Furniture Can Make You Mad

I have a computer desk that makes me mad. It has a beautifully scalloped apron that digs into my left thigh, leaving a deep rectangular indentation whenever I sit in front of it for longer than an hour. It's not really the desk's fault, since it's not really a desk. A much loved hand-me-down, originally this piece of furniture was a dresser with a tri-fold mirror bolted on the back.

The mirror, my friend who gave me the dresser reported, was cracked right down the middle, a casualty of a rough-housing session with an older brother, and was consequently dragged out to the garage until it was finally hauled away to the dump. Fifteen years later, the dresser was banished from the apartment when he and his partner redecorated. I became its proud new owner because at the time, I was looking for a writing desk and I liked the dresser's deep drawers.

I refinished it to match some of the darker wood pieces in my living room. When it was used strictly as a writing table, it wasn't a problem, but once I upgraded and put a computer on it, that's when I started running into difficulties. Still, I'd rather keep massaging my thigh and muttering under my breath whenever I walk away from the "computer desk" than relinquish it for something more appropriate, like a computer cart or computer armoire.

Although, even if I'm the only one in the room, every time this happens, I get embarrassed. But I'm not alone. A very quick, very informal and very unscientific poll of unsuspecting co-workers queued in front of the fax machine revealed that almost everyone owns a piece of furniture that has a tendency to irritate, annoy, frustrate or anger. When it comes to furniture that ticks us off, it seems that I am in good company.

Someone in accounting says that she is constantly bumping into the corner of her bed whenever she passes by, even though they're rounded and not particularly sharp. One of the customer service representatives reports, that no matter how they place the coffee table in front of the couch, he and his roommates constantly snag their knees on its edge whenever they get up from the sofa. Another fellow worker emphatically complained about the dresser drawer that keeps inconveniently sticking, especially it seems, whenever she's running late for work.

And when I mentioned this theory in casual conversation to my neighbor across the hall, he too had a story to tell. In fact, he opened the door to his apartment wider so that I could see exactly what he was talking about. In his entryway, he has a beautiful real-life antique console table with cabriole legs, which he maintains, conspires to trip him in the most inopportune moments, like when he's carrying a cup of something hot into the living room.

To me personally, the most interesting and revealing aspect of this impromptu survey was that no one asked, "What are you talking about?" Most everyone, it seems, has a piece of furniture in their lives that has a mind of its own and conspires, in a fit of whimsy, to annoy us every now and then.

A Buck a Week

The term "allowance", or its linguistic equivalent, has a universal meaning for children the world over. Almost every parent bestows an amount of money upon their child at particular intervals, the most common being once a week. Motives vary; some do it with a view to establishing fiscal responsibility at a young age or as a reward for chores completed during the week. I would imagine, however, that most see it as a means of putting an end, however brief, to the incessant and desperate strings of "Can I have? Can I have? Please, Please, Please" that flare up at every stop in a supermarket or convenience store.

My folks definitely fell into that category. In fact, my sister and I receiving an allowance at all only came to be from something of a "Keeping up with the Jones'" stimulus as our interacting with other primary schoolchildren made us realize what we had been missing out on. They conceded, and my sister and I anxiously awaited the appointed Friday to receive our first allowances.

I was handed a one dollar bill. So was my sister. You could cut the anti-climax with a dull butter knife.

At first, I thought this was to be a graduated-scale kind of arrangement. You know, I'd receive more maybe at the start of the next school year. I'd only have to endure a short period of being the light-load one of my friends on our weekly jaunts to the corner store. Only a matter of time until I didn't need to nurse my Lik-M-Aid and Big League Chew so as to not deplete my sugar booty before they did.

It never happened. My pittance stayed just that until I got my first paper route at 13, at which point in fact the weekly allowance came to a stop entirely. It was somewhat an issue of contention - I distinctly remember lying to other schoolkids when they asked how much my allowance was. The shame I tell you.

