does the furniture in your house reflect your personality??

United States
August 13, 2009 9:18am CST
I know this may be a strange subject, but due to financial situations in the last couple years our furniture has been hand me down furniture... it seems everytime someone in my family tends to want to get rid of something --for some unknown reason to me-- they think of me with peices of furniture. I have said no to some of it, but then there are certain peices that have come in handy.....only it isnt what I would have picked out for myself. A couple years ago we had a cat that had fleas and they were so bad in our area (subdivision) that it took us months to get rid of them -- we even went so far as to get rid of furniture pieces and tore out the rug in our bedroom... it was a bad situation and they nested in these areas. since then, my Mother in Law had furniture that was my hubbys grandmas down in her basement and that became our new furniture -- of course when you dont have anything you will take what ever you can get --and for free is even better. Now its been a couple years and I really want to upgrade our furniture, only it isnt in the budget right now.... but I told hubby that I hope that one day soon we can get furniture that doesnt look like it belongs on "the golden girls" sitcom we use to watch!! the reason I bring up this discussion is because my brother is losing his house and has to get rid of the furniture in it... and yep --you guessed it-- we are on the list of where the furniture is going too!! Now I dont mind it because it is really a nice peice of furniture... but then again, not something that I would have picked out myself!! So does your furniture reflect you?? Is it something that is just good for now...or have you recently gotten furniture that you just love!!!!!
5 people like this
16 responses
anniefannie
@anniefannie (1737)
• United States
19 Aug 09
i hope my furniture done reflect me most of mine is antique.i feel old as it is ,sometime. lol i used to have things that people didn't want anymore.that is how i got my dinning room table and chairs my moma gave it to me it was to big for her kitchen.iguess i keep what i got for ever i like it alright
2 people like this
bookreadermom08
@bookreadermom08 (5614)
• United States
21 Aug 09
I think you have to really like what you have and then you feel better, more comfortable, and that it is more you... right now we have the hand me down stuff --so I feel that even if it gets ruined from the kids that its no big deal since it was just sitting in someones basement or garage at one point....LOL thanks for the response and have a great day.
1 person likes this
moribus2
@moribus2 (106)
• India
14 Aug 09
Most of the furnitures in my house are very simple and has been in our possession since my birth (It was when we moved to a new home). Sometimes, I believe that furniture represents your temperament and creativity and up to the extent of representing your personality, but the truth is that they must be the like to our requirement and our demands, and much within our means. By means I mean spacing, decoration, cost effictiveness etc. Suppose you buy an antique furniture piece for a lot of money which is very delicate and easy to be damaged. I.e. it costs high mantainenence. What is the use of anything that requires so much energy to be spent on and doesn't have any good reason.
2 people like this
bookreadermom08
@bookreadermom08 (5614)
• United States
21 Aug 09
I can understand that one... but sometimes you can find furniture at a discount place and it may be exactly what you want and what you can afford at the same time... however at this time it isnt a possibility for us to look yet but when it comes down to it, I always choose a discount place...however I can get something very close to what I want/reflects me...at least it did at the time when we first got married...LOL thanks for the response and have a great day!
1 person likes this
lingli_78
@lingli_78 (12822)
• Australia
13 Aug 09
my furnitures in my house are mostly second hand... but i love them... they are still in a perfect conditions and i bought them much cheaper than if i bought them brand new... some i bought them from my friend who is going back to his home country for good... and some i bought them from the bargain corner sections... regardless, i had been using them for almost 4 years now and i am still very happy with them... take care and have a nice day...
