My parents and PIL have not one comfortable seat between them

[Anothernamechangeee]

Talking about Christmas last night with husband and where to spend it I realised that I don’t really feel fully relaxed in either house. Because neither of them have any comfortable seats.

both have those quite small, upright sofas which only have space for 2 people so no lounging. They both have the hard wooden farmhouse chairs at the dinner table.

any individual armchairs have wooden arms. The whole effect is that it’s all a bit hard and cold and formal to sit the whole time.

we have a nice mix of squishy sofas and more upright armchairs and our dining chairs are padded so you can sit in them comfortably for a long time over dinner

do people of a certain age just prefer uncomfortable furniture?! Thinking of their beds they also all favour small doubles with quite thin mattresses

I am in my 70s and have just bought myself a nice tall upright fireside chair, as I am sick of painfully hauling myself out of low squishy sofas about 15 times per tv programme, to let the dog in or out! The dog doesn't like it as he can no longer snuggle up to me on the settee, the upside for him is having the settee to himself, to sprawl luxuriously with his feet in the air.
I admit he is a bit spoiled.

I think it is age/mobility related.

Haha - I thought you were going to say something like that! I am 67 and my husband is 71 - we have soft leather settees and chairs perfect for lounging on. Out of all our friends/family I cannot think of one who has the furniture you describe - it is definitely not a generational thing.

I can honestly say we did not get to these vast ages and think we really need to buy some uncomfortable furniture😂

Can I come to yours for Christmas 😆

So.......

I've just babysat for my grandsons, will do so at a drop of a hat. But spent the evening sitting in the dinning room chairs (again) as the sofa is just awful, the seats are too soft, and wide to sit on and we end up rolling around in an undignified manner. Feet higher than bums and nothing firm to haul my self out of it's pits.

Also my bad back has disappeared since buying my own upright two seater!

I have quite firm velvet sofas and armchairs (not wooden arms) but can can definitely put your feet up on them and doze on there - I have, lots! I also have matching footstools so always have my feet up, and I'm late 40s.

I hate really squashy furniture, there are some I can't sit up straight on and have a conversation as my knees are higher than my backside and it makes my back ache as it isn't supported- and I don't have back issues normally, I'm really flexible and strong and do yoga. Also getting up from squashy sofas may be an issue for some people.

There are nine of us at Christmas so there isn't the space for someone to have their feet up on the sofa and I'd never lie on the sofa at inlaws anyway.

Can I come to yours for Christmas 😆

@Anothernamechangeee - you absolutely can, it will all be done on the BBQ sat around on garden furniture, hopefully in around 28C - we live in NZ. We are very laid back😂

PIL bought a new 3 piece suite of a design I genuinely didn't think you could buy nowadays - that beige cut-flower upholstery fabric you see in charity shops. I can't sit back and get my feet on the floor and they always think it's funny and slightly daring that I fold my legs up underneath me.

The armchairs are both riser/recliners and I have never seen them with the leg rests out, even when having a nap.

And they have antimacassars on them.

I love them to bits ❤️

Not sure it's strictley generational ...my parents and inlaws (60's/70's) both have compfey sofas and dining chairs, my nan (90's) has a lazey boy sofa (she doesn't use its for visiting family) and 2 eames style armchais and footstools that she can get in/out of (and still compfey... normally a fight for that)
Maybe we're just a lazey/relaxed family though

We have wooden dining chairs but put cushions on them.

Houses are getting larger? Are you joking?!

Britain has teeny tiny houses.

I’m 50 and I prefer a firm sofa and firm mattress. I hate those ones you just sink into. I find those uncomfortable and unsupported.

My parents both in their 70s have the most amazing sofas. Made to order so one is shallower to enable my very short Mum to sit with her feet on the floor rather than sticking out in front like a toddler.

Firm and supportive but comfy and spacious.

We looked at getting very similar sofas but couldn't afford them, however now nothing else is good enough so we are still sitting on worn out uncomfortable ones at home.

My Mum can't sit on unpadded chairs and has a special cushion to avoid pressure sores that is the most comfortable thing in the world and I want to steal.

So not age related all preference and finance related.

Those squishy sofas are terrible for your back and neck, I wouldn't give one house space, but I hate unpadded dining chairs.

My parents hate our sofas as they're very deep and squishy. They like to sit on their sofa with their feet on the floor, whereas we're very much feet up people.

We've just ordered new sofas that they're going to hate even more - they're almost 20cm deeper than the current ones! My Mum's going to have to have her feet up whether she likes it or not - there's no way she's going to be able to touch the floor with her little legs! 😂

One of my DH's relatives has the hard sofas and chairs with wooden arms - they're ancient and their daughter (in her 30s) seems to sit on the floor most of the time! In fact, I did, last time I went round. It's comfier!

The furniture stores would have you believe they're getting larger, but I agree they're not.

We saw a sofa set we quite liked in Furniture Village but the space we have a supposedly 3 seater sofa now is too small for even the 2 seater that they sold in the range. The only seat that would fit was a snuggler, which definitely wouldn't sit two people, unless you were very close!

Absolutely. All older people are like this. <hides beanbags>

really don't think this is generational.
My grandparents were born between 1899 and 1910 and both sets had very comfortable furniture. Dining chairs had cushions and sofas were great.

My parents and in-laws are in their mid-late 80s and they all have comfortable furniture and cushioned dining chairs.

My brother is 60 this year and yes, guess what he has confortable furniture.

While it is true that they find it harder to get up from deep squishy sofas, in my experience what happens is that they get a good armchair for the person with mobility issues, alongside their comfy sofa, and being older, they liked a good cushion on their dining/kitchen chairs!

The only person I know who has uncomfortable upright furniture is my SIL who values style over comfort and who I have never ever seen with her feet tucked dup sitting on anything. I often think her dh would love a huge squishy sofa!