Yes. I get the same feeling when I go into a furniture store.
Almost 20 years ago, me & the wife (Brenda) went shopping for a pair of new recliners. I needed a new one, since that's the only place I can sit where me ole back is close to comfortable, and we only ever had one. I wanted my wife to be comfy, too!
So we went to all the places in town and just sat. We sat & sat some more. When the nosy sales people came to ask how "they could help us," I just explained that "I hafta sit fer awhile before I can tell if it's gonna be comfy enough."
They always walked away muttering & shakin' their li'l heads. Loved it.
However, when we did finally commit & pull the trigger, the ones we got are still comfy to this day. I have sat in mine every single day, and I weigh 200 pounds. So there. Never would I buy furniture online.
I love your idea of a furniture store with ZERO employees!
Only it needs to be next door to the guys with the truck delivery service.
You must tell us the brand! I'm always nervous the cushions are going to sag. There's nothing worse than a saggy cushion. 🤣 Where are you writing from, J?!?!
I use Zillow as a bookmark for all the houses I've lived in, just so I can keep track of them. One of these houses, 3 moves ago, went up for sale last week. It's a mid-mod cute historic house, where my son was born, where I launched my first business, where my dog crossed the rainbow bridge. It has a special place in my heart. My mind is swirling with thoughts of buying it! Even though it's now too small for me and 2 kids and wouldn't work in any capacity. In my mind, somewhere it is and always will be mine.
This is a GENIUS idea. It's so bittersweet, isn't it??? I also want to buy my dad's old barber shop, should that ever come up for sale. I have no idea what I'd do with a barber shop, but I have a feeling we'd all figure out SOMETHING creative to do with it!! Can we figure out something fun for your house, just in case? ;)
Come to Alaska (at least where I live) there is a shortage of people therefore and those who do work in the few furniture stores we have are lazy so beyond the "hi, let me know if you need help" they sit at their desk while you could wander for hours (I have while plopping down on couches). I just recently went furniture shopping again for a couch and not much has changed lol. On the old barn, I had one torn down at my old place in Colorado. The guy that took it built things with the wood, left me a small end table made from the wood on Christmas day, found it on my porch. Still have it. You should save a little wood to make something with some day. :)
STOP IT! THAT IS THE BEST IDEA EVER!!!!!!!!!!! THE WOOD TABLE!!!!!!! 😲 I must admit, we buried the hell out of it yesterday. The wood had been exposed for years because some jack tart came by at one point and stripped the roof and the good parts, leaving the sellers of this farmhouse with just the skeleton. The excavator tore those beams in half like they were matches. But, I did manage to save an old wooden pulley from the top rafter! It's SO HEAVY. Need to think of a fun way to frame it! But gosh, the side table was such a good idea.
That's a bummer! Depending on what type of pulley it was I've seen all kinds of cool things done with them, including plant hangers on covered porches. I have a smaller one I intend to do that with on my porch this summer. :)
Here's a review I recently wrote for a sofa I bought online....
“If you’re tired of being comfortable while watching tv, reading, playing with the dogs, or entertaining a companion late into the evening, this sofa is a must have. Imagine the joy of sitting on a boulder, sans the triumph of scaling Everest. I cannot recommend this sofa enough for anyone who is tired of having lazy Sunday afternoons. Purchasing this sofa will ensure you’re never comfortable again.”
Lesson learned? Never trust a sofa you haven't butt-tested. The online description? More fictional than the relationship I’m currently having with Kevin Costner. We're talking a 713% deviation from reality – maybe even a full 1000%.
I can relate to every word of this post. Last year my dad sold the 100 acre land / farm that I grew up on - and the first thing the new owner did was tear down every building. The house. The garage. The sheds. The second garage. The barns. Even the chicken coop was bulldozed. I hate how much my siblings and I regret not buying it.
Julie PLEASE TELL ME YOU ARE A COPYWRITER BC I HAVE NEVER LAUGHED SO HARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Baaahahahahahahhahaha! I also subbed to your future Substack, so you need to get on that. *waits patiently*
Hi Ash, I hate those furniture stores and their sales hungry staff following you like a dog in heat.
If you're looking for a great sofa, I can highly recommend the Lounge sofa from Crate and Barrel. I have the "sand" color and I've spilled red wine on it...no problem. Came out so easy. Plus it's super comfortable and deep. Everyone says so. The construction is solid not like those box stores where the fabric is cheap and made with plywood. Best $2K I ever spent on a sofa. I think mine is 10+ years old and you'd never know.