2 people like this
bookreadermom08
@bookreadermom08 (5614)
• United States
21 Aug 09
that is awesome that you got them for much cheaper and that you love them... I cant wait to get new furniture but its not in the budget right now. thanks for the response and have a great day!
sid556
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
14 Aug 09
My furniture does reflect my budget for sure....nothing to spare in that area. I do try to make it my own. I had a 2nd hand kitchen table that I basically liked the design but it was stained and looked pretty crappy really. The chairs were falling apart and ugly. I took and painted the top black and sponged on some burgundy. I polyutherined it and it looks really, really cool. I got rid of the chairs and went to target and for 8 bucks each got 4 black metal chairs. My aunt gave me an old but sturdy coffee table. Again...stained, scratched...ugly. I used the same technique. I painted it black. On the top I sponged on a metallic gold. The end tables, I left just black. It gave it a really cool look and I get a lot of compliments on it. It is amazing what a little paint will do. I did up my picture frames with the same paint so everything goes together.
2 people like this
bookreadermom08
@bookreadermom08 (5614)
• United States
21 Aug 09
that is so cool!! how creative of you and I agree it is amazing what a little paint can do to make things look so much better!! I have always wanted to do stuff like buy old stuff from flea markets and yard sales and fix things up and sell them... havent got around to that yet!! thanks for the response and have a great day!
kcoregon
@kcoregon (302)
• United States
14 Aug 09
That is a great question. During our first years of marriage my husband and I received a lot of furniture from relatives as a way of helping to fill out our home. Recently I just got rid of a major peice of furniture my mom had given me but it was big, a pain to have to move, and not in a style that I really enjoyed. It took me ten years to finally say I had enough with it. My mom didn't want it back but she understood, thankfully, and so we chose to donate it. We have furniture in our house that we have bought ourselves however most pieces were purchased because they were affordable and not neccessarily that we liked them. I have a lot of ideas on the furniture I want but the price is just too much to justify for the moment.
2 people like this
bookreadermom08
@bookreadermom08 (5614)
• United States
21 Aug 09
that is great you were able to donate the piece and your mom understood... I agree that we end up with what we can afford and not what we really want sometimes!! thanks for the response and have a great day!
1 person likes this
Nageli
@Nageli (8)
• China
14 Aug 09
I think some will and some will not. Sometimes we buy cheaper furniture even we don't like them very much,because we don't have much money.Then in this situation,the furniture will not reflect our personality. If we buy what we ike,then I will say the furniture will reflect our personality in smoe digree.
2 people like this
bookreadermom08
@bookreadermom08 (5614)
• United States
21 Aug 09
well then I can say that my furniture reflects my budget but not my taste or personality!!! thanks for the response and have a great day!
jwfarrimond
@jwfarrimond (4473)
•
13 Aug 09
Most of the furnature in my house is more than 50 years old and reflects the fact that there have been cats living here for most of the last 50 - odd years. That's to say that the backs of the chairs are a bit tattered. Getting new ones will only provide new scratching surfaces for the claws of my four cats so I don't bother. I'm comfortable with the old furniture.
1 person likes this
kikopheelan
@kikopheelan (9)
• Indonesia
13 Aug 09
i live with my parent. So i have little right to opt the design or whatever. It is relative
1 person likes this
cher913
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
13 Aug 09
it does to a certain extent. most of our furniture is hand me downs and stuff that we have bought at thrift stores and antique markets and i love almost everything we have. i would love to get rid of my china cabinet but have no money to replace it. i am into the antiques/shabby chic/country look.
1 person likes this
bookreadermom08
@bookreadermom08 (5614)
• United States
13 Aug 09
perhaps you could put it up for sale on craigslist and have someone come get it, make money on it and then replace it that way...?? just a suggestion! It is so great to hear that most of it is something that reflects you...I mean if you were to walk through my house --nothing matches...LOL and when I invision what my house will look like --it is nothing like it is now...LOL thanks for the response and happy mylotting.
