Furniture choices reveal personality traits

A fairly recent study undertaken by Mississippi State University reveals some fascinating viewpoints about furniture by a cross-section of ordinary folks all across the country, across all age, race, and economic groups. The study is complex and lengthy, and the quotes are really incidental to the intent, but they fascinated us. (If you'd like to see the article in its entirety, here's the link: www.ffi.msstate.edu/pdf/consumer_attitudes.pdf)

For example, 72% of folks said "the design of my furniture reflects my personality." 67% agreed that "A lot can be said about a person from the furniture they own." Not jawdropping responses, but something to think about.

Here are a few pithy quotes from the cross section of types. You may see yourself in here. Or not.

When asked about their favorite room in the house, a 70-year-old female said "The living room. It is where my friends and family gather to relax and enjoy one another." A 41 year old woman said "The family room, because we spend a lot of time in there together. We have a sectional that is one of my favorite pieces because we can all be on it together." A 61-year-old woman likes the dining room best, because "it's where everyone congregates and shares good times and good memories." A 26-year-old woman's favorite piece of furniture is the dining room table because "it's where we eat together as a family and where we do family activities like carving pumpkins and school projects."

28% liked the bedroom best. As one 69-year-old man put it, "Because it has beautiful oak furniture. It was our first purchase when we got married. It cost a lot and is very beautiful and sturdy. Very beautiful and is a very nice room to sleep in. The furniture definitely makes it my favorite." Notice he used the word "beautiful" three times in just 43 words.

How often do we replace our furniture? 35% said "every few years," while 18% said "to keep up with design trends." We want it to last, too. As a 61-year-old lady reminded us "You are the one who is going to live with it, like a husband you want it to last a long time!" Is it a personal decision? For some, not. As one 41-year-old woman said, "Your furniture has to be where your family feels comfortable and able to relax. With the world so stressful, having a place just to relax is very important."

Surprisingly, we're not really that loyal to brand names. 78% disagreed with the statements "I am very loyal to specific brands of furniture" and "I stick with just a couple of brands of furniture that I know I like." Some favorite brands mentioned most often were Ashley (quality and price), La-Z-Boy (comfort), Broyhill (quality and style), and Thomasville (trust).

How do we get our information about furniture and stores? TV ads, home decorating TV programs, magazine ads, lifestyle/home magazines, and catalogs are the most important sources. But about 70% of us research brands, products, stores, and prices on the internet before we make a purchase. As you might suspect, the younger we are, the more we use the internet before we make a purchase.

Finally, how secure are we in our choices? Pretty secure. Only about 3% said they ask others about the furniture in their homes, and only 2.5% said they mainly rely on family or friends to give them advice on what to buy.

Bottom line: 1) the furniture we buy is a reflection of our personality, 2) we generally buy furniture only when we need it, 3) we're pretty well informed before we buy, and 4) we're pretty independent in our choices.

Now, what specifically do we look for when we buy furniture? That's a juicy topic for another day.