New Furniture

As of yesterday, I was pleased to order the second article of new furniture that me and my wife selected. The first item was obviously a bed. The second glorious article is a dining room table.

Being married and somewhat less transient, it is nice to have nice things. It is fun to establish and clarify one’s taste in decorating and furniture. While a home is made by family and friends, it is also nice to have a place for everything and everything in its place.

Single, apartment, used furniture life is enjoyable as well for different reasons. The freedom of few material possessions is quite rewarding. Even from a spiritual point of view, austerity is rewarding in its own right. Material possessions and desires can cloud ones mind.

In college my first furniture purchase was a dresser as the bed was part of the “furnished” apartment. I later bought a couch $20 and miscellaneous used furniture in the $10-$50 range. There was a mild sense of joy in having a kitchen table and coffee table, but there was little sense of permanence. Moving to Colorado all that survived was a desk, some bar stools, and stereo equipment (none of which I still own).

When I finally stopped having roommates, I started buying new furniture. I never again wanted to have sheets on the couch. I wanted to be able to identify every scuff mark on the dresser as scuff marks that I had left at one time or another. The first piece of new furniture I bought as a bachelor was a recliner. $200 at the time was quite a bit of money, but I do happen to still own it.

The costs of furnishing a home do not need to be oppressive as one could budget $1000/year. After 10-15 years of new acquisitions older pieces can be replaced. Decorations are similar as artwork or decorative pieces are difficult to find and may be acquired at a pace of a few every decade.

The next item on the horizon is a carpet as the flooring in our home could use some warmth over the winter. It is nice not to be in a hurry as socks are cheap and convenient as well.