AcousticSoul
@AcousticSoul (1309)
• United States
13 Aug 09
I know what you mean when I first moved out on my own, everyone was helping me fill up my apartment some things were new and some things were old. of course nothing reflected my personality. After a while of being on my own, I decided I would try this company called renta center out. they have some good deals and then they are over priced... rental fees I was able to get my leather couches, and so on. Now that I am married my husband and I have the same furniture I had when I was single. He moved form South Carolina to where I was in Los Angeles. Now I want something to reflex both of our styles. He like the Asian Art, and I love African art so we are looking to colaborate. but its so expensive I suggest saving here and there when you see a cute accessories pick them up... don't be afriad to throw away stuff... I do all the time or give away to someone else... Good luck :o)
1 person likes this
momtrying2makeit
@momtrying2makeit (3270)
• United States
13 Aug 09
For me I must say no. I was renting to own a nice furntuire set and I had to give it back over a year ago. I did get given some chairs and couches. I appericate them but to be really honest they are not my style at all. I am so much greatful for what I have but is it me, NO. I am hoping after I pay off my washer and dryer I can get some new couches and a new tv but that must wait until I am done paying off the washer and dryer first. Take care friend and happy mylotting to you.
1 person likes this
bookreadermom08
@bookreadermom08 (5614)
• United States
13 Aug 09
I understand completely!!!!! I am in the same boat and when someone wants to give us something --because either they think we can use it --and they can make more room in there house by getting rid of it.... I appreciate the thought and the gesture....however most of it isnt something that I would see in a store and think...oh thats me!!! hopefully you and I will be on here next year talking about the new furniture we were able to get!!! thanks for the response and have a great day!!!!
Zhu Huifen
@zhuhuifen46 (3483)
• China
13 Aug 09
Certainly yes. As a simple and leisure person, I like furnatures and decorations in the same style. Classic and formal ones must be backed by financial strength, and for the necessary events. For a family of two, these days, I might feel uneasy in a sophisticated environment. Ours is clean and light colored, which help me to maintain a positive mood.
1 person likes this
bookreadermom08
@bookreadermom08 (5614)
• United States
13 Aug 09
that is so true, if you like your furniture, and are comfortable with it...you definitely will feel more positive.....I know myself personally will be happy when we can pick out furniture for us and we will feel better about ourselves as well. thank you for the response and happy mylotting.
Citychic
@Citychic (4067)
• United States
13 Aug 09
Does your furniture reflect your personality??? Hi Bookreadermom. Well let me just start out by saying that my hubby was the one that picked out our dining room set. He picked it out without even consulting with me on it before hand and I think he knows just how upset I was by this so now I have trouble getting him to sit down at the table while he's eating. We picked out the living room set together. So yes that does have a little bit of my personality in it. Even though now i"m ready to upgrade to a yellow leather living room set. As I believe that by using the color of yellow it will help to bring in more light and liveliness. Since I'm a big fan of Feung Shuie. (Forgive me if I misspelled the word:). It's a Chinese method of decorating. Color and the things that we have around us is very important to me. As some things can bring energy and prosperity and wealth into our lives, while other things can repel all of that. It's so important to be careful what we are bringing into our homes and around us. If I was in desperate need of some furniture I would probably take what I could get, especially if it was free. But at my age I'm starting to feel like I should be entitled to be able to get what I want. Even if I don't have the money right now to pay for it, I would cut up a picture of it and post it on my vision board and in the future it will be one of the things that will come into my life. According to the Laws of attraction. So we need to be really careful about what we bring into our lives and think, do we really want it or is it just something to have around because we like collecting things or whatever? Great post, happy mylot!
