (or whatever is an upscale furniture company - I don't know anymore.) Maybe you buy things you're willing to give to Goodwill if you move on.

Thoreau chose to live a spartan life. He didn't try to live in his tiny cabin in the middle of a city where he had to go to work every day. You have up-ended your world, and you need to feel comfortable as you adjust. That doesn't mean blowing your savings, but you do need to feel at home.

I know! Start watching all the HGTV shows like Design on a Dime. Start patroling neighborhoods on trash day. Anything you cover with a giant throw becomes shabby chic (and protects you from cooties).

[gailkate]

Crossed with Jane. Now I'm scooting over to apartmentherapy. Where, Jane, do you find these oddball sites? I can tell I'm going to love this one.

[booklady]

Jul 20, 2008 18:36:56 GMT -5 Jane said:

And, after all, doesn't that describe you: a minumum of fuss but lots of style?

This makes me laugh, and smile (there is such a difference, isn't there? ) The picture you paint is a flattering one.

No, I do know that I have what I need -- more than I need. I am just contemplating what seems like inevitable urges to get, to acquire, to accumulate more than I need. Is it common to all of us? What do you think?

P.S. Apartment Therapy is a neat site. Thanks!

[booklady]

gk, I'm dying for a couch. It's my biggest temptation. But I feel this mystical prompting to wait, to be patient, and content with what I've got for a while.

why not check out estate sales and craigslist for a bargain couch or futon? Of course you'd have to find a way to get it home, but it might be cheap to hire a local guy with a truck. If you have a neighborhood paper there are probably lots of ads for used furniture and haulers.

If only!! I check the paper all the time. Nada.

Of course, the furniture store opens again tomorrow at 9 a.m., so we'll see what's stronger -- mysticism or promise of comfy reading.

[Jane]

Craigslist. Jackson, Mississippi. Cow-hide flip flops! Red fur purse! Victorian writing desk! Hey, log on and start shopping!

[liriodendron]

When we got married we trotted off to the furniture store with all the money we received as wedding gifts to buy a sofa. (Which shows how little we knew about buying furniture.) First of all, the ones I liked were all more money than we had to spend. Secondly, you didn't just drive home with one - you ordered it and waited some gosh-awful amount of time (I think it was 12 weeks) for it to be delivered. I feared that we would forever spend our evenings sitting on the floor, leaning against the study pillows we'd brought from our dorm rooms. Then we discovered the concept of "floor models". One furniture store was selling a very nice looking floor model sofa for a price we could afford, and voila, we owned it.

[slb2]

Ace and I have not ever bought a couch for our home, quite. Our first couch was a hand-me-down from someone (maybe the Sebrings?) and then my folks bought us a couch from Scratch-n-Dent and then I snared a fouton that folds out into a full sized bed for one dollar! We love that fouton. The woman who was selling it at a rummage sale was practically giving her stuff away. Or maybe it was her ex-husband's?

Oh, and one couch we had that we put downstairs we picked up from the curb on the way home from church. It was quite pretty, but had been used by dogs (fur only, no accidents).

[slb2]

When I had my own apartment in Thailand, I had a bed and a wardrobe and a suitcase in my bedroom. I had a dishrack and dishpan in my kitchen. I had two large bamboo-type rugs in my dining room, plus a portable stereo. That's it. I would have purchased a small refridgerator if I'd had the time, but my time there ran out....

[joew]

How much furniture you need depends on how many rooms you have, how many guests and visitors you have and such factors. At this point you have enough for a hermit with a two-room hermitage.

It is true that we all tend to want more than we absolutely need. ("Who needs salad dressing," said Prof. Karski in what I consider the definitive refutation of Karl Marx.) But that doesn't necessarily mean that we have too much.

[booklady]

Did anyone happen to see a recent "This Old House" episode where they wrapped up the remodel of a home in Newton, Mass? I was stunned. I'm sure I'll sound like some old 19th Century Protestant missionary, but what those people put into that house was a sin, pure and simple. It went way beyond "conspicuous consumption."

Joe, your hermit comment reminds me that an image I've had in mind as I've been contemplating this issue is Gene Hackman in Young Frankenstein.

slb, when were you in Thailand, and for how long?

