Do you have a favorite piece of furniture? I recently finished reading Marie Kondo’s book’s: Spark Joy and The Magic of Tidying Up, and this gave me a new perspective on my house and the belongings in it. I love the idea of only filling your home with things that make you happy and spark joy, but like everything, the term has become so overused it starts to sound like a cliché.
And like so many of these cliched ideas, when you stop to take it in, the idea is sound. Why don’t we consciously fill our homes with only the things that give us joy? It would sure make for a different and positive vibe in your house.
So that started me thinking about my own favorite furniture and effects. Am I surrounded by my favorite things? Does my stuff bring me joy? I took her advice and started immediately, first with my clothes and shoes and scarves and bags, I was surprised at how many personal effects and clothing items I had that only sparked a “meh,” I got rid of them all, and even though my closet is even more empty than previously, it gives me a rush of energy whenever I open the door and see what’s inside.
Then I moved onto the kitchen, which seems to be the biggest magnet for unnecessary “I-might-use-that-one-day” items and I got rid of a bunch of stuff from there too; the yellow floral paella pan I’ve been carting around for over 3 years, (I never learned how to make paella), the extra frying pan, the mini wok (which was so stinking cute, but never used), the random gaudy gifted coffee mugs, etc., etc. I even cleaned out my pantry. Now I feel that same satisfying rush when I open my pantry and kitchen cupboards too. This is becoming addictive!
In the back of my mind, while I’ve been doing all this, I’ve been thinking about our furniture, and I am impressed with my ability to only have furniture I like. Most of it came from consignment or thrift stores but that works for me, seriously, the people who consign and thrift their furniture are generally the ones who buy quality pieces and have the budget to be able completely refurnish their homes periodically.
When I think of the times I’ve had furniture that made do, (i.e., fit my budget at the time) and decided I needed something new, they were pieces purchased from large stores that sell everything else as well. The items look great, until you must move house or just move the furniture, which then becomes progressively more unstable, and often the “fine” finish starts to be compromised in some way (i.e., look like crap), or even when I’ve purchased from large furniture warehouses (that can deliver it next Thursday for $50), these items would also look good for a while, but inevitably deteriorate faster than I expected.
But which is my absolute “can’t live without” piece?
Without a doubt, it is our big blue couch.
It’s extra-long and extra deep and dark blue with a contrasting paisley pattern that fades into the material in shades of dull blue-green and grey-blue, rolled arms and big overstuffed cushions, it’s some fine furniture brand (which I can’t remember) and was a thrift store score about 6 years ago. My son loves it, the dog loves it, the cats love it and I love it too. The only family member that did not love it was my ex-husband. Ha.
It’s good for sinking into for movie marathons, but even better to lay on. It has endured years of jumping, sleeping, wrestling, and relaxing and is just as supportive as ever.
The more I’ve been thinking about my couch the more I realize how fantastic it really is and how lucky I am. To the point that I even considered Marie Kondo’s philosophy of thanking your favorite things and thought about writing it a poem, “Ode to the Big Blue Couch.”
One of my favorite things to do is to lay on the couch and read, or at the end of a long day, chill out with the dog and play scrabble on my phone. I look forward to that end-of-day ritual more than I care to admit. To just sink into the big blue couch and snuggle with the dog (sometimes one of the cats too, but always the dog.) It’s large enough that my teenage son can also lay on the couch when we are watching movies or just chilling. The couch is a safe place, cozy and inviting. It also feels good to vanish into it, often nobody really notices you’re laying on it, and it feels like you are hiding in plain sight.
So, what’s your favorite piece of furniture at your house?
You should go and thank it.
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