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Are you a furniture mover?

Say every month you rearrange, perhaps not your whole house but a room or two?

Or do you do a seasonal rearrangement -- this is the room in summer -- this is the room at Christmas -- this is the room in winter?

Or, once placing furniture does it stay there "forever" using art on the walls or tabletops to satisfy the urge for a change?

My moving two pieces of furniture yesterday got me to thinking about this.

I have a friend that I think monthly rearranges her whole house. (And this same friend buys new furniture every couple of years, but that's another topic!)

I have another friend who's NEVER rearranged her furniture! Once in, it stays.

As to me, I'm not really a furniture mover once I find an arrangement that I like. My first choice might not be the best choice and so I move furniture until it is the best arrangement and there it stays.

Occasionally, it will take me a while to find that perfect arrangement but most often my instincts are spot on with my first arrangement.

Sometimes, I've come across the perfect arrangement quite by accident -- by just placing something down and realizing that it is PERFECT that way!

And, of course, there is Christmastime, when often things need to be rearranged in order to put up the tree -- but that doesn't count! That's necessary!

Of course, some rooms are dictated by wall space and the purpose of the room (you have to have seating in the correct place to watch television, you have to have a wall big enough for the television, you have to have an area big enough for the bed and night stands)

So are you a furniture mover?

Inquiring minds want to know!

Martha

I still move some of my furniture around occasionally. In our younger days my DH never knew what he'd find and where when he came home. Tweaking a room by a small chamge in the arrangement sometimes brings a breath of fresh air to the room. My FL home is only 1200sf so I'm pretty locked into current arrangement. But the accessories I move around and rotate in and out all the time.

My sister is like your friend buying new pieces constantly. I can't make a decision that often.

The furniture in my living room stays, a sectional facing the TV. I move furniture in my family room because it's such a hard room to arrange & I am constantly trying to have balance while viewing the TV AND Fireplace. (have posted about this room on here) I do move stuff around elsewhere only to move it back to the way it was. I can make that a new workout !

My mother was constantly moving furniture around when I was younger. I'd come home from school and she'd either have my whole room re-arranged, or she switched bedrooms altogether. It drove me crazy!

I think I've inherited the gene I threw out the idea of switching my living room and family room and DH says "are you turning into your mother??!!!" So we are settling for re-arranging just the furniture in the living room. I'm actually looking forward to it. Maybe it will look like a new room

Hi Linderhof: That is so funny becuase I just moved most all my furniture in my living room. After I took the holiday decorations down, I thought it was time for a change. While the arrangement is not perfect, I like it for now. Basically, I have a TV and a fireplace in the room and never can figure out how to best decorate around them for optimal seating.

So, yes, I'm a furniture mover BIG time. And it seems I'm always "tweaking" something.

I don't ever remember my mother changing the furniture around at all!

Regards,

I am a furniture re-arranger. I even did it as a child. I would rearrange the living room furniture. My mother was OK with that, but would never agree to remove a piece from the room when I wanted to do that.

quote:

As to me, I'm not really a furniture mover once I find an arrangement that I like. My first choice might not be the best choice and so I move furniture until it is the best arrangement and there it stays.

Occasionally, it will take me a while to find that perfect arrangement but most often my instincts are spot on with my first arrangement.

And, of course, there is Christmastime, when often things need to be rearranged in order to put up the tree -- but that doesn't count! That's necessary!

Of course, some rooms are dictated by wall space and the purpose of the room (you have to have seating in the correct place to watch television, you have to have a wall big enough for the television, you have to have an area big enough for the bed and night stands)

I work hard at making sure my largest (really makes the room type pieces) pieces are in their place FIRST, such as bookcases, and if I see they are not going to ever move, then I would do them as built-ins. I guess it comes from remodeling kitchens and using the permanently (at least until someone remodels their house years later)placed cabinets where they will stay.

This category includes beds. In my Florida house, one guest room was to be twin beds, now changed to one Trundle day bed idea. So, that is getting changed out.

The smaller 'movable' items such as chairs, settee, tables and accessories is where I do my moving around.

My house is smaller with windows, doors and obstacles, so there really is only ONE wall for that permanent piece placement. Now that those are 'in place' in my home, then the other pieces get placed.

Will be back later to read responses, this sounds like a very interesting thread to read today!

Love your house Linderhof and with all the beautiful pieces you have, I can't see much room to move things other than chairs, tables and small pieces.

For example: in my Virginia house:
I had windows, french doors, a wide opening into the living room, so NO ROOM for one china cabinet and I didn't want to buy two or have open shelving. I wanted the food and tablescape (and color added) to be the featured focus of the room for different events.

I built in two mirrored cabinet sets that flanked the windows because they hold a lot of things (even Christmas change outs) and are not seen. I had only two cabinets with glass so that I could feature my stemware and different colors to support a tablescape and season.
The two counters gave me a place to set food down or place desserts since it was a long way to the kitchen counter (had to walk through the breakfast room). These counters gave me a landing to place dessert dishes, extra coffee cups, wine bottles on ice, and foods brought by friends for a pot luck. The set up also provided a lot more space than you would think!

