I was walking among the furniture pieces at auction this week, turned a corner and stopped in my tracks. There they were, ghosts from my bedroom past. Those chunky faux-wood bedroom sets with the carved designs.
I was fresh out of college at the time, sharing an apartment with my sister and her young daughter, and was making very little money as a reporter. I bought a set of this cheap 1970s furniture complete: Large scalloped headboard, dresser with three rows of drawers, mirror and night stand. It also came with an armoire but I couldn’t afford it. I probably got all pieces for $499.
With little money, the set was within my budget (which also included buying a car). Since it was a no-name-brand, this furniture was cheap – and sturdy. I considered adding bean bag chairs as an accessory (remember those?), but the bedroom was too small.
I also recalled that my niece had one of those white faux French Provincial style bedroom sets with the gold trim. My sister also had a French style sofa in gold fabric in the living room. She had a French theme going on.
The furniture at the auction house appeared to be pieces from two different bedroom sets. They looked so crass among some of the nice antiques and other modest-looking furniture in the room. In fact, they looked monstrous.
How times have changed. Today, we’re seeing furniture with fine simple lines. Designers are pushing this simplicity, and Ikea has made a fortune on it. I read an article recently in my local newspaper, the Philadelphia Inquirer, about changing design habits.
For 2010, people want more comforting things, a Los Angeles interior designer said. Expect to see more crafts and handmade items. Another designer, who travels across Europe to flea markets and other sites, suggested that we no longer view all antiques as sacred. For those pieces that are drab, spray-paint them graffiti-style, he said.
I got rid of my chunky furniture years ago. I had always loved iron beds and purchased my first one. It, too, is very simple, with very little affectation. The beauty is in the curve of its metal design. (With the high mattress and box spring I recently bought, I can barely see the headboard).
I didn’t hang around long enough at the auction house to see if the furniture sold and for how much. I’m sure it did, because at auction, most things sell.
