A SURWY OF LNIMG ROOM FURMTURI m EEGHTY IWIANA HOMES ‘Fhocés for m bum of M. A. MiCHiaAfi STA?E UMVBRSETY Vanni: Jean 900?» 39757 III III IIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIII 31293 01107 0673 LIBRARY Michigan State University This is to certify that the thesis entitled A Survey of Living Room Furniture in Eighty Indiana Homes presented by Vanis Jean Deeter has been accepted towards fulfillment of the requirements for Mdegree in Related Art k5 / Date .1 une._9_,_l952_ ABSTRACT FOR MASTER OF ARTS THESIS A Survey of Living Room Furniture in Eighty Indiana Homes Vania Jean Deeter 1957 ABSTRACT The purpose of this survey was to gain information for more effec- tive teaching of home furnishings particularly to homemakers partici- pating in the home demonstration program. > The survey included an inventory of the living room furniture found in eighty Indiana homes responses of the homemaker to her furniture and its use by her family. The homemaker in each case was a member of a home demonstration club and was selected at random from a group who qualified according to age and family specifications. It was noted that there were differences in values placed upon furnishings by the eighty homemakers visited. There was a wide variety of taste and interest in home furnishings expressed by the individuals interviewed. To some, furniture was a very important item in family living. To others, the farm, ccmmnity activities, family recreation, and education were of major importance with the house and its furnish- ings far down the list in importance. Family incomes of those interviewed were above the state and national average for the year of 1,953. It was found that families with higher incomes did not necessarily have the most expensive furniture in their living rooms. Rural and tom homes were so similar in family income, cost of furniture found in the rooms, and Opinions expressed regarding furnishings, that no significant pattern of difference was revealed. It was found that the amount of furniture in the living room hail no relationship to the size of the family. —o I, A significant number of homemakers expressed satisfaction with their furniture and indicated they would buy about the same type of furniture if they could start their homes again. Comfort and practicality rather than the appearance of seating pieces was of greater importance to the majority of the homemakers. It was found that tables were chosen more often as decorative acc- essories than for their practical function. This survey indicated that although the homemakers stressed the imp- ortance of comfort and good quality in furniture, their knowledge of selection possibilities was very limited. The visits to these eighty homes convinced the interviewer of the need for emphasis in teaching through the extension program.the fund- amental principles of design, chlor and function basic to the selection of furnishings for the home. A SURVEY OF LIVING ROOM FURNITURE IN EIGHTY INDIANA HOMES - BY Vania Jean Deeter A THESIS Submitted to the Department of Textiles, Clothing and Related Arts in the College of Home Economics inipartial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY Fear 1957 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author wishes to express her sincere gratitude to Miss Mary Shipley for excellent guidance, sincere under- standing and encouragement during the course of this study. The writer is also grateful to Miss Hazel Strahan, head of the Textiles, Clothing and Related Arts Department for her helpful advice and interest, to Mildred Campbell and Ruth Ann Nine, Home Demonstration Agents; and to fellow staff members at Purdue university. ' The friendly and helpful cooperation of the homemakers in Hancock and Parke counties, Indiana, is greatly appreciated. —....'— TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Purpose and Scope of the Survey . . . . . 1 II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 III. METHODS AND PROCEDURE . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Classification of the Sample . . . . . . . 15 IV. REPORT Of THE FINDINGS . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Description of the Sample . . . . . . . . 19 The Furniture Inventory . . . . . . . . . 26 Information About the Living Room, The Furniture, and Its Use . . . . . . . . . 35 Living Room Furniture for Three Budget Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . h6 V. DISCUSSION OF THE FINDINGS . . . . . . . . . 56 VI. SUMMARY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Suggestions for Further Study . . . . . . 65 BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 APPENDH O O O O 0 O O O O O O O O O O O O O 0 O O 71 .. .. III]. II .Illl'.llldl.v TABLE I. II. III. IV. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. XI. XII. XIII. XIV. XV. XVI. XVII. XVIII. LIST OF TABLES Number of Children Per Family . . . . . . Age and Sex of the Children . . . . . . . Number of Years Homes were Established . . Home Demonstration Club EXperience . . . . Education of the Homemakers . . . . . . . Occupations of the Eighty Husbands . . . . Annual Gross Income of the Families . . . How Furniture was Acquired . . . . . . . . Summarized Inventory of Living Room Furniture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cost Range of Living Room Furniture . . . Opinions As to Amount of Furniture in Use Purchase Plan for Furniture . . . . . . . Furniture Payment Plans . . . . . . . . . Homemakers' Sources of Ideas for Furniture Satisfactory Items of Furniture . . . . . Unsatisfactory Furniture Items . . . . . . Number of Times Furniture Items were Men- tioned at Each Budget Level . . . . . . Cost of Furniture Per Room, Income of the Family and Number of Years of Marriage . PAGE 20 21 22 22 23 23 2h 26 28 33 35 36 37 38 h2 L3 52 72 LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1. Map