YES TO THIS REC!!!!!! Gahhhh, I think our next thread needs to be "what's the best piece of furniture you ever bought," lol, because this is so handy! I'm going to look it up immediately. This is exactly what I need for the living room. (The library is getting some fancy fucking thing from Anthropologie and I KNOW I DIDN'T SIT ON IT BUT COULDN'T RESIST.)
It was my front foot. No, I mean the front of my back foot. My hand, it was my hand.
Funny, with our kitties, when my wife trims their claws I always ask if she got all 4 wheels. Or sometimes she'll just say, "I only got the back wheels before they declined."
Which foot? (Hope it's the left one!) I smashed my left big toe way back on Dec 7 (nothing as great as a massive desk or dresser falling on it, instead, I fell on my foot after missing several steps, going down carrying a tray of dishes & glasses (with water & ice tea in them). It was middle of the night, I was half asleep. Never done that before, and I swear I'll never do it again.
I still sometimes have PTSD going down those steps from the loft, lol.
Anyway, the whole toe nail is still solid black. But I'm not going to lose that nail! Not gonna. 🤪
As my husband and I prepare to build a home on our 75 acres of dream land in a "leave me the eff alone" countryside, we determined (okay, it was me, I determined) that I needed to go look at appliances. At an actual appliance store. Because I needed to know what allllll my options were for the new house in advance, so I can budget accordingly how many thousands of DoorDash orders I'll need to do to afford what I want. (That number , turns out, is surreal and I'm questioning my math skills.) BUT - I digress - the salespeople at the appliance store are also like rabid priests, and NOT AT ALL HELPFUL like I had hoped they would be. The store wanted me to actually "check in at the front desk" so they could "serve me better" (I declined to do so) and they STILL found me, then hounded me as I reviewed my options. I left with my ideas in mind, and turns out - I can do way better purchasing these swanky new appliances online, and I don't have to see a single person. I'm very excited about it!
They asked you to check in at the front desk?! Oh lord. See, this is what I don't get: why institute policies that make people want to go screaming out the front door? I understand they want your email address, but there are wayyyyyy better ways of getting that. Furniture stores are for browsing. When we want to buy something, WE WILL LET YOU KNOW.
P.S. I'm totally going to buy appliances online. There's a cool new washer/dryer combo I'm looking at for the cottage. In England, they're super popular, but I've not seen them often in America! Looking forward to trying!
So many great visuals here. How is the FB Marketplace/ thrifting scene near you? I'm fantasizing about discovering rare finds for next to nothing for my old farm house in CO... am I dreaming?
I'm terrified to get on that menagerie! 🤣 I think could be good for old bureaus here that are excellent wood, but I might not want to buy a sofa. There are also lots of power tools, haha.
Ha, I have never been inside a R&F but I see them when I go home to CT. Lol. Funny a desk fell on my foot last week because I was too stubborn to wait for my husband to finish with his zillionth conference call of the day and help me. 😂😝😫
P.S I think IKEA is the only furniture store without sales people, and you don’t want that. 😂
We are injury twins!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe that Elle, LOL. What kind of desk? I have one here that's mid century chestnut and I friggin' love it. I put it right in front of the big picture window at the farmhouse for now, since I'm there working from it and the light is gorgeous, though someday I should probably put some bomb-ass reading nook there. Ugh. So many decisions!
We are injury twins! Lol. My foot finally stopped being sore to the touch. Your desk sounds really nice and worthy of that spot in front of the picture window!!! My desk was just a target knock off of a campaign desk we scrambled to find for the kids during the lockdown and homeschooling era. 😞 Just delivered it Sunday to Goodwill!
BTW, Ash: I have never subscribed to a pay-as-you-read blog until I read a sample of yours. I barely read free ones.
But I don't mind payin' for yours! I always look forward to it.
You have no idea how much your comment brightened my evening, Jeffro! THANK YOU for taking the time to leave me this note.
Yes. I get the same feeling when I go into a furniture store.
Almost 20 years ago, me & the wife (Brenda) went shopping for a pair of new recliners. I needed a new one, since that's the only place I can sit where me ole back is close to comfortable, and we only ever had one. I wanted my wife to be comfy, too!
