Story Furniture

Note: In writing this blog, I am fully aware of how lucky I am that I'm not one of the millions of people on this planet that are suffering from war, poverty and climate disasters. It's frustrating not being able to help, but not feeling gratitude for the things that enrich my life, would not help any of them. 

Story furniture...furniture that tells more than its usage. My home has story furniture. These are pieces we've found in recycle centers and flea markets. We didn't set out to buy story furniture when we needed some things, it just worked out that way.

A tiled coffee table found at a recycle center. My husband spotted it. The scene reminds me of a village in the Alps in Valais, Switzerland where we often ate when staying in a nearby chalet. I remember one special salad made from greens gathered in a nearby meadow among the countless fondues. Another time, there was a walk up to a wood. The feel is there of that village even if there were no cows.

I wish I knew more about its origin. It has a Scandinavian feel to it. Obviously hand painted, I wonder who the artist was: man, woman, young, old. How did they decide the design. Why did they chose those colors? Was it what they had on hand or did they seek out special paints? How long did it take? Did children interrupt them while they working?

I found it in an antique store in Argeles-sur-mer. My dog and their dog often exchange greetings.

A few days later, a visiting friend who visited said, "You're the one who bought it. I saw it and was going back for it." She forgave me over wine and cheese. It is another chapter in the story.

Almost every time I pass it, I look at it and feel a shiver of pleasure. The colors and design make my eyes happy.

My husband spotted this at the recycling center. We'd gone there for a couch.

Because of my love of Medieval things, I think of the people in metal and sometimes make up stories. After all, I'm a writer.

I only realized I'm the shadow when I downloaded the photo, after we returned to Switzerland from France. I debated not posting but it will be a few months before we are in France again.

This was found in depot vente, a used furniture store. It had been hand carved by a man in the next village. I had debated painting the people, but decided against it. We use it for wine. We keep our candles in the top.

Almost everything we buy is recycled. 

Our favorite center gives work to people who need it but are difficult to hire for various reasons such as handicaps. 

It's a win-win. I get something that gives me on-going pleasure and they get a salary. Make that a win-win-win. The pieces are not trashed, which is good for the environment.