apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Two red tufted duponi silk chairs from Bombay. Luckily I got them on sale!

I ordered a red womb chair hours after the seller agreed to fix all the things I asked for after the inspection on my first home! My grandparents had that chair and I'd loved it since I was a kid. It was a housewarmng gift to myself. I couldn't even wait until I moved in.

I'm waiting until I have a house to get a dog. But why wait to enjoy nice furniture? Nearly all the furniture I have now I consider "forever" furniture, though it's not anything iconic/brand name like a womb chair. Perhaps my favorite piece is my antique bed ($500 on craigslist), which my future husband will have to like because I plan to sleep in it until I croak.

When we bought our condo, my husband really wanted a new kitchen table because he hated the hand-me-down we had at the apartment. He had been saving for a projector but when we found our walnut table that folds open to double in size, he used all of his saved money to buy it. I plan on having this table for a very long time. He still hasn't gotten that projector but he is very protective of our table.

i think there comes a time in your life when you just decide to stop buying crap furniture, whether you rent or own. my TV sat on a pair of speakers for almost 6 months, because i refused to just "get something from IKEA"...i'm glad i waited, because it made me invest in my first piece of grown up furniture, my gorgeous Danish credenza.

i also bought an Eames dining set (table and 4 chairs) that i have to store in a friend's garage. i have no room for it in my studio apt, but refuse to sell it, because i know that when i finally have a house, i am going to love looking at it and knowing what a great deal i got.

2 Milo Baughman barrel chairs. gray suede and chrome. First grown-up purchase. Can't wait to NOT live with slobs so I can buy more fancy stuff.

I believe in investing - even when it's a stretch. Right after I closed on my little studio apartment (my first home!), I went and bought a Louis Ghost chair. I cheaped out on the delivery and squeezed into a cab with my arms wrapped around it. My second, more major purchase two years later was a Saarinen table with white marble top - I love sitting at it each and every day, even though I was remarkably cash-poor for a few months.

Every year I spend my tax refund on a piece--the year dictates. My first was when I was 26, 1 year after I bought my first place. It was a SHE chair. It was also the first time I custom ordered, in my choosen fabric and had to wait 12 weeks for delivery. 15 years later, shhe's still a favorite--my only regret is that I didn't get/couldn't afford the footstool.

Never mind the Womb Chair, where is the print in the background from? I want!

My first "big" purchase was a splurge of several pieces I was lusting after: Noguchi Table, LCW in black, Saarinen dining table. Now many years later, I, little by little am replacing furniture pieces that are not designers... not because I'm a brand-whore, just because regular stuff won't last. I'm getting to a point where I love what I've got and I'm happy for it. These item I cherish, will be with me forever (or at least 'til Isabella sells them on ebay!)

-joel maria pirela

not designer - but I love it - Jane sofa from Gus Modern, in graphite.