So we went to all the places in town and just sat. We sat & sat some more. When the nosy sales people came to ask how "they could help us," I just explained that "I hafta sit fer awhile before I can tell if it's gonna be comfy enough."
They always walked away muttering & shakin' their li'l heads. Loved it.
However, when we did finally commit & pull the trigger, the ones we got are still comfy to this day. I have sat in mine every single day, and I weigh 200 pounds. So there. Never would I buy furniture online.
I love your idea of a furniture store with ZERO employees!
Only it needs to be next door to the guys with the truck delivery service.
That's the thang.
You must tell us the brand! I'm always nervous the cushions are going to sag. There's nothing worse than a saggy cushion. 🤣 Where are you writing from, J?!?!
Oh, gosh, the brand?! I'll have to get back to you on that!
It's prolly underneath it, on a tag sewn to the insides or something.
But, it's covered with nice leather, and no, the cushions (nor the springs that suspend them) do not sag!
I'm writing from Goose Creek, SC, supposedly where Bluebeard buried his treasure. But I haven't found it. I'll make my own, I think.
"I'll make my own, I think" is the best line EVER. Because, YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I use Zillow as a bookmark for all the houses I've lived in, just so I can keep track of them. One of these houses, 3 moves ago, went up for sale last week. It's a mid-mod cute historic house, where my son was born, where I launched my first business, where my dog crossed the rainbow bridge. It has a special place in my heart. My mind is swirling with thoughts of buying it! Even though it's now too small for me and 2 kids and wouldn't work in any capacity. In my mind, somewhere it is and always will be mine.
This is a GENIUS idea. It's so bittersweet, isn't it??? I also want to buy my dad's old barber shop, should that ever come up for sale. I have no idea what I'd do with a barber shop, but I have a feeling we'd all figure out SOMETHING creative to do with it!! Can we figure out something fun for your house, just in case? ;)
Come to Alaska (at least where I live) there is a shortage of people therefore and those who do work in the few furniture stores we have are lazy so beyond the "hi, let me know if you need help" they sit at their desk while you could wander for hours (I have while plopping down on couches). I just recently went furniture shopping again for a couch and not much has changed lol. On the old barn, I had one torn down at my old place in Colorado. The guy that took it built things with the wood, left me a small end table made from the wood on Christmas day, found it on my porch. Still have it. You should save a little wood to make something with some day. :)
STOP IT! THAT IS THE BEST IDEA EVER!!!!!!!!!!! THE WOOD TABLE!!!!!!! 😲 I must admit, we buried the hell out of it yesterday. The wood had been exposed for years because some jack tart came by at one point and stripped the roof and the good parts, leaving the sellers of this farmhouse with just the skeleton. The excavator tore those beams in half like they were matches. But, I did manage to save an old wooden pulley from the top rafter! It's SO HEAVY. Need to think of a fun way to frame it! But gosh, the side table was such a good idea.
That's a bummer! Depending on what type of pulley it was I've seen all kinds of cool things done with them, including plant hangers on covered porches. I have a smaller one I intend to do that with on my porch this summer. :)
Such a good idea! I have a cool spot for that inside!!!!!!
Awesome you'll have to share photos!
Here's a review I recently wrote for a sofa I bought online....
“If you’re tired of being comfortable while watching tv, reading, playing with the dogs, or entertaining a companion late into the evening, this sofa is a must have. Imagine the joy of sitting on a boulder, sans the triumph of scaling Everest. I cannot recommend this sofa enough for anyone who is tired of having lazy Sunday afternoons. Purchasing this sofa will ensure you’re never comfortable again.”
Lesson learned? Never trust a sofa you haven't butt-tested. The online description? More fictional than the relationship I’m currently having with Kevin Costner. We're talking a 713% deviation from reality – maybe even a full 1000%.
I can relate to every word of this post. Last year my dad sold the 100 acre land / farm that I grew up on - and the first thing the new owner did was tear down every building. The house. The garage. The sheds. The second garage. The barns. Even the chicken coop was bulldozed. I hate how much my siblings and I regret not buying it.
Julie PLEASE TELL ME YOU ARE A COPYWRITER BC I HAVE NEVER LAUGHED SO HARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Baaahahahahahahhahaha! I also subbed to your future Substack, so you need to get on that. *waits patiently*
I love you with my whole heart!!!! Thank you!
