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Brent
(@brent)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 558
13/02/2012 10:55 pm  

Is anyone else surprised by how strangers mistreat furniture when they visit?
My elderly mother lives with me, which means she has nurses and aides coming in our house throughout the week. I feel like I'm having to keep an eye on everyone. Today I had to move a wet coat off my mid-century end table. Last week a nurse dropped heavy toenail clippers into a mid-century ceramic bowl. I don't dare put my rya rug down because I know someone would walk on it with shoes.
I imagine that when I'm no longer caring for my mom I'll be able to more carefully choose my visitors.
I'm curious--does anyone else have this problem, and how do you handle it?


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HPau
 HPau
(@hpau)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 2534
13/02/2012 11:01 pm  

I had a couple of plumbers co...
I had a couple of plumbers come in yesterday, they were really good, took their boots off at the door (whic I rarely do) but I'm pretty shy by nature and it was still uncomfortable, don't really like people I don't know visiting.
Your mothers nurses just have different priorities, thats probably something to be grateful for.


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Brent
(@brent)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 558
13/02/2012 11:07 pm  

Priorities
Yeah, Heath, I am glad they have different priorities. 🙂


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jet-20
(@erickson_layahoo-com)
Eminent Member
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 34
13/02/2012 11:13 pm  

During an open house the real...
During an open house the realtor spent the day waiting for potential buyers in our Eames recliner where she enjoyed her lunch using the ottoman as a snack table...don't even get me started on what the open house attendees did throughout the day!!


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tktoo
(@tktoo)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 2275
14/02/2012 12:00 am  

It's not the visitors
so much as my teenagers. If I were really that concerned about the condition of my stuff or suffered from OCD, I'd have offed myself by now. I will admit that I do cringe every time my 18 year-old flops herself over the arm of my vintage 670, though. At least she looks better in it than I ever will.
Besides, they're furnishings. And, like any other utilitarian items, they were meant to be used. If I weren't prepared to repair or replace them, I probably shouldn't have them in my house anyway.


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Mark
 Mark
(@mark)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 4586
14/02/2012 12:10 am  

I have a live in housekeeper that can kick-start a 747...
And if anyone should so much as place a drink on a surface sans the bev nap...she'd karate chop them into a coma. Natch, when a service worker arrives, I leave the babysitting to her. She scares me.
With love,


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Lit Up
(@lit-up)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 531
14/02/2012 12:57 am  

I feel sorry for the person...
I feel sorry for the person who can't have visitors because his furniture is too expensive.


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ball
 ball
(@ball)
Noble Member
Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 271
14/02/2012 1:33 am  

I have...
I have 'a-big-bastard-of-a-brother-n-law' (bastard in a good way)...you know the type, big Italian of 110kg, crumble my early Panton Herman Miller chair into a thousand pieces. They are particularly rare here and damn expensive too.
I had to laugh though, watching it was rather funny but afterwards....not so.
I learnt something that day, my chairs weren't built/made for todays average (large) body and to be cautious of letting people use what I have as we all know it's not only the money but most of what we have cannot be replaced.


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barrympls
(@barrympls)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 2649
14/02/2012 2:18 am  

That's kind of funny
about your Panton chair (of course it's a tragedy).
I don't think I've any trouble with guests coming in and mishandling my stuff. When my 90yo Mom came by and sat down on my Aalto Zebra Tank chair, I had to mention that she had to sit back on the chair because if you sit forward, you might cause the chair to fall forward.
Other than that, anyone who's come over knew that my living room furniture is vintage, even if the person didn't know diddly-squat about the era.


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claus (DE)
(@claus-de)
Noble Member
Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 252
14/02/2012 2:37 am  

Mark, your housekeeper's...
Mark, your housekeeper's name isn't Berta by any chance?!
I see the problem here - if you have fragile / delicate furniture it's not always suited for the "harsh" daily use... some of my chairs are off-limits for visitors but of cause that needs to be communicated in a friendly manner.
you wouldn't borrow someone a vintage car for heavy transports either? and expensive dinnerware isn't for lavish parties either, is it?


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Chicagoan
(@chicagoan)
Eminent Member
Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 34
14/02/2012 2:52 am  

Great thread. My...
Great thread. My OMGnoooooooo moment was when we went out to dinner with my fiance's mother and her friend. We walked to the restaurant and on the way walking back, we were all soaked with pouring rain. For whatever reason, the friend decided to extend his visit with us and came up to our apartment, where in soaking wet jeans, he promptly sat on our vintage aniline leather Barcelona chairs. Oh, and the best part? I actually had the cushions flipped up because I didn't want my cat sitting on them. The gentleman actually flipped the cushions down and planted his wet ass on the aniline leather. I didn't say anything but I literally had to leave the room because I couldn't keep the look of shock off my face.
Thankfully most of my friends are very considerate people. I'm also not particularly careful with furniture myself, though I try to be conscious of at least not ruining it.


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Spanky
(@spanky)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 4376
14/02/2012 4:15 am  

I got rid of a set of beautif...
I got rid of a set of beautiful rosewood Kai Christensen dining chairs, the ones with the Z arm/leg thing going on---because they were inherently fragile and I was sick of worrying about guests and family members being careless with them. I wanted to be able to enjoy socializing without fretting about who was scooting a chair improperly.
I got some much sturdier Mollers and have been having a blast ever since.
Also: this thread reminded me of how when we lived in Denmark the tradesmen (roofers, plumber) always took their work clogs off at the door when coming inside! It had more to do with not mucking up the lye-finished pine floors than being careful of furnishings, but still. SO considerate.


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joshharveydesign
(@joshharveydesign)
Trusted Member
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 74
14/02/2012 5:58 am  

I love this thread! Our...
I love this thread! Our stuff is constantly being 'endurance-tested' by our friends.
We've had the arms bent off our vintage Jacobsen chairs twice. Why do people have to lower themselves into the chairs by the armrests??
Every time we have a dinner party someone falls over in our three-legged Wegner chairs.
A big oaf of a friend sat down really hard in my LCW and the legs did the splits.


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Spanky
(@spanky)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 4376
14/02/2012 7:06 am  

Oh, that reminds me-
We had a party and a dear friend sat in the vintage LCW whose back I just epoxied back on OH so carefully and painstakingly---SNAP. Popped right off. I didn't even try to repair the second one, just slapped them up on ebay. Some guy in Belgium bought them. I hope he doesn't have big parties.


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HPau
 HPau
(@hpau)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 2534
14/02/2012 9:22 am  

.
I have to ask what DAers friends and families think of the design obsession? Mine are very tolerant and ask for advice but they still think I'm a bit peculiar I'm sure.


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