The thing is, in our increasingly expensive world I imagine a great many of you have self-imposed "allowances" in much the same way I have needed to enforce them upon myself. I have a fairly rigid number to which I am "allowed" to spend every two weeks in order to steer well clear of mortgage, student loan and car payments, bills, groceries etc. In much the same way I hoped for the two-buck stipend all those years ago, I'm hoping this new allowance can be discarded sooner rather than later.

For those similarly restricted and needing to furnish a new home, I sincerely recommend a visit to www.cymax.com. Cymax is where the ease and convenience of online shopping is paired with competitive pricing that is as hard to beat as the hilarity of an 11-year old trying to sit still after six pieces of licorice, a can of Jolt and a bag of sour soothers.

Should you be at the point where it's just wrong to rest your new Nakamichi components on the same cinder blocks that have constituted your stereo stand for years, an Ameriwood 3-shelf Audio Stand is a budget-friendly choice for your living area.

What about the bachelor who feels a need to leave his dorm-days behind him and actually folds his laundry now? He is certain to appreciate the value of a Venture Horizon Nouvelle Drawer Chest, with ample garment storage for a single individual and priced just right to not to impede on the sanctity that is ordering pizza three times a week.

Many of us are not exactly thrilled that the computer is no longer exclusively for mindless surfing and red-eyed Diablo and Warcraft sessions. While you're peeling the Green Day and Offspring stickers off the laptop before bequeathing that Pentium II dinosaur to your cousin, take a moment to consider a Prepac Sonoma Computer Desk for your new desktop. It's light on the wallet and up to the rigors of daily life as your new workstation.

I remember my Uncle once telling me that my parents had an "overly-Protestant work ethic." Man, he wasn't kidding.

From Occupation to Fascination

My grandfather worked for the British Diplomatic Service for many years and in many different locales. His first posting was in Iraq starting in 1935, and my father still gets a kick out of the look on people's faces when he tells them he was born in Baghdad. In 1955, after stops in Turkey and Spain, Gramps took a final posting in the Paris Embassy at the urging of his French-born second wife. He would stay there until retirement, but only a short time after he began working in Paris he decided he wanted to get away from the city.

He and my step-grandmother purchased a house in Les Andelys, a very old-world village town on the River Seine and walking distance from the ruins of King Richard the Lion Heart's Chateau Gaillard. The house was massive, a former seat of the local aristocracy when it was built in the mid-to-late 19th century and perfectly located at the front of the rue with the river running right next to it. When I first visited at eleven years of age, the size and old character of the place was like nothing I'd seen before and it made quite an impression on me. That impression was doubled when my grandfather told me of his abode's past; more specifically, that it had been the local Nazi stronghouse during the occupation of WWII.

Sometime during the year 1940, after the Maginot line experiment had failed hopelessly and the Germans had waltzed into France with ease, the Nazis took steps to fortify their hold on the country by establishing strongpoints throughout rural areas. As Les Andelys was only an hour or so from Paris, it was likely one of the first to be chosen as such as it is the largest and most central town of several that dot the lower Seine valley. Why my grandfather's home was chosen as their command center wasn't entirely clear, but the fact that it was large, slightly more elevated than the others and at the front of the village likely made strategic sense.

My father has always been a war-buff and it was starting to wear off on me even at such a young age. When I visited the house again 5 years later, I was WWII savvy and the intrigue of the place was as intoxicating to me the same way it was for my father. The old log wood dining table was apparently the same that had been in the home since its beginning, and I couldn't help but imagine uniformed Nazi officers sitting there with me with the iron-eagle pinned caps, swastika armbands and Luger handguns resting on the table. When I was upstairs in my room I would think of an enlisted soldier on watch in his grey fatigues and that unique rear-flap helmet staring out into the cobblestone street below, single carbine at the ready.

Whenever I see richly-detailed, opulent old world home furnishings I am immediately reminded of that house and think of the strains of Edith Piaf on a gramophone while military men discuss strategy over cigarettes and brandy. Largely-scaled and with a density of form that suggests real permanence, these fixtures always speak of a time that was long before mine but, because of the war, has a fascinating quality for me.