1 person likes this
bookreadermom08
@bookreadermom08 (5614)
• United States
13 Aug 09
now the funny thing is that hubby and I both picked out the 2 dining room sets we had/have.... although we are currently using a table and chairs from him mom (yes yet another hand me down furniture)--it fits better into the kitchen and with our daughter still in a high chair it is more practical at this time --however the other two that we have and can always bring back in --we both love and we both picked them out together...... now the living room set we had when we got married hubby did not care for at all --but I loved it, I had the set for 2 yrs before we got married and one thing hubby has said is that we have never had a more comfortable couch than that one was...although he didnt care for the color/pattern..... but then we had a cat after we got married and it was a nylon material couch --yep, those two combos do not belong together --and hence the furniture pass down began!!! now I try not to complain because it is always free and every couple yrs we tend to get new (hand me down furniture) but I am hoping that with me working online hubbys work will pick up and soon we can make a purchase of our very own again!!!! that is a great way to think, and I like your strategy --I will keep that in mind when I start looking for new things to bring into the house. thanks for the response and happy mylotting.
cyrus123
@cyrus123 (6363)
• United States
14 Aug 09
Yes, I guess you would say the furniture in my house reflects my personality. I grew up in this house and I inherited it and everything in it when mother passed away in 1997. There's a few antique furniture in some of the rooms. I was thinking that maybe you could sell some of that furniture you have in your next yard sale. This is just a suggestion. You mentioned "The Golden Girls". I get dishnetwork and I get that on the hallmark channel every so often now. They are so funny! I used to didn't care anything about it but now I sometimes enjoy it. This must mean that I'm getting older, lol. Kathy.
1 person likes this
bookreadermom08
@bookreadermom08 (5614)
• United States
21 Aug 09
I suggested the same thing to hubby about the yard sale... and if we had more traffic at our yard sale I would have put them out.. but it wasnt busy enough for that!!! now I am suppose to be getting some furniture from my brothers house soon and I might put the furniture we have now in a garage sale next year at my aunts.. we will see though!! LOL we watched "the golden girls" alot when it was first out and it was hilarious... we see some of it now as repeats but not so much anymore. thanks for the response and have a great day!
1 person likes this
dorannmwin
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
13 Aug 09
Most of the furniture in our house doesn't really reflect who I am. The chair, one loveseat, both computer desks, our dining room table set, etc. are all hand me downs, but hey, they are all functional and very comfortable. Our bedroom set is mine from when I lived at my mother's house, and I'd really like to replace that with something that my husband and I choose together, but it isn't in the budget right now. My daughter's bedroom furniture is from when my sister and I were children, but we repainted it so it looks new and it really does reflect her personality and her love of princesses. The one piece that really does reflect us is our rocker, recliner loveseat. It is a beautiful deep color and really goes along with our living room. We bought it from a used furniture store, but it adequately reflects us.
1 person likes this
bookreadermom08
@bookreadermom08 (5614)
• United States
13 Aug 09
yes, if it is functional and comfortable then we can deal with it for a while...unfortunately we have 2 chairs and a love seat...so you cant just stretch out on the couch and watch a good movie...not much comfort there...but I know it is only a temp situation and eventually we can get something of our own. thanks for the response and happy mylotting.
sblossom
@sblossom (2168)
•
13 Aug 09
I do think the furniture in my flat can reflect my personality.Because i like nature and also the comfortable life style, so most of my furnitures are made from wood or cotton. I visited some houses of my friends. I found we have similar ideas about furnitures and decorations about our homes. so i suppose because i have similar personality with my friends so we chose similar furnitures.
1 person likes this
bookreadermom08
@bookreadermom08 (5614)
• United States
13 Aug 09
that is so cool...I cant wait until my house is finished with all the work we have planned for it and my furniture is my own...picked out to fit us. thanks for the response and happy mylotting.
sample2009
@sample2009 (131)
• United States
13 Aug 09
Now I work in the other city far away from my home,The house I rented from an old woman,all the furniture in the house belong to her, it is over thirty years.they look old but feel good ,I like them and I like the old things,maybe the furniture in my house actually reflect my personality.
1 person likes this
bookreadermom08
@bookreadermom08 (5614)
• United States
13 Aug 09
it sounds like it works out great for you!! I am happy to hear that and I wish I could say the same for me...but hopefully in the next year it will be that way....our furniture has been hand me down furniture and I can say most of it--not very comfortable....LOL thanks for the response and happy mylotting.