Goldilocks and the three chairs
Goldilocks and the Three Chairs
As we’ve started to get a good bit more settled into our house, its style has been taking shape. Rooms are starting to know what they want to be, and I’ve been snatching up cool finds when I come across the just right thing for a space. One room that we have been working on is the living room. It’s been an easy space to decorate because it just needed new furniture, some paint, and little bit of decor. In other words, it didn’t need a renovation, it just needed prettified, and it’s already come a long way. If you took our house tour, you know that we wanted to use the formal living room space as a reading room. Originally, our plan was to purchase his and hers reading chairs to plant in front of the fireplace, but when I found a major deal on a leather sofa at TJMaxx, that plan changed. Chris’s reading spot would now be the sofa, and I just needed to find myself a comfy reading chair (which I would plant in front of the fireplace, because I am
always cold). Sometimes, I know exactly what I want, and get lucky enough to be able to A. afford what I want, and B. find it somewhere. But in this instance, I wasn’t quite sure what kind of chair I wanted, and once I knew, I couldn’t afford it. Originally, I pinned this image as inspiration:
Source Unknown: Please let me know if you know the original owner of this photo.
I just want to jump right inside that comfy, cozy photo and curl up with a good book, don’t you? But I didn’t get a chair like this for two reasons: 1. We wanted the living room to have masculine, parlor-like feel to it. This chair, with it’s linen slipcover and squishy pillows, while incredibly welcoming, looks too light, airy, cottagey, and casual for our room. 2. I have been incorporating green and/or mustard yellow into every space, and the living room so far was totally brown and neutral. It needed a pop of color, and I decided that I really wanted a green velvet chair. Well, green velvet chairs are kind of hard to come by, and when you find one, it usually isn’t one of these comfy, casual chairs.
It’s usually quite structured and formal. Yes, I could make a custom one; after all, that’s what I do for clients every day, but I am not in the same tax bracket as my clients, so a custom one was out of the question. Which leads me to today’s blog post.
I went on the hunt for the perfect emerald green reading chair, and honestly, I haven’t searched for something so specific since Chris and I tried to buy luggage for our honeymoon. My *only* requirements were that:
- It had to fit in the space (obviously) but not be too small because we have pretty high ceilings
- It had to have a wide and deep seat so I could curl up in it (or else I’d need room for an ottoman, which we couldn’t really fit)
- It had to have a high enough back that I could rest my head on it while I read
- It had to have high enough arms that I could lean on them or hang my legs over them. (Hate when you go to lean your elbow on the arm of chair that is lower than you thought it was and your arm falls down and you smack your face into your fist.
Anyone else have that problem?) - It had to be comfortable…obv
- It had to either look traditional and authentic to the time period of the house, or be completely NOT traditional
- It had to be preferably no more than $500, but look expensive
- It had to have a soft velvety texture and…
- It HAD to be green–not olive green, not dark green that looked almost black, but just the perfect shade of emeraldy, foresty green.
Shouldn’t be too difficult, right?
Well, needless to say, I had a really hard time. I looked and looked and looked, and for one reason or another, I couldn’t quite pull the trigger on a chair. Some were too big, some too expensive, some not quite the right color, some too inexpensive (that always scares me), some too skinny, some too short. You get the picture. I had a few that I really liked, but I am really just a frugal person at heart, and even though I tell myself that it’s okay to spend more money, I just can’t. And so the ones I had picked out were like $700-$1200 and I just couldn’t do it.
I’d even go as far as putting them in my cart, and clicking “Checkout” and then I wouldn’t buy them. So when I came across this chair from Target, I thought I’d give it a shot. I read the return policy (incorrectly as it turns out), and figured if it didn’t work, I could just take it back to the store. No harm, no foul. Well, turns out it was an online only item so technically I couldn’t return it to the store, but thankfully they took it anyway.
Skyline Furniture Accent Chair
I kind of knew when I bought it that it wasn’t going to work. I didn’t love how tall the legs were, but I thought, minimally, it would help me see a green chair in the space so I could make sure I liked it before I pulled the trigger on one of those more expensive ones. I also thought it would help give me an idea of what NOT to look for in terms of size. So when it arrived, it really did both of those things.For the price, though, (right now it’s $375 on sale) it was a great chair–I was pleasantly surprised.
It just needed to be in a really small nook or an apartment, not my room with 9′ ceilings next to super tall windows. Here are a couple crappy cell phone photos of the chair in our room. It doesn’t look too bad from this first angle:
But here you can really tell it’s too small. And when I sat in it, I couldn’t curl up, or lean my head back, so it just wasn’t going to work. Verdict on chair #1: Too small!
So the hunt continued. I then remembered that I had come across the Magnolia Home Dapper chair in my search. Originally, I had passed it up, hoping to find something less expensive, but after a while, I think my budget got more realistic.