[slb2]

Hey books, I was in Thailand as a Peace Corps volunteer for six months. An accident sent me home.

But to your question, as you go about your everyday life, what do you wish you had? And maybe ask someone over to tea (iced, with lemon, ty) and then see what you're lacking.

Do you have a porch? I could go look at your photos, couldn't I? Personally, I like lirio's idea. Get a porch swing for company.

[gailkate]

Since I read that about the porch swing I've been pondering whether/where we could hang one. We have a tiny porch made from the old breezeway. It has sash windows, a ceiling fan and a nice wall light for reading. But we don't sit there, let alone read there. It's about 8'x10'with three doors. We put up dark green mini-blinds but they do nothing to stop the heat when the afternoon sun beats down like Hades. The space is taken up with 3 rattan chairs and a glass-topped table that usually has an assortment of garden tools or whatever plunked on it. Mostly it's the path from garage to outdoors for either the snowblower or lawn mower.

So this is turning into a sub thread - do you sit outside? Where? People used to sit out all the time to cool off, but now we have air conditioning and we're wimps about mosquitos.
I want a swing!

[booklady]

Jul 21, 2008 0:44:21 GMT -5 @slb2 said:

Hey books, I was in Thailand as a Peace Corps volunteer for six months. An accident sent me home.

I remember that now.

I'm having a hard time getting my point across, I think. I guess I'm still trying to understand exactly what my point is. It's something deeper than "furniture." I'm looking for bargains to furnish my house, sure, but on a deeper level I'm wondering why, in way. Why, when there are numerous unknowns in my life -- financial, job-related, social, even familial -- why am I wanting to buy furniture that I don't really need? I guess "comfort" is as good a reason as any, and yet I wonder if I can strengthen my self-discipline and spirit by holding out just a little longer, by existing in a state where I am a little bit uncomfortable though with my basic needs completely met.

You joined the Peace Corps. The idea of not living "comfortably" to serve a larger (or deeper) purpose is the same. I'll bet a lot of Peace Corps volunteers find that their idealism -- "this won't be that difficult to do" -- gets challenged pretty fast. It's got to be harder than it looks.

For me, I think the "sofa" is a little bit symbolic, representing all the things I thought it wouldn't be that hard to do without when I moved down here by myself. Honestly, I don't mean it as a complaint, but a "wow, look at that! I didn't expect to feel that way!" But it's part of the package that I signed up for.

[booklady]

I have a nice back patio area where I could put a self-standing swing, but I'm much too much of a wimp to sit out there these days. On my msn home page this morning it says Vicksburg will have a high of 99 today. A porch swing will probably be great here in November. ;D

[liriodendron]

Gail, I knew someone who put a porch swing in her basement. Bookie, I'm at work, so I can't elaborate, but I think a sofa might just mean "home" to you.

[doctork]

I think I've previously mentioned my envy of a high school classmate who claims he can put everything he owns into a Volkswagen van. It's nice to be mobile (especially if you're not yet sure about Vicksburg), but then - one still wants some level of comfort.

There are a whole lot of books and news features lately about small houses, minimalist style, small footprint, etc. Seems to be all the rage. But a Seattle area "small house development" getting a lot of ink involves 800 - 1,000 sq ft places that cost $500,000 and up! Susan Susanka has written several books about "the not so big house" but they are more of the same - very expensive, lavishly furnished, and small only in that they are not McMansions. Still there are some pearls of suggestions in them, midst all the excess.
Like gk, I watch HGTV a lot, and when someone is not whining about how the appliances are not the latest, all-matching stainless steel, there are also lots of economical and clever suggestions. One book I have really found interesting is "Your Money or Your Life" by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez. It gave me a new perspective on what I need and how much things really cost.

Practical suggestions - on our porch we have a covered swing that can either be a bench with a back, or fold flat so one can lie down, rock and enjoy the view while lazing in the sun (when we have sun). Kind of like a hammock, only easy to get in and out. I bought it half-price in an end-of-season sale a couple years ago. Now is the time for that, according to the Sunday papers.

