More Grown Up

My brother one time commented on his adult furniture. This sounds funny, but if you think about it, don't we sort of judge where we are in life by where we got our furniture?
My husband and I had never bought a new piece of furniture that we didn't have to put together ourselves. Everything else we owned was a gift, a hand-me-down, or second hand. And while there's nothing wrong with that (I love that my kids are sleeping on the twin beds my dad had when he was young), you get to a point in your life when you'd rather your furniture actually be what you want instead of what you settle for.

Well, when we were deciding how to divvy up some extra money we received a while back, I rallied for a new couch. The one we had was actually a loveseat we got off marketplace about ten years ago. It had been moved three times--or four. I can't remember. It had lived through both our children being babies. And the cat had recently decided she liked it for a scratching post. The cushions were smushed and the armrests stained. I didn't hate it, but I didn't like it either.
The way our living room is arranged, we don't have a ton of room. One wall has a fireplace and front door. One wall is lined with bookshelves, of course. And one wall has the TV. The other side is open into the kitchen area, and that's where we've put the couch, sort of like a barrier. But it's not a long space, and a full-length couch would block the path. So, I set out to look for something that seated more than two people, but fit in a 75 inch space.
In case you're wondering, furniture stores only have loveseats that meet those dimensions.
I didn't want a loveseat.
Wayfair to the rescue. I found what I wanted for a semi-reasonable price (no wonder I'd never owned anything new!) and ordered the new sofa. Unfortunately, we still had to put it together, but it was only four pieces that easily slid into the slots, so no big deal. And, guess what? We can stretch out on it! All of us have room when we sit to do Bible time in the evenings. And it's shorter and not as deep, which makes the room look bigger, too. I'm thrilled.
By choosing my own couch and my own rug, I feel like I've taken a step further into adulthood. In other words, into making my house more a reflection of me and my tastes.
What was your first piece of "adult" furniture? Or are you still living with hand-me-downs and marketplace items, too? Don't give up! It took me seventeen years, but I'm here. At least with my couch. ;-)