Magnolia Home Dapper Emerald Chair
I found a local furniture store that gave me a good price on the chair ($479) and I also decided to get the ottoman ($249). I was super nervous because they only listed the overall width of the chair, and didn’t give the seat dimensions, so I thought the ottoman would be a good fail-safe in case it wasn’t deep enough to curl up in.
I would tuck the ottoman out of the way when not in use if the living room felt too crowded. The furniture store also included delivery for free. I was so excited to finally end my hunt for the perfect chair, even though I was depressed that I just dropped $730 on this whole ordeal. And one day, I got a call from the salesman at Parker Furniture. My first reaction was Oh, wow, my chair’s in already!? That was fast! but it quickly turned to Ohhhhhh noooooooooo when he told me the chair had been discontinued and there was no stock. He suggested I try searching online for any stores that might have one in stock. So I did, and all of a sudden, the chair had disappeared from the face of the earth. It was nowhere to be found. I’d have to start over. Again. Verdict on chair #2: Out of stock!
I did what I always do when I have a house-related update–I called my mom. She asked if I tried World Market, and I immediately shut that idea down and reminded her that we don’t have World Markets up here in Pittsburgh, so it was too risky not to be able to return anything.
I made that mistake already on a faux fiddle leaf fig that cost me $70 in return shipping. After commiserating with my mom for a bit, I went back to the drawing board and kept searching for a chair. I even tabled the idea for a while, until one day, out of desperation, I thought, Ugh, fine, maybe I should check World Market. And what do you know? World Market had not one, but TWO green velvet chairs available! AND they were having a 30% off regular price furniture sale. I immediately checked to see if they were in stock at my mom’s store, and when I saw they were, I called her up. She suggested she go take a look at them in person before I order, and coincidentally, she was heading to that shopping center (in Pineville, NC) that very night. After a long video chat with her while she was in the store, I decided to pull the trigger, and I bought one! Yippee!
Forest Green Samara Chair
It was regularly $399.99 marked down to $279. After tax and shipping it was only $328, which is less than the Target chair was! That was a price I could feel good about.
The only thing I was nervous about was the color based on the online photo. It seemed a tad dark and a little dull, but having my mom there to see it in person helped. She assured me that it was an emerald green color, and that the fabric had a nice velvety feel (even though it’s not actually velvet), and that it was comfortable. I had my fingers crossed for when I’d get to see it (and sit in it) in person. Verdict on chair #3: Juuust right.
This chair hit all of my requirements and came in well under budget. I couldn’t be more thrilled and I love the modern look of it in our fairly traditional room.
I love going up and down the stairs, and walking through this room and getting to see my green chair. The color is rich and unexpected and I can’t wait to curl up with a book and a blanket here when the days get shorter and we’re spending less time outside.
Goldilocks and the three chairs…
Faced with a potentially huge selection of furniture, it is easy to see how consumers get confused and find it difficult to make the right choices.
Furniture sellers themselves recognise the concept of buyer fatigue which can occur even more so when purchasing a big ticket item – consumers can be quite simply overwhelmed.
What if it is too big?
What if it is too small?
How can I get it just right?
At the Furniture & Home Improvement Ombudsman, we are often faced with complaints which are subjective in nature. These can be particularly difficult to manage when the law has an objective standard. Sounds a bit legal? Let me explain what I mean.
We can all sit on the same chair or view the same dining furniture in store and react very differently to it in terms of our personal preference for comfort and aesthetics. I would probably buy a differently tensioned mattress to you and find it comfortable and we would almost certainly disagree on the colour of my sofa. We are all different and have differing needs and requirements and we all see the world from a different perspective.
So what tips would I give to help you make sure you are buying the right furniture for you? I have 5 Golden Rules relating to the questions that I would recommend you ask before you enter into a contract to ensure that your furniture will be just right – for you.
Do your research, ask: Is it fit for my purpose?
There are many different products on the market and one size certainly does not fit all. Do your research before even visiting the store. It is a legal requirement that the goods are fit for usual and common purposes, but do you have a specific purpose that you need the goods to address? Certain fabrics may be less advisable if you have children or pets; certain fillings may require more maintenance; you may have a particular purpose which you want the furniture to fulfil. If you do, make this known to the business and get them to make a note of this. If the business is aware of your specified purpose and the goods do not work as intended, you may be able to claim a remedy in respect of this, but you should keep a written record of what has been agreed as evidence.
Can I maintain it?
All furniture requires some maintenance, and this can be to quite startlingly differing degrees. So, make sure you know what is expected of you and that you are happy that you can carry this out.
Some goods need significantly more maintenance that others and not following the care instructions can shorten the life of your furniture and may invalidate any claim.
Will it fit in my house?
