To ask how often you change your furniture & decorate

[Stripyseagulls]

I’m a lazy cow/ not particularly motivated by home furnishing trends. I have nice stuff but I tend to replace when it breaks!

My friend redecorates & buys new furniture/ sofas every 18 months to stay up to date with trends. She loves all the Instagram stuff/ posts her house pics etc.

I feel like I slob but I literally can’t be arsed! Apart from the expense; I can’t be bothered to treat my home like a lifestyle magazine. I would rather go out to the park with the kids to be honest or going on holiday!

Aibu to feel like a shabby slob though?! How often you revamp everything?

Same as you. When it breaks.
Lived in our house for 5 years and never redecorated although it’s beginning to need it in places.

I also kind of feel a bit like it’s not very environmentally sound to buy a new sofa/ furniture every 18 months!

Every 20 years, literally. Your friend would annoy me massively, the waste and impact on the environment jeez 😔

about once every 22 years. your friend must spend loads. I hope she gives away the old stuff on Freecycle or it's such a waste of good furniture.

X post!

Please don't let yourself be self critical over this. Buying new stuff isn't virtuous.

I decorate on an ongoing basis. I'm so slow that by the time all the rooms are done, it's time to start again!

What does your friend do with her furniture after such a short time? Does she buy cheap and bin it, or sell it on?

I move fairly frequently (last house 18 months, one before 18 months) but have been in current one for 8 years. I renovated it when I moved in. I have replaced the dining table and chairs as if bought cheap Ikea ones as most affordable at the time. The sofa was new to this house but most of the other furniture moved from previous houses. I’ve changed the rug in the living room and recarpeted the kids bedrooms twice. But that’s it.
In this time of sustainability I think changing your furniture just for fashion or worse Instagram is irresponsible. I’d replace if something was worn out or beyond usefulness or if moving and didn’t fit. Repainting yes as things do get marked with kids and dogs, but everything else will stay until we move (now scheduled for two years time).

I don't think you're shabby. More likely your friend is completely insecure, to think she has to change everything so often to keep up with some trend.

@MrsMaiselsMuff a lot is from ikea- not sure what she does with it tbh!

I suspect a lot of it is to kind of present a certain lifestyle image on Instagram to be honest - I honestly could’nt be bothered!!

What are we doing??

A lot of my stuff is second hand too as we don’t have loads of cash to buy new stuff all the time. I have painted up some stuff but it’s all pretty old.

I decorated some of my house when I bought it in 2000. I didn't do the kitchen because I couldn't afford it. Most of my furniture was second hand although I did buy a coffee table. I haven't redecorated anything since then, and the only new furniture I've bought since then has been some more bookcases as I've accumulated more books, and finally replaced my bed this summer. I really need a new sofa, but it will have to wait a few more months.

I'll replace things as they break, but I haven't felt a desire to redecorate, as I like the rooms I've got (apart from the kitchen).

I lived in my old house 14 years. I redecorated the lounge twice, the master bedroom twice, the kids rooms 3-4 times, the bathrooms and kitchens once. I had 2 new sofas while living there, new bunk beds and a new king sized bed. Any other changes were second hand or cheap Ikea. Eg dining table needed a bigger one, tv unit needed replacing as old one broke or bigger chest of drawers etc.

I replaced 1 carpet in 14 years after initially carpeting while house when we moved in!(They really did need doing when we moved lol!)

I don't think I ever updated anything due to fashion.

Having said that I just moved and bought loads of stuff though to be fair quite a lot is still second hand and I have a much bigger house!

I don't understand why people follow house fashions...I liked the grey as prefer grey carpets but I'm not gonna change them because they're out of fashion! I'm pretty happy with my 1970s furniture too lol

When it breaks. Or dd trashes it.
My whole living room is second hand. The chairs are at least 40 years old. Sofa was second hand from a friend.

@Mugofhottea as in, what are we doing to the planet?

I do wonder how mad it all is that we buy all this crap to present an image on social media - it’s bonkers

But sometimes it makes me feel crap too!

Why would you change your furniture? I don't understand that concept! Very environmentally unfriendly. I decorate when it looks tired. Generally the same colours again, but just so it looks fresher.

Stripy yes partly (mostly) the planet, then social media? I don't get why it matters? We've so lost our way..

I don't follow fashions I decorate my house with things/colours I like. I plan to decorate probably about every 10 years although will keep my furniture until it falls apart. I think it's a huge waste to update it so often especially things like sofas.

Replace as it breaks (if it can't be repaired). Buying new every 18 months is so wasteful.

I paint every now and then, walls, furniture etc just to make it look a bit brighter and newer.

In ten years we have had 3 sofas (first one was swapped out because we were about to have a baby and wanted leather) ring room table is the same one bought together 8 years ago. Recently swapped tv unit for something with more storage. Decorated once since we moved in 6.5 years ago.

Stripy don't feel crap, don't buy into it honestly you can't ever 'win'

I am still decorating from when we moved in 2 years ago, it's taking a long time, but I tend to update feature walls every 2 years at the cost of a £25 tin of paint. I don't have very large walls, and leave the rest white and swap out the taupe for a grey or a light blue or just white. My furniture is all solid wood that I got from Facebook marketplace when I first got a house and my daughter currently uses the bed that was my 19 year old sister's when she was a child so will be updating furniture when I move after graduating uni in a couple years I expect, as I'll be earning a lot more. But I'm only planning to get a bigger dining table as we've only a tiny one now, and a new bed for me and a new sofa as those are a bit ropey now! My parents have redecorated and changed some furniture every 15-20 years, and they earn a decent amount so could more often if they wanted to. They have excellent taste and are very house proud. Every 18 months seems extreme to me you are NOT a shabby slob.

At most I give furniture a lick of paint if it's looking worn and tired/chipped!

See I've had the same sofas for over 20 years. They were good quality to start with - I put nice throws on them now as they look a bit tired but still very comfy.