Remember your first collection of furniture when you moved on your own?

Posted on February 27, 2023 by Monica Reed

I remember my first set of living room furniture was a wicker patio set my parents gave to me when they upgraded. I had a few plates I got from Goodwill and some coffee mugs my grandma gave me. My tv was a 13 inch tiny tv that set on a storage tub. My bed was a bed that a friends parents gave to me. I kept my clothes in storage tubs and put what I could on hangers in the closet. Nothing matched and things were just, well, let’s just say perfect for 23 year old me.

When you’re young or just moving out on your own, you’ll take just about anything you can afford or that’s given to you to furnish your home. This can lead to an eclectic range of pieces, but beggars can’t be choosers, right? While that furniture may serve you well, a new poll finds that the majority of Americans agree that by the time you’re 28, you shouldn’t have cheap furniture in your home anymore.

The survey asks about “fast furniture” – you know, the stuff that’s inexpensive, mass-produced and designed to be assembled quickly and replaced. And the results reveal:

Just over half of respondents currently own fast furniture, but 47% admit they’ve judged someone else for having fast furniture in their home as an adult.
While 58% bought fast furniture as “starter” furniture and 80% of them didn’t expect it to last long.
On average, people think fast furniture has a lifespan of two years.
When the day to upgrade arrives, 65% say they’ll probably just throw their fast furniture away, instead of donating it or selling it.
Sustainability plays into decor choices for some folks, 66% of respondents say they’d like to be more sustainable when it comes to their furniture, but 58% feel there’s a negative stigma to buying used furniture or picking up free furniture.
More than half (56%) would be willing to buy used pieces if there was less of a taboo around thrift store buys or picking up free furniture.

With all this info, I still have a recliner somebody gave my family about 8 years ago. It’s so comfy!! Maybe I can pass it on to my 14 year old when he goes off on his own!