Whether the goods can actually be delivered into your home is your responsibility. So you should make sure that the items will fit; it is safe and practical for the delivery team to access and make the retailer aware if you live on the third floor of an apartment block or down a narrow country lane. You should also take care before the arrival of the delivery team to move any precious or items with a sentimental value from the delivery route – accidents do happen. Taking measurements away and double checking these, before entering the contract, is advisable – something I have learned to my own cost!
What happens next?
You should never leave a store not knowing what happens next…
– When will it be delivered (this will only be an estimate unless the business has agreed to deliver within a time which is essential to you), and by whom?
– Will the retailer be contacting you again before booking in the delivery?
– Can I cancel the contract if I change my mind and if so, when do I have to notify the business? Remember, unless you enter into a distance contract there is no automatic cancellation or cooling off rights, so you may want to ask whether there is there a cancellation charge.
– Do I have all the relevant documentation?
What if I have an issue after the goods are delivered?
Ask the business whether they are a member of an Ombudsman or other redress scheme – this is a good indicator that they are committed to good customer service and will give you the peace of mind that you have an independent forum to review any issue which the business is unable to address.
Being organised and taking the time to ask questions before you buy and knowing what you are looking for will help you get it right first time. Never feel rushed into making a decision and ask as many questions as you need to – that is what the sales staff are there for.
Goldilocks learned an important lesson about buying furniture when she entered the house of the three bears – not all furniture is suitable for everyone. The market reflects that we are not all the same and the selections which are available cater for all our tastes. Follow the 5 Golden Rules and make sure that find the right choice for you, be it large, small or just right.
Goldilocks and the Three Bears. English fairy tale
Three bears lived in a beautiful stone house in the forest: Papa Bear - a big big one, Mama Bear - a little smaller, and a little bear cub, Mishutka. Each of them had their own bowl for stew: a small one for Mishutka, a medium one for Bear, and a large one for Papa Bear. At dinner, everyone sat in their own chair: Mishutka - on the smallest one, Mama Bear - on the middle one, and Papa Bear - on the largest one. Everyone had their own bed: Mishutka slept on the smallest one, Mama Bear on the middle one, and Papa Bear on the largest one.
One day Mama Bear cooked delicious stew for dinner and poured it into bowls. But the stew was very hot, you had to wait until it cools down. Therefore, the bears took a basket each and went for a walk in the forest, and at the same time to pick berries.
While the bears were walking, a little girl came out along the forest path to their house. Her name was Goldilocks because she had beautiful golden hair.
First she looked through the window, then looked through the keyhole, and finally called:
– Hey, is anyone home?
But, of course, no one answered her. Then she just lifted the latch and pushed the door.
The door was not locked, the bears lived peacefully, did no harm to anyone and did not expect anything bad from anyone. Goldilocks entered the house and looked around. She was very happy to see a large table in the middle of the room, and on it were three bowls of stew.
If Goldilocks had been a well-mannered girl, she would have waited for the bears to return - surely they would have invited her to dine with them. After all, the bears were indeed kind, although, of course, they grumbled at times, like all bears. Nevertheless, they had an agreeable disposition, and they loved guests. But Goldilocks was very tired and hungry. She walked over to the table and tasted the chowder from the biggest bowl, Papa Bear.
– Oh, how hot! - she said. Then she scooped a spoon out of Mama Bear's bowl and grimaced, “Ugh, really cold.
Then she saw the smallest bowl, Mishutkina, and tried his stew: - Mmm, but this one is just right.
She liked the stew so much that the girl ate everything to the last drop. After eating, Goldilocks decided to take some rest and climbed onto Papa Bear's chair.
– Oh, how tough! she exclaimed, and moved to Mama Bear's chair. “But it’s too soft here,” she said, and moved to the smallest chair, Mishutkin.
“Oh, this one is just right,” she happily jumped on it. Suddenly the chair collapsed under her, and Goldilocks fell straight to the floor.
However, she was no stranger to falling, she got up, dusted herself off and, looking around, saw a ladder. The girl climbed it and ended up in the bear's bedroom. There were three beds here. Goldilocks immediately climbed the biggest one - Papa Bear.
“Oh, how hard,” she said, jumping on it a little, and lay down on the middle bed - Mama Bear.
– Too soft here.
Finally, she moved onto the smallest bed, Mishutkina: – This one is just right!
Tired Goldilocks settled herself comfortably and fell asleep soundly.
In the meantime, the bears walked around the forest and, deciding that their stew had already cooled down, returned home to have lunch and rest.
Papa Bear immediately saw the spoon that Goldilocks had left in his bowl.
– Who ate my stew? he roared in a terrible voice.
Mama Bear came up to the table and also saw a spoon in her bowl.
– Who ate my stew? she growled.