of Indiana 2. Limited Budget Room 3. Moderate Budget Room A. Unlimited Budget Room I. INTRODUCTION PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE SURVEY The purpose of this survey was to investigate living room furniture in selected Indina homes and to determine the homemaker's response to her furniture and its use by her family. The group under study was selected from home demonstration club members in order that an improved pro- gram in home furnishings might be developed in the Indiana EItension Service. Information from this study of living room furniture and its adequacy for the family will consti- tute criteria for modification of the extension program in home furnishings. It would likewise provide information to young couples establishing their homes as well as to manu- facturers and retailers of furniture. Both want and need information on consumer preferences and needs. This sample survey of eighty Indiana homes was made from among home demonstration club members in two Indiana counties. The inventory was limited to items of furniture in the living room. Any dining room furniture, as in an adjoining portion, was excluded. Accessories such as lamps, magazine racks, curtains, draperies, floor coverings, art objects and built-in features in the room were not considered. .The inventory of the living room furniture included information as to how it_was acquired, when it was acquired, its approximate cost or established value at the time of acquisition and specific information as to the homemaker's response to it. Information was requested as to the amount of furniture for the family's needs, how it was purchased, what style or period it was, whether the furniture was satis- factory, and what the next purchases would be. The use of the living room for family entertainment was also included in the questionnaire.1 The homemaker was asked her opinion of living room furniture necessary to meet the needs of her family on three budget levels: limited, moderate, and unlimited. Appreciation of the home and its value to happy family living is increasingly important in our society. The respon- sibility for creating beauty in the home, planning for its convenience, comfort and efficiency toward the best interest of family members is largely up to the homemaker. Realising this and knowing that the role of the homemaker-consumer is not easy in today's competitive market, a guide in selection of furnishings based on actual experience of homemakers is a valuable tool. 1See questionnaire.in the appendix for further informa- tion. II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE Very few studies were found which contained pertinent information bearing on the subject under study. The signi- ficant material reported in the literature review reveals that people in the age group of late twenty through middle forty are more interested in furniture purchases than any other age group. They acquire furniture according to a pur- chase plan with installment credit regarded as an important method used for payment. Television viewing is an important factor to be considered in furniture selection making comfort and durability desirable qualities. Contemporary furniture was preferred for purchases to be made in the future but a mixture of styles is usually to be found in their homes. One of the most important areas of the home is the liv- ing room. The importance of this room in family living is exemplified through the many activities that occur in this part of the house. In a survey made by McCall's magazine in 1950, "What Women want in Their Living Rooms"1, diversity of living room activities in the American home are: reading, study, entertaining, listening to radio and records, watching television, sewing, ironing, games, dancing, hobbies, eating, l"What WOmen Want in Their Living Rooms", a McCall's Magazine Study, 1950. and providing extra sleeping quarters. The living room is frequently the favorite room for family members. In surveys from two Michigan Counties in 1952 and 1955, ”Family Use of Farm Homes" and "How Homes are Used on Farms and in Small Cities"1, a majority of the farm families interviewed indicated the living room as a favorite because it was associated with leisure and enjoyment. Prob- lems relative to selection of furniture arise because of the varied activities and the great amount of time Spent in this room by family members and guests. Storage problems were revealed to include‘burrent maga- zines, newspapers, toys, other recreational material, books, writing materials, farm and home accounts. Furniture in this room must meet many demands and there- fore is as varied as in any room in the house. Included in the room are seating pieces (upholstered and wood), case goods (tables, chests, television sets, radios, pianos), which require wise consumer choices. These purchases are generally made with several years service in mind and take a sizeable'part of the family budget. According to the study, "Quantity of Cost Budgets for Three Levels"2, Ameri- ‘l'Family Use of Farm Homes", Technical Bulletin 227, A ril l952'and "How Homes are Used on Farms and in Small C ties", Technical Bulletin 254, December, 1955, by Alice C. ‘Thorpe and Irma B. Cross, Michigan State College Department of Home Management. 2Heller Committee for Research in Social Economics, 'Quantity of and Cost Budgets for Three Insome Levels", Uni- versity of Califcrnia, 1950 page 50. 