I recently read a post by a young woman who wanted to experiment with the latest trend of going “furniture-free” to encourage a healthier lifestyle. She gave up most of her furniture for a week to see if she indeed would be healthier for it. You can read the post here: apartmenttherapy.com/furniture-free-living-262281
Kudos to Brentnie! It takes a great deal of courage to go without the daily “comforts of home” that we all take for granted. I couldn’t resist a humorous look at how those of us who are more “mature” might modify the trend (*ahem* those who might not be able to make it all the way down to the floor).
Modification #1
A few chairs, but only ones that promote correct posture as the only way to tolerate them. Let’s face it, you can fall off a yoga ball and break a hip. While you’d have the added benefit of physical therapy to get you moving around, I don’t recommend it as a way to exercise.
Additional added benefit: Not only will you not want to sit a lot, but none of your guests will either. Those kids will be out the door in about 30 minutes tops.
Modification # 2
No table or chairs in the kitchen. Stand and eat at the counter.
Benefits: You’ll eat less, and wash fewer dishes as you’ll be eating from pots, pans and containers! You’ll feel more youthful- like being in college!
Modification # 3
Get rid of the TV! (Brentnie didn’t say she made this sacrifice, and with a toddler, I completely understand why she wouldn’t) Hang some TRX bands in the living room if you want to “hang out”. Pretend you’re in the dungeon in the “Count of Monte Cristo”. Come on, we need to exercise our imaginations to keep our minds healthy!
Ok, so maybe this trend isn’t going to be around for long. I agree that we should all challenge ourselves to get out of the house and move more, but ultimately people want a place they can come to at the end of the day that welcomes them, comforts them, and shelters them. That’s a trend that will never go out of style.
