As technology and lifestyles change, so do our furniture needs. Discover the furniture that is fast becoming a decorating dinosaur.
1- Blasts From the Past
Have you ever come across a piece of furniture and wondered, “What is that?”
For better or worse, some once-useful furniture designs have outlived their original purposes. It’s not just antiques, it’s also pieces from our parents’ generation, and let’s face it, some furniture that we ourselves used not too long ago. Let’s take a walk down memory lane and revisit some of the household appointments that are now obsolete.
2. Wishy-Washy Waterbeds
The waterbed had its heyday in the 1970s and ’80s and has been in steady decline ever since. Though waterbeds are comfortable they are heavy, difficult to move, and require electricity to regulate their thermostats. Another strike against them: Landlords and dormitories generally prohibit waterbeds because of the risk that they’ll leak. Memory foam is the latest trend in bedding, and waterbeds are going the way of the dodo.
3. TV Stands
The big, bulky cabinets that house our TVs, DVRs and games consoles are getting smaller and smaller, and are even on the verge of disappearing. Today’s TVs are slimmer and can be wall-mounted to save space. And with all the digital streaming options available, few people bother with a DVD player anymore. If you like sleek design, consider removing these outdated pieces of furniture from your living room.
4. CD Storage
It’s not just the compact disc rack that’s a decor dinosaur—CD players are, too. Now that most people digitally download music, an entire family’s audio library can fit on a device the size of a wallet. There’s simply no need to clutter up the living room corner with this piece of furniture anymore.
5. Magazine Racks
The magazine rack was once a necessity for keeping newspapers and periodicals corralled, but now that most of the world has gone paperless and e-readers have become so popular, not many folks really need to clutter their bathrooms and living spaces with this item anymore. Consider repurposing your magazine rack into a landing zone for mail, or as storage for important documents.
6. Grandfather Clocks
These days, grandfather clocks (and any other clocks, for that matter) are simply decorative. We have clocks on our ovens, microwaves, computers, and smartphones, so there’s no need to dedicate wall space to a timepiece. There are few grandfather clocks in homes now, and we wager that you’ll see even fewer in the future.
7. Rolltop Desks
You don’t see many of these classics coming off the assembly line these days. While desks (for now) are still necessary for young and old alike, the rolltop variety has proved bulky and prone to maintenance problems. Many tend to be better off with modern styles that are slimmer and more streamlined.
8. Stereo Cabinets
The music industry has completely transformed in the last 20 years or so. Hulking cabinets for amplifiers, speakers, and two or three differently formatted players are just not necessary. Unless you’re a vinyl record enthusiast, a dock and wireless speaker setup requires less than a square foot of space.
9. China Hutches
Many contemporary floor plans opt for offices or media rooms instead of the traditional dining room. Without a space for formal entertaining—and with more slow cookers replacing china on wedding registries—there’s really no need for an oversize cabinet to display fine dishware.
10. Futons
There’s still plenty of need to accommodate overnight guests, but there are much better (and more comfortable) ways to do so than the lumpy old futon. Let’s face it: These frat-house standards have never been fashionable, and not many folks over 20 years of age find them suitable to sleep on.
11. Blanket Chests
Older homes have a notorious dearth of closets—people didn’t have as much clothing to store as they do today, and what they did have was typically outsourced to wardrobes, trunks, and chests. That’s not the case in our modern era. Most people have linen closets with ample space for blankets and bedding, making these bulky builds a thing of the past.
12. Telephone Stands
With more and more people forgoing a landline altogether, there’s no need for little tables to hold our telephones, answering machines, and phone books. Try a narrow sofa table instead to serve as a space-smart landing spot for little items.
