Furniture Patio Deck

Using folding chairs does not need automatically imply a lack of class. For several years, I’ve entertained company around card tables, in my breakfast nook, etc. with rich-finished cherry folding chairs I obtained at Target–at a cost of less than $25 apiece. I imagine similar chairs can be located elsewhere. As these chairs easily collapse for storage purposes, they offer the quintessential folding-chair advantage: offering more freespace when in disuse. Consequently, for those occasions when readily available seating must be complemented–as in for house parties, etc.–one may provide ample alternatives for one’s guests without permanently compromising one’s room day-to-day. As with any piece of furniture, the trick to making folding chairs "work" is first recognizing that, as a class of furnishing, they should not be automatically rejected. True, many folding chairs do scream "unwise" or "ill-considered," but planning one’s purchases carefully–making sure that one’s folding chairs match their furnishings, etc.–will generally heed off perceptions like this. A good analogue would be with a bean-bag chair: many "loungers" ultimately owe their comfort to bean-bag-style cushions; but their essence as bean-bag chair is concealed by the use of non-vinyl, sophisticated coverings. The same is true with the folding chair: it may be collapsible, but ultimately concealed by their design and use.

I currently use a full-size futon for both my bed and main seating for entertainment purposes. Despite the popular conception that futons cannot provide the same sort of back support–or are conducive to the same sort of rest–as traditional beds, I’ve never found my experiences to square with these drawbacks. Indeed, I find boxsprings to be far less comfortable–I prefer the "give" of a good futon cushion under most circumstances. Although I recognize that my preferences may not be universally shared, I, at least, have never found myself disappointed with my futon-qua-bed. Additionally, futons share the second advantage of being well-adapted to other purposes, such as entertaining guests. I’ve never encountered a situation where I would have preferred having friends sink into a traditional couch over the futon I currently use. First of all, the use of cushion covers can dispel the types of fears–spills, accidents, etc.–that are particularly problematic with couches. And second, most futons can be folded or collapsed in ways couches cannot for ease of moving or rearranging. Upon my next purchase of a bed or couch, I will likely obtain a second futon simply because of their unique qualities described above.

Most of my indoor furniture is finished in cherry or black finish–for a few reasons. First, most of the pieces I inherited after leaving home for college were of this style: your typical black folding chairs, a black-cushioned bean-bag lounger, etc. Second, after hopping from apartment to apartment thereafter, I began hunting for more pieces to augment these, naturally gravitating towards matching items. Third, my personal preference for living environment (i.e., urban apartments within historic buildings) has reinforced my inclination towards furniture of this sort. Since my consumer choices in finish were thus as much accidental as intentioned, I cannot say for certain if, starting all over again, I would automatically make the same ones. But I would certainly not be reluctant to, for a number of reasons: Finishes of black or cherry–I’ve found–often convey a sort of permenance and class optimal for designs meant to elicit stability and reliability. For this reason, they are likely best for studies, offices, and/or formal living areas. However if (as in my case) the overall "feel" of your residence–as within its community and building–is historical, then black/cherry might be optimal for all spaces. Indeed, a contemporary approach might jar with your environment, and specific approaches, like "colonial" or "Cape Cod," might not be adaptable enough to work upon your next move.