Saturday, November 17, 2012

Comfort or style?

As you might imagine, as a builder I'm interested in architecture and design.  I was reading an article in the paper this morning about a lady who sold her tech company for $23M, then to celebrate she renovated a loft (to the tune of $2M) she said "to make her friends envious".  Then I saw the slide show of her new digs.  Ugh!  It was all done in an ultra-contemporary style.  I just looked at her "den" and wondered where she would sit to read a book or watch TV?  



Here is an example of what I mean.  Does this look comfortable to you?

Does anyone remember the 70's TV show All In the Family?  Remember Archie Bunker's chair?  It was this old raggedy thing that Archie wouldn't let anyone else sit in.  He said his butt print on the cushion was just right and he didn't want anyone else messing with it.  (NOTE:  That chair is today in the Smithsonian.)  I feel pretty much the same about my chair.


It cost a small fortune 15 years ago, but I think it will probably outlast me.  I know it looks like hell, but it is supremely comfortable.  That ottoman has been the favorite napping spot for 3 dogs (Tara Belle, Emma Belle, and now Lukie Boy).  I place my feet wherever the dog isn't.  

When I had my detached retina surgeries years ago I was told I couldn't lie down to sleep until my eye healed, so for a while this served as my bed, too.  The back cushion just envelopes me, and the bottom cushion...well...speaks for itself.

The table on the right usually has a book or a couple of magazines on it, a clock, and a good, bright (3-way) reading light.  Underneath I even have a jar of peanuts handy for snacking.  A lot of football has been watched from that chair, lemme tell ya!

Unlike the lady in the story above, I gave up years ago trying to make my friends envious.  All I care about these days is making my butt happy.  And my dog.  ;)

S

PS...I do let K sit there whenever she wants.  Archie would be appalled, but she deserves it, too.




13 comments:

  1. The one thing most men are allowed outside of the garage and the basement is the big comfy chair. Love me a big comfy chair.

    Love this post, one of your best...maybe we all need to stay of of politics...naw, what am I thinking.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I agree with you! I also have "my" comfy chair in living room even though my new partner thinks it's junk. I refuse to get rid of it! :-)

    But our neighbors are like that lady (I think I mentioned the construction going on). I got to visit the indoors recently.... NO COMFORT! It's cold and "technical". aaaarrgghhhhh But THEY are the ones who need to be happy in it.....(oh, and we also had the feeling it's a kind of "see what we can afford to build" type of thing).

    ReplyDelete
  3. I decided years ago not to have any chair or sofa that I wouldn't want to sit in myself. They aren't for decoration! I used to have a little Victorian portrait sofa - sold it on Craigslist. I have a leather recliner as well :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sad that lady would want to do something to make her friends envious. Got to feel sorry for her.

    Looks like a very comfortable chair you have! I like that you are willing to share it with K and the dogs (or perhaps the dogs are willing to share it with you :)

    betty

    ReplyDelete
  5. Definitely comfort for me.....We are looking for a new couch now and I told Steven it has to be one that you sink into not sit on. I like the old ones that have a really deep seat so even the tallest person struggles to touch their toes on the floor - They seem hard to find these days

    Lou

    ReplyDelete
  6. We're comfort people too. Mike has a chair very similar to yours. I mostly sit at my computer desk (which is in the living room). I have a frankenchair - we took the bottom of a chair that I loved & screwed it onto the frame of a chair that actually worked. Yeah - very stylish :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I bought a leather chair twenty years ago and have sat on it only once or twice in all that time. It's a beautiful chair and I don't want to ruin it with my butt print. How stupid am I? Remember, you're a friend so be kind.

    ReplyDelete
  8. My first requirement for a couch: if you lean back, your head needs to touch the back of the couch, not air. I hate anything with a low back.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I hate that stark, minimalist if style of decorating. Give me knick knacks galore and a comfy couch any day!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Kellie, Peeper, Bug, Lou....actually everybody: I guess we're just a bunch of unpretentious real world people who like to take it easy. Yea! ;)

    S

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm more than happy to find this page. I need to to thank you for your time for this wonderful read!! I definitely really liked every part of it and I have you book marked to check out new stuff on your website.

    Check out my webpage: read more at their blog

    ReplyDelete