Couch
This couch was my first big, adult furniture purchase—I got it right after moving to California, a year before moving in with my boyfriend. When I first sat in it at the store, I just melted into it and instantly knew it was the one. We pretty much sit on it every night to eat dinner, so I definitely spend more time sitting here than anywhere else in the apartment. It’s also the perfect size for both of us to lie down in, and every day I come home from work to find my boyfriend sprawled out on it, which makes the apartment feel like home.
Bar Stools
Every time we have guests over, they all immediately slide into the bar stools at our kitchen counter. Guests tend to gravitate toward the kitchen anyway, so having the stools there is perfect. They also have a very industrial, gastropub look to them, so I think that naturally encourages guests to sit down and have a beer. Though we rarely use them when it’s just the two of us (sometimes we’ll sit there and eat breakfast).
Dining Chairs
Our dining chairs were selected to match the white table. I like their beachy look and they help keep the apartment airy and casual. This has become my primary workstation at home and they are the perfect height for the table. However, without the red cushions that we added, they’re not very comfortable.
Balcony Stools
These are a new acquisition from Craigslist. The stools are comfortable, but since they’re used, the cushions do sag a little. They also aren’t quite high enough to be ergonomically typing on a laptop, so when I want to do work outside, I usually bring out one of the bar stools from the kitchen and use these stools as a footrest. But their sturdiness and durability are nice for when we have guests.
Bed
I often sit up in our bed to read or do work. It’s a memory foam mattress and very comfortable. I feel calm and relaxed when I’m sitting in it, and it’s a nice indulgence when I need to de-stress or unwind (though I can still be quite productive). But as my first memory foam mattress, sitting up in it actually took some getting used to. I was used to a firmer mattress without as much give. After three years though, I’ve completely gotten used to it.
Bedroom Balcony Chairs
We have a table and chairs on the porch off our bedroom that I hate. They are made of all weather wicker and the interwovenness of the material means it is impossible to fully wipe them clean of pollen. When I do sit there, I have to lay a towel over the chair so that my clothes don’t get covered in dust. They frustrate me so much that I’d prefer to just get rid of them.
Driver’s Seat
My initial mindset when buying a car was that I simply needed a vehicle to get me from point A to point B. And since I had just moved to California, where I knew I would be doing a lot of driving, I wanted something practical with good gas mileage. But a sleek silver coupe caught my eye. It had an all-black leather interior, with a modern dashboard and stereo, and when I sat in the driver’s seat for the first time, I felt like James Bond. Despite being a coupe, it’s actually a mid-size car, so the seats are very spacious. I can spread out and stretch my legs, and the leather has a nice give to it so it’s extremely comfortable. There’s an undeniable cool-factor with my car, and it makes driving that much more enjoyable.
Office Chair
My office chair is fine, it’s comfortable, I can appropriately lean back, and it has been tweaked and adjusted by the UCI ergonomics team. But because my desk is too low, that throws the whole equation out of balance. My chair should probably be a little higher, but as of now it occasionally scrapes the bottom of my desk whenever I pull it too far forward, so the height can’t be adjusted. It’s also the same kind of chair that we have in the conference room, so it doesn’t add any prestige or status to my office, despite being one of the corner suites.