Cool furniture, design objects and desiderata

[GeneralEmployer]

Sure, we eat dessert. Sometimes as a family. Sometimes just me and my wife after the kids have gone to bed. Most often it’s my daughter and me sharing a pint of ice cream.

We have tea at the dining table or in the living room, where the coffee table suffices.

Nice.

We have a small Manhattan apartment kitchen. Worst aspect of our place.

Custom cabinets make a big difference for small kitchens. You can cram a ton of storage into small place even in a galley kitchen while still making it aesthetically pleasing. I have a guy you can check out if the time ever comes for that (I'm always trying to give master craftsmen business). It's a tremendous value FWIW.

However, that has nothing to do with what I mean by resource allocation. We have enough space for more dinnerware and flatware. The issue is that I see no point in spending thousands of dollars on special occasion forks and spoons when I could spend thousands of dollars on forks and spoons to use everyday.

I see. Yes, I agree with that. I forget that you buy mostly everything new. The vast majority of my stuff is antique/vintage, i.e. used. I have nice sets of stuff I bought for very cheap.

 

[TheFoo]

Can I magically unallocate resources on china and flatware that have been handed down for generations?

I could sell them for almost nothing and lost the sentimental value.

Sentimental value is an entirely separate story. I suppose if my parents leave me their “good china,” I will be in a similar situation where I have to store a bunch of stuff I rarely ever use.

I see. Yes, I agree with that. I forget that you buy mostly everything new. The vast majority of my stuff is antique/vintage, i.e. used. I have nice sets of stuff I bought for very cheap.

I hate used. It’s an irrational phobia of mine. Can’t stand the thought of it.

 

[SixOhNine]

Can I magically unallocate resources on china and flatware that have been handed down for generations?

I could sell them for almost nothing and lost the sentimental value.

I was very emphatic that one of my siblings should get the good china and silver from my great-grandmother precisely so I could avoid that dilemma.

 

[GeneralEmployer]

I hate used. It’s an irrational phobia of mine. Can’t stand the thought of it.

I'm interested in exploring this. Over the years, I've developed a mild aversion of most hotels and less-than-pristine eateries. Do you get a little wary in spaces where you have limited control generally, or is this confined to bringing stuff others have used into the home?

FWIW, Billy-Bob Thorton has a phobia of antiques. I believe it's related to a fear of death:

 

[imatlas]

I have a couple of pieces that make me think of death: my George Nelson desk smelled strongly of pipe tobacco when I acquired it, and my antique tonsu smelled like a house fire. I had pretty good luck getting rid of the odors using baking soda and vinegar, but the tonsu still gives off a whiff of fire when I open a drawer on a hot day.

In both cases I’ve always wondered if the smoke was the cause of the former owner’s demise.

 

[TheFoo]

Speaking iof

I'm interested in exploring this. Over the years, I've developed a mild aversion of most hotels and less-than-pristine eateries. Do you get a little wary in spaces where you have limited control generally, or is this confined to bringing stuff others have used into the home?

FWIW, Billy-Bob Thorton has a phobia of antiques. I believe it's related to a fear of death:

I am disgusted by public restrooms. Will not use public toilets unless absolutely no choice.

I will not sit in a seat on the subway that someone just got up from. Unless a beautiful woman. For some reason, that makes it okay.

I am not squeamish about hotel rooms or airplanes, but I do have to force the bad thoughts out of my head.

As for objects, there are several reasons why I don’t like used:

1. I don’t like the idea of a random person’s experiences being imprinted on my things. My ego and romanticism demand that my own things reflect my own story. Of course this is different if the prior owner is a person that matters to me, like a family member or close friend.

2. I am disgusted by the notion of a stranger’s DNA, skin particles, various fluids, etc. tainting any personal object of mine. I could never buy a vintage car without having the entire interior stripped and re-upholstered.

3. The tiny superstitious voice in the back of my head is spooked by the idea of using a dead person’s things. The more personal the object, the worse it is. Again, different if it was someone meaningful to me.

I have a couple of pieces that make me think of death: my George Nelson desk smelled strongly of pipe tobacco when I acquired it, and my antique tonsu smelled like a house fire. I had pretty good luck getting rid of the odors using baking soda and vinegar, but the tonsu still gives off a whiff of fire when I open a drawer on a hot day.

In both cases I’ve always wondered if the smoke was the cause of the former owner’s demise.

See #3 above. Nope.

 

[TheFoo]

On the subject of flatware, I am 95% sure that I’m switching my order from the Pott 33 to the Pott 35:

Not sure if I relayed my experience here yet, but I received the Pott 33 settings I ordered back in January. The vendor sent me pieces that all had significant shop wear! Obviously, they are all on their way back for a refund.

Irrationally and unfairly, this has turned me off from the Pott 33 and I am taking a harder look at the Pott 35.

 

[emptym]

These two little minions are all oiled up and on their way from Brian/@SkinnyGoomba:

Thanks, Brian! We look forward to hopefully generations of joy from and use of your skilled work.

 

[FlyingMonkey]

On placemats etc., we don't use them at all when we're on our own. We have a reclaimed pine table, and 'character' is part of the point. We do use tablecloths for special occasions (made from Marimekko fabrics) to add some brightness.

 

[gdl203]

That five prong fork makes me cringe every time ?

 

[TheFoo]

That five prong fork makes me cringe every time ?

Why? This way it is more like a tiny human hand stabbing its spindly little fingers into your food.

 

[TheFoo]

Pott 35 or Pott 33, Pott 35 or Pott 33, Pott 35 or Pott 33, Pott 35 or Pott 33, Pott 35 or Pott 33 . . .

 

[brokencycle]

You know you're doing the 35. Just do it already.

 

[TheFoo]

You know you're doing the 35. Just do it already.

I absolutely do not know that. Teetering on the point of a fork tine.

 

[imatlas]

If I couldn’t use things that had once belonged to dead people I wouldn’t be able to walk in my front door. My home is 120 years old, so the majority of the people who have lived here are dead and gone.