Inside, we have an ancient matching sofa and loveseat, which we did buy as floor models because I too have no patience with waiting months for new furniture once I've finally made up my mind. But our house is kind of small, and the living/family room would really do better with a loveseat and a chair-and-a-half. I've been eyeing the sales, want ads, and craigslist, nothing yet.

You could also rent furniture for a while. Turn it in if you change your mind, buy it if you like it and want to stay.

[booklady]

Jul 21, 2008 10:46:30 GMT -5 liriodendron said:

Gail, I knew someone who put a porch swing in her basement. Bookie, I'm at work, so I can't elaborate, but I think a sofa might just mean "home" to you.

I wonder if you are right, lirio. That puts things in a little different perspective, once again.

I saw a floor set on sale Saturday, a sofa and comfy chair with ottoman, for $799. I haven't seen anything else (that's acceptable to my taste) to beat it. And that's about what I had planned to spend here on a sofa before I left Mass. Sounds like the general advice is to call my ascetic period over and start making a new home.

[gailkate]

Yes, that's what I was trying to get at, too. I believe we are nestbuilders (maybe women, especially, though I wouldn't want to generalize). Even nomads had a world they took with them, however minimal. And I really do think that when you are up in the air about so many things, the comforts of home matter.

When I was a traveling sales rep, I took along oddball things to feel at home. A framed picture - not a person; in fact it was just a lovely greeting card. Motels didn't have coffeee pots back then, so I brought a hot water pot for coffee and soup with a pretty mug and bowl. And, of course, for years I brought my dog. Talk about the comforts of home!

Maybe you should think of yourself as a bird picking up pretty threads and ribbons to weave into a comfy nest.

[slb2]

So, Freecycle's not your thang?

[booklady]

Never heard of it.

[michael]

Not exactly furniture, but essential none the less:

1. A wine rack

2. A small refrigerator for beer, wine, champagne, soft drinks, etc.

3. Gun rack with guns (just decoration to scare off people who may want to raid your wine rack and beer refrigerator).

Mike

[Gracie]

Oooh, what a great thread.

When Griz and I got married, our furnishings were a mattress on the floor, two lawn chairs we got as wedding presents (which we put with the kitchen table we scavenged from my grandmother's shed), a rocking chair I'd had forever, and a desk that was left in the house. We stored our clothes in milk crates.

When we lost our house, some 17 years later, we had two hideabeds, two sofas, numerous chairs, two dining room tables, four desks, I forget how many beds and bureaus and occasional tables and all that....(but keep in mind the house was three stories, 4500 sq. feet, and almost every piece of that was trash picked, yard saled, or family 'heirloom.')

When I lived alone, all I owned in the world fit in the back of my Malibu. With room left over. Lots of room left over.

If I were still living alone, I would have far less than I do now.

Bookie, if you haven't read it, try finding a copy of Frank Levering and Wanda Urbanska's "Simple Living" (they even had a show on PBS for a while.) They were screenwriters who moved back East to take over the family orchard and I LOVE reading how they downscaled and simplified their way of life. They also interviewed others who did this...one woman lived in a single room. It's one of the most restful books I've ever read. Alas, the person who 'borrowed' my copy moved away and I no longer have it, but I'll replace it one of these days, it's that good--try it!

[booklady]

The deed is done.
One month of furniture lent is now over.
Tomorrow I will be able to stretch out on my new couch to read.
The monks in the desert are not worried that I'm going to take their jobs away from them.

Gracie, I'll look for that book. Thanks!

[gailkate]

Naturally, we will expect pictures.

[booklady]

Oh, ok, that will give me an excuse to go out and buy coffee and end tables, and lamps, and plants, and area rugs and all the stuff that you need in a photo of a couch....

[michael]

Jul 22, 2008 7:36:43 GMT -5 booklady said:

Oh, ok, that will give me an excuse to go out and buy coffee and end tables, and lamps, and plants, and area rugs and all the stuff that you need in a photo of a couch....

Doth thou have a cork screw and a bottle of wine? Do you not have a glass to fill? Cheese and bread, a pillow to lay your head? What does one need with end tables, lamps and plants? All you need is love, and I feel in this arena, you have plenty.

Love, love, love

Mike