Where were you when…? We hear that (or think that a lot. This is especially true in a new year, where we try to make heads or tails of what the last year brought. How are we going to move ahead, make it better, and what are we going to keep? This last question is what I want to chat about today. How furniture plays a role in our everyday moments and how it grounds us to people, places, and time.

The Everyday

In my world, furniture has a heavy presence. Take my couch, for instance. It has been through three upholstery makeovers and three homes. I saved for this couch and have been making memories with it for over 15 years. It is where I sat with my kids to watch Saturday morning cartoons, and where I slept after back-to-back surgeries. None of what I just mentioned is particularly inspiring or momentous, but it is gravitational. These moments created memories that continue ground me when I feel like I am floating away.

The Not-So-Everyday

There are certainly some exceptional moments that furniture often and quietly plays a role in. The rocker, for instance, that was purchased or passed down when your first child was born. The big, comfy chair that held your grandpa while he held you. Even a couch that was somehow big enough fit you and all eleven cousins! I bet there are many memories you are now looking back on and seeing (or feeling) the furniture in them. (I did these chairs for a bride whose Grandmother had passed them down ↓)

Generational Furniture

My entire business is based off of those two words, generational furniture. Growing up in the military made it difficult to keep a lot of things, especially big things like furniture. When I started my own family and needed things for my home I found that I gravitated towards old pieces. I liked that they had a history and I very much wanted to be a part of that.

The past has always been a curiosity to me. How people lived more simply, in comparison to our standards anyway, and put value on craftsmanship. Nothing was done haphazardly or with a “throw-away” mentality. People needed to accommodate their immediate needs, yes, but it was done with thoughtfulness. Grandma’s chair was made with real wood and real skill. She chose that chair with consideration, money studiously saved, and with longevity in mind. I love that. I respect it.

As a young parent, I wanted to give my kids a home that would give them a feeling of belonging. I did that through my time with them and through the pieces I brought in. Often, these pieces were from a thrift store or even a junk pile. I would give them a new life and let my family add to its story. The small, everyday moments that happened around and on that furniture brought me incredible joy. I finally felt like I belonged to a story.

Moving Ahead

Do you have a piece of furniture with a story or a history? If not, I can find you one! If you do, then I highly encourage you to give it a new story. Changing the look of it does not detract from it’s beauty or history. It gives you a chance to make it yours and add to that story.

Make your space speak with a chair from the 1930s, when times were hard but beauty was not sacrificed. Go to a local thrift or antique store and see what speaks to you. I affectionately call these pieces, these beloved and bespoke pieces, everyday antiques. And with your everyday antiques will come everyday moments that will eventually make up the fabric of your story.

XO,

P.S. ~ If you care about the pieces you live with, you’ll feel at home in The Home We Keep. My weekly newsletter with thoughtful notes on upholstery, design, and furniture for real life