Then Mishutka came running and saw that a spoon had also been left in his bowl, but the stew was gone.
- Someone ate my stew and ate it all! he shouted in his thin voice.
The bears realized that someone had visited their house and left Mishutka without dinner. They began to look around and look around. Papa Bear immediately noticed that his chair had been moved from its usual place.
– Who was sitting in my chair? he roared again.
Mother Bear also saw that her chair was out of place.
– Who was sitting in my chair? she growled.
You already know what happened to the third chair that Goldilocks jumped on.
- Someone was sitting on my chair and broke it! shouted Mishutka in his thin voice.
Then the three bears decided to thoroughly search the whole house. They went up to the bedroom. Papa Bear immediately saw that his bed was rumpled, the pillow was moved.
– Who was lying on my bed? he roared.
Mother Bear also noticed that her bed was all in disarray.
– Who was lying on my bed? she growled.
And little Mishutka looked at his bed and saw that everything on it was neat, and the pillow was where it needed to be, only the lovely curls of Goldilocks were scattered over it - which was completely out of place on his bed.
– Who is that lying on my bed? he shouted in his thin voice. - Ah, here, hold it, hold it!
Goldilocks heard Papa Bear's terrible roar in her sleep, but she slept so soundly that she thought it was thunder. She also heard the grumbling of Mother Bear, but it seemed to her that it was the wind humming. And little Mishutka's voice was so thin and piercing that the girl immediately woke up.
She sat up in bed and was terribly frightened when she saw three bears. She quickly rushed to the window and jumped out of it. With all her legs she rushed away into the forest, and the bears did not see her again.
Papa Bear fixed the broken chair, Mama Bear cleaned up the house, and since then, going for a walk in the forest, the bears began to lock their house.
Goldilocks and the Three Bears: ewitranslate — LiveJournal
Author: Murray Gunn
In the fairy tale "Goldilocks and the Three Bears", a girl chooses porridge, a chair and a bed that are "just right" for her. The Goldilocks principle is now an economic term describing an economy that is not too hot or too cold, but just right. In recent years, she has hardly appeared, but now, at the end of 2017, Goldilocks is back.
The Goldilocks economy is broadly characterized by not being hot enough to fuel higher prices for consumer goods and services, but not cold enough to cause a recession.
Its main features are low unemployment, rising asset prices, low interest rates, strong gross domestic product (GDP) growth, and low consumer price inflation. Such conditions existed during the 1990s, and the first use of the phrase is attributed to David Schulman of Salomon Brothers, who on March 1992 years old wrote: "Goldilocks economy: bears in flight." These same economic conditions were seen again in the mid-2000s as the world recovered from the collapse of the Internet companies.
In 2017, the general consensus focuses on the fact that despite high employment levels, consumer prices are not progressing. Growth around the world is solid and even has a sweet spot where all the major economies are growing. Asset prices are rising and although there will be no more easy monetary policy, the process will be slow, and therefore interest rates should remain low for a long time.
A lot of the hype has recently centered around the belief that instead of creating a monopoly economy where consumers pay excessive fees, technology provides a fairer, more equitable economy where opportunities are limitless and entry costs are low.
Whether it be self-driving electric vehicles, the “Amazonification” of the world, or robots, the direction in which technology is being talked about is seen as creating a new economy.
Or should this economy be even newer? Because we have already seen it. When social sentiment is in a positive trend, stock markets rise and new technologies capture sentiment. Whether it's the railroad, the car, energy, the internet, financial innovation, or robots, the picture is always the same - to create something new, you need to create a more constructive and more sustainable economy. Perhaps the most striking example of this social mood is the words of the famous economist Irving Fisher:
Fisher said this on October 17, 1929, a few days before the US stock market experienced the most famous crash in history.“Stock prices have reached what looks like a permanent high plateau. I don't think there will be a 50 or 60 pip decline from current levels any time soon, or ever, as predicted (bears). I expect the stock market to rise noticeably within a few months."
Of course, not all predictions are so exactly wrong. It takes time for the social mood to get to the point where faith becomes so one-sided. But for the Goldilocks economy, faith was already growing. The chart below shows that interest in the phrase "Goldilocks economy" is now returning to levels seen during the boom years of 2006-2007. After this shock, interest in the Goldilocks story waned, but now social sentiment is again positive enough for it to return.
Central banks believed that their quantitative easing (QE) policies launched after the financial crisis would lead to higher consumer prices. QE is conducted by buying financial market assets with money created from nothing. By printing more money, central banks assumed that the prices of goods and services would rise. Instead, the printed money remained in the financial system, contributing to a natural recovery in social sentiment after the crisis and growth in bonds, stocks and real estate. What do they think should have happened?
Central banks used every means to create "inflation" in the form of rising consumer prices, but this did not happen.