The new owner said her dishes filled the glass cabinets and she still had all those drawers and other cabinets to fill. And loves the liquor bottle drawer we did in one of the cabinets (on the right)IT is a drawer with boxed in dividers so bottles do not bang together nor fall over when the drawer is opened fast.. The large cabinet on the left with doors has a pull out tray and a removable shelf so you could store a large punch bowl or coffee urn.

*

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mary Ruth,

I used to be a furniture re-arranger - absolutely loved moving things around, sometimes weekly. As a child I re-arranged my room often. After I got married it depended on the house how often I re-arranged - I've had 20-some over 46 years. Some houses were a delight to a re-arranger as there were many different good ways to arrange. When I was young I'd push everything around myself including the big old piano. Later I'd draw a plan and have DH move the heavy stuff - all he'd ask is "did you measure?" as he didn't want to do it twice.

My current house is not amenable to many variations as there are so few walls and lots of windows and openings so I mostly do minor rearranging. Also I think I've gotten wiser with age (and a cranky back) and find other outlets for that creative re-arranging gene. I do continue to move art and wall decor and of course change vignettes regularly.

I don't buy new furniture very often, really only when necessity demands, altho am always on the look-out for good vintage/antique things which I can always find a space for.

IMO the desire to move furniture has nothing much to do with finding "the perfect arrangement", it's more to do with the nesting instinct which demands a change.

Once I find an arrangement I like, I don't change the placement of my furniture except when I add in a new piece. I do change accessories around, though.

I also like to move things around to give it a fresh look. I used to move the big furniture, but once I got the sectional couch, that pretty much ended. I like to do seasonal changes and will switch out area rugs, curtains, toss pillows,and smaller pieces of furniture. It always seems like a new room after. However,it drives my DH bonkers!

Mary Ruth, I love that picture of your former dining room.

My mother rarely bought anything new but she did rearrange the furniture a couple of times a year.

Once I put furniture where I think it would look best, EVERYTHING stays the same way. I still have the first piece of furniture I bought 40 years ago when we married - a couch with the same covering on it.

We are all different Some people like change. Some people don't. And usually they are married to one another,:::::smile:::::

Busted,we all are in the movers group.LOL,And yes after the holiday season is over.It looks neecked(spelled it that way so it wont get held).We are ready for a new look.

I mostly move art/pics,decor items,not much furnture once it's in it's place.Until now,new set and DH new recliner.UGH!!I'm having issues.I cant get furniture in it's place til I find me a new chair.Looks modge podged just moved in.LOL.Then I can get this room together right.
This is my 4th set in 12 ? yrs.When we 1st moved in,I had set from 1st DH new set,had for 2 yrs.I wanted to get rid of that,hubby #2 liked it a lot.@nd set,love it,but hubby flopped down and wire poked out of it,had it 4-5 yrs,used..3rd set just got rid of it.Was cheap set I should of never bought,had it 4 yrs.This set is well made and heavy,nice cushions and chenel fabric too.In the lst 3 sets,we only spent about 1100.00.I know now if I'd went with better name brand,quality and fabric.I'd have timeless pieces of furniture.

I am like Momaspoon,Wanda and Annielinz.Kinda like my DM and love to surprise and drive DH bonkers.Bahaha

This is a funny subject for me! I used to rearrange alllll the time and yes it would drive DH bonkers but only when he would come home at night and not find his chair where it was that morning. Guess too many close calls on hitting the floor when innocently going to sit down on a chair that wasn't there anymore haha One time he came home and found me stuck under my bed. I thought if I layed under it and pushed with both feet I could easily move the mattress and box spring. Yeah well it moved, but fell back into the inside of the frame on me and of course he came home right at that time and only saw one leg and one arm sticking out from under it. I wonder.....do ya think he thought about leaving me there just a bit longer before he helped me out from under it lol
So now, being older and having aches and pains I didn't have, I use the trusty sliders under anything I know I can move. But I don't rearrange much at all anymore. Not because I don't want to, but because it just isn't as easy as it used to be lol

This message has been edited. Last edited by: craftybbq,

Great thread. I too use to be a mover of everything. Not so much in the furniture moving anymore. Too heavy and bulky and I am too old for that. But when I can get dh to help, we have sliders on everything big and with the two of us we can move it. I mostly move small things and boy do I move decor and mantel pieces.
I think in this house with all it's doors, windows and fireplaces it is harder to move furniture. But I sure like to try.

craftybbq,
OMG I can just see you with the one leg and arm sticking out! OH my I hope you were not under there too long! OH MY!
Did your DH laugh or what?

I can relate to 'aches and pains' I think we get older so that we stop doing dumb things with our young bodies, older bodies 'think' more before acting out a whim! LOL

Love this thread.
I used to re-arrange my furniture all the time. I loved doing it and always loved the new look.
Then....we bought a large entertainment center, and all the re-arranging came to an end. No where else to put the sucker, lol
So now I just re-arrange things on the tables and walls. And pillows on sofa.
I sure do miss moving my furniture around though..sigh...my hubby doesn't though. lol

I'm a furniture arranger only until I find the arrangement that works best for us. Then, it never moves and it's other stuff that gets changed or updated.

It can take a while, however, to find the arrangement that really works. So, it seems like I'm always moving it.

The problem is we've moved so much and not all furniture works in all homes or apartments.

So, rather than making due as in the past and living unhappily in unworkable chaos, just get rid of. I'd rather have an empty room that works, than a room full of furniture that isn't working.