Hi Ash, I hate those furniture stores and their sales hungry staff following you like a dog in heat.
If you're looking for a great sofa, I can highly recommend the Lounge sofa from Crate and Barrel. I have the "sand" color and I've spilled red wine on it...no problem. Came out so easy. Plus it's super comfortable and deep. Everyone says so. The construction is solid not like those box stores where the fabric is cheap and made with plywood. Best $2K I ever spent on a sofa. I think mine is 10+ years old and you'd never know.
LOL bouncy floors.
YES TO THIS REC!!!!!! Gahhhh, I think our next thread needs to be "what's the best piece of furniture you ever bought," lol, because this is so handy! I'm going to look it up immediately. This is exactly what I need for the living room. (The library is getting some fancy fucking thing from Anthropologie and I KNOW I DIDN'T SIT ON IT BUT COULDN'T RESIST.)
Thank you, thank you, thank you, B!
It was my front foot. No, I mean the front of my back foot. My hand, it was my hand.
Funny, with our kitties, when my wife trims their claws I always ask if she got all 4 wheels. Or sometimes she'll just say, "I only got the back wheels before they declined."
Injury twins, lol.
Which foot? (Hope it's the left one!) I smashed my left big toe way back on Dec 7 (nothing as great as a massive desk or dresser falling on it, instead, I fell on my foot after missing several steps, going down carrying a tray of dishes & glasses (with water & ice tea in them). It was middle of the night, I was half asleep. Never done that before, and I swear I'll never do it again.
I still sometimes have PTSD going down those steps from the loft, lol.
Anyway, the whole toe nail is still solid black. But I'm not going to lose that nail! Not gonna. 🤪
HAHAHA. I'll let you know how it goes. I'm all about it. Well, I am now, without any hands-on experience. Do you know something I don't???
As my husband and I prepare to build a home on our 75 acres of dream land in a "leave me the eff alone" countryside, we determined (okay, it was me, I determined) that I needed to go look at appliances. At an actual appliance store. Because I needed to know what allllll my options were for the new house in advance, so I can budget accordingly how many thousands of DoorDash orders I'll need to do to afford what I want. (That number , turns out, is surreal and I'm questioning my math skills.) BUT - I digress - the salespeople at the appliance store are also like rabid priests, and NOT AT ALL HELPFUL like I had hoped they would be. The store wanted me to actually "check in at the front desk" so they could "serve me better" (I declined to do so) and they STILL found me, then hounded me as I reviewed my options. I left with my ideas in mind, and turns out - I can do way better purchasing these swanky new appliances online, and I don't have to see a single person. I'm very excited about it!
They asked you to check in at the front desk?! Oh lord. See, this is what I don't get: why institute policies that make people want to go screaming out the front door? I understand they want your email address, but there are wayyyyyy better ways of getting that. Furniture stores are for browsing. When we want to buy something, WE WILL LET YOU KNOW.
P.S. I'm totally going to buy appliances online. There's a cool new washer/dryer combo I'm looking at for the cottage. In England, they're super popular, but I've not seen them often in America! Looking forward to trying!
So many great visuals here. How is the FB Marketplace/ thrifting scene near you? I'm fantasizing about discovering rare finds for next to nothing for my old farm house in CO... am I dreaming?
I'm terrified to get on that menagerie! 🤣 I think could be good for old bureaus here that are excellent wood, but I might not want to buy a sofa. There are also lots of power tools, haha.
Ha, I have never been inside a R&F but I see them when I go home to CT. Lol. Funny a desk fell on my foot last week because I was too stubborn to wait for my husband to finish with his zillionth conference call of the day and help me. 😂😝😫
P.S I think IKEA is the only furniture store without sales people, and you don’t want that. 😂
We are injury twins!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe that Elle, LOL. What kind of desk? I have one here that's mid century chestnut and I friggin' love it. I put it right in front of the big picture window at the farmhouse for now, since I'm there working from it and the light is gorgeous, though someday I should probably put some bomb-ass reading nook there. Ugh. So many decisions!
We are injury twins! Lol. My foot finally stopped being sore to the touch. Your desk sounds really nice and worthy of that spot in front of the picture window!!! My desk was just a target knock off of a campaign desk we scrambled to find for the kids during the lockdown and homeschooling era. 😞 Just delivered it Sunday to Goodwill!