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Tuesday, June 24, 2008
My life is in chaos, just look at my furniture.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sitting through a presentation on furniture marketing trends, I was struck by polling data in which homeowners described their worst pieces of furniture; it’s not simply that the piece wasn’t their taste, or failed to serve a great function in their homes. Their least favorite furniture reflected chaos and dysfunction they perceived in their lives.
One woman polled in the consumer study by the American Home Furnishings Alliance said that she hated a cabinet in her home because was a constant reminder that her kitchen was inadequate. Another despised her messy office and desk, explaining it made her anxious.
A man polled explained that while his sofa was quality construction, it’s outdated fabric was garish and not to his taste. Better yet, the sofa was a gift from his mother-in-law.
(This sofa, not the aforementioned man’s couch, was named the world’s ugliest last year by the World Wide Ugly Couch Contest.)
I don’t believe any of my furniture to be outrageously hideous, though I do have a media console that aggravates me. I purchased a piece from West Elm for what I thought was a whopping $400; three and a half hours of assembly later, it’s still crooked, scratched, and just plain unsatisfying. (I kept it because it weighs a ton and the thought of taking it apart made me want to cry. I’d attach a photo, but the item is no longer available online. Go figure.)
Do you have a piece of furniture that makes your skin crawl? Where did it come from and why have you held onto it?