Nowadays, those individuals that have the space and taste to incorporate such furnishings into their homes are truly fortunate. More than a few individuals, and not necessarily older folk, are in fact drawn to this vintage traditional style that was so perfectly embodied in my gramp's famous, or infamous, house in the country.

To these persons, I strongly recommend a visit to Cymax Stores to peruse their selection of Pulaski Accent Chests and other Pulaski home furnishings. These furniture pieces are simply radiant with all the charms and inherent upscale sophistication of days long since past and truthfully every time I see them I think of Les Andelys and the smell of my grandfather's cigars. The Powell Masterpiece Series Accent Chests are blessed with that same degree of rich early 20th century grandeur, and will lend that same presence to the common area of any home that can legitimately incorporate such stateliness.

I freely admit that if I could, in the future, find myself with larger and more character-laden accommodations, I would consider re-creating my take on the Les Andelys home. If I could even work but a few of these splendid pieces into the home, it would have immeasurable nostalgic value for me.

Who knows? The trip down memory lane may be so influential on me I'll grow a moustache and begin wearing a fedora every time I step out of doors.

Didn't they teach you Home Ergonomics in school?

Most of us who make the daily trek to the office are aware of ergonomic office furniture that will help get us through the day comfortably and safely. But what about the furniture in your home? It might look and feel comfy to sit and relax on, but is it being kind to your back?

Making a home ergonomic may sound complicated (and expensive) but it doesn't have to be. Ergonomics is simply how we use furniture, tools and equipment in relation to our immediate environment in a way that reduces physical discomfort and the risk of injury. A soft sofa or a fluffy, oversized chair may appear to be comfortable and inviting. However, if it encourages you to slouch, it can have a lasting, negative effect on your body, especially your back. You can ensure that your living room and dining room are ergonomic by following a few basic principles.

When shopping for a couch, look for one that allows you to sit at ease, with feet flat on the ground, thighs parallel to the floor, head centered over the shoulders and back fully supported. This would also apply to any type of chair you are considering purchasing, including dining room chairs, side chairs, arms chairs and recliners. When choosing the perfect recliner, make sure that when sitting upright, your lower spine is fully supported by the backrest and that it cradles your shoulders and neck. If you do find a recliner that you just must have, but it isn't an ideal fit, you can select one with a matching ottoman. This will take the pressure off the backs of your legs, one of the first places to experience discomfort when not sitting properly.

If, when using your sofa, you are in the habit of lying down, ensure that your back, neck and shoulders are being properly cushioned. Before purchasing end tables, take into account whether or not your couch has arms. If it does, are the arms high or low? If they are high, you will want end tables of a comparable height, so that you can easily place items on the end table without having to twist uncomfortably. The same goes for coffee tables: they should stand at a height in conjunction to the couch's seating area when you are sitting, so that you can easily reach anything on the coffee table without effort or strain. This will also apply to an accent table being bought specifically to stand beside an armchair; you want the table to be high enough or the arms to low enough to avoid having to overreach when putting something down on the table top.

In the dining room, similar ergonomic principles can make mealtimes more comfortable and enjoyable. Dining chairs should be bought with the dining table in mind. The seat height of the chair should be anywhere from 10 to 12 inches below the dining table edge. For example, if the height of your dining table is 30 inches, the seat height of your dining chairs should range from 18 to 20 inches high, depending on the size and height of the person sitting in the chair on a regular basis.

Before purchasing a dining room table, take into account how many people will be using it and then buy one that will be large enough to easily accommodate everyone. A person generally needs a minimum of 24 inches of personal space to feel comfortable, but an additional 6 inches will provide extra elbow room. Allotting the maximum amount of personal space will also facilitate each person's ability to reach for things effortlessly, reducing the risk of muscle strain.

At Cymax Stores, customers can choose from a wide range of reliable furniture manufacturers for a comfortable and personalized online shopping experience. Taking time to choose ergonomic furniture for your living room and dining room will be worth it when you come home after a busy day to the perfect place to relax and unwind.