5 can families spend from three to five percent of the annual income for furniture and equipment. This percentage repre- sents the cost of items added to the household annually, not the initial cost of furniture and equipment purchased to establish the home. Furniture requirements change with varying ages of the family members and the family cycle. In the McCall's sur- vey, "What Nemen Want in Their Living Rooms"1, 3L.L percent of respondents were thirty-one to forty years of age, 32.h percent from twenty-one to thirty, and 18.2 percent from the ages of forty-one to fifty. The homemakers' interest in furnishings in the age group of thirty to early forty made this a pertinent age group to consider for opinions based on experiences regarding living room furniture. In the Survey 2, young married people eighteen to forty- of Consumer Finances four years of age, particularly those with children, pur- chased more furniture at each income level than any other age group studied. .Children in the home cannot be overlooked if a true 1A McCall's Magazine Study, 1950, 32. gig. 2Reprints of the Surve of Consumer Finances Durable Goods, Federal Reserve BfiIIeEIn, June, 195E,May,1955, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Washington, D. C. - 6 picture of furniture needs and problems are to be examined. According to the 1950 census, there were 1.17 children per family in the United States and in a.1955 release, there were 1.3 children. Families with at least two children can be considered average. In a furniture inventory, "Consumer Use and Purchase of Furniture in Flint, Michigan"1, taken from a representative sample of hl9 Flint, Michigan, spending units2 in 1951, items consisted of bedroom, living room and dining room furniture in use. The inventories were classified by the number of rooms in which the furniture was placed. Seven out of every ten spending units had at least one bedroom suite with dou- ble bed and chest or chests; dining table and chairs in liv- ing or dining room and also in the kitchen; a sofa and a lounge chair, usually matching; and one or more small tables in the living room. Twenty-eight percent of the furniture was from one to five years old, twenty-fivepercent from six to ten years old, twenty-seven from eleven to twenty years old, and the remaining pieces ranged from twenty-one to one lConsumer Use and Purchase of Furniture in Flint Michi- figs, 1951, 53115 Van SchIe, Michigan State ColIEge, East nsing, Technical Bulletin 233. 2The spending unit was defined as "all persons living in the same dwelling and pooling their incomes to meet their major expenses". 1950 Survey of Consumer Finances, Federal Reserve Bulletin, July 1950. In most cases, it is the same as the "family". 7 hundred sixty years in age. The items over fifty years old represented only two percent of the total. Seventy-five per- cent of the furniture had been acquired new, usually by pur- chase. Sixteen percent has been bought second-hand and nine percent acquired as gifts or had been owned previous to mar- riage. In furniture with exposed wood, the most frequently reported wood finish was dark walnut, twenty-seven percent; dark mahogany, seventeen percent. Light-finished furniture was more frequently used in bedrooms than in living or din- ing rooms. Respondents reported 86 percent of the pieces included in the inventory had given satisfaction but 71 per- cent of the respondents owned one or several items that had been unsatisfactory. Approximately three-fourths of all of the purchases had been planned. Comfort and durability were regarded as important in the selection of sofas and easy chairs. Another value important to the purchaser was suita- bility of living room furniture to the setting and space available. According to the study findings, 93 percent of the purchases were made in Flint, with 77 Percent of the pur- chases at regular prices. One-third were financed by in- stallment credit with the middle income group using this type of credit more than the others. One out of four of the home- makers who had used this credit was uncertain or incorrect about the relative cost of this service. Some of the conclusions from this study, in numerical order of significance, were: (1) Manufacturers and retailers have the major influence on the level of taste characterizing furnishings in the majority of homes, (2) Consumers' ideas about furniture are formed by the local market and periodi- cals, (3) Most consumers have limited knowledge as to avail- ability and the variety of choices in furniture selection, and (h) The small home should be a major consideration for furniture designed for the mass market. A study, "Practices Followed by Consuners in Buying 'Large Expenditure' Items of Clothing, Furniture and Equip- ment”1, was made in Lansing, Michigan in 191.9 to 1950. An interpretation and a list of the values wanted by the consu- mer are listed from this study in order of their signifi- cance. (1) Durability - "giving a long period of use before wearing out." (2) Easy or inexpensive upkeep - "not show soil easily", "clean easily", "resistant to stains", "doesn't mar”. (3) Efficient, economical, or satisfactory performance - "comfortable", "storage space satisfactory", "easily adjust- able", "won't tip", "dust proof", ”most repellent". (h) Meets 1Practices Followed b Consumers in Buying ”Large Ex- Senditure' Items of CIotEIng, Furniture andEguiEment,by an yc e, gan tate olIege, st ns g, Technical Bulletin 22L, 1951. 9 personal preference for color, style and variety in posses- sions. (5) Suitability to situation in which it\is to be used "to fit particular space", "to fit an architectural feature". Durability, appearance, and satisfactory performance were mentioned most often in regard to furniture selection. Information from 1950 McCall's survey, "What Women Want in Their Living Rooms"1, indicated consumer preferences and buying habits. The data detailed in this survey were ob- tained from entries to a contest conducted by McCall's. Re- decoration pf the "contest room” and cash awards were offered to the participants. The sample was drawn from the McCall's audience of more than h,000,000 women. Of these, 155,000 re- quested entry blanks, and 20,000 of the entry blanks were completed and returned. Five thousand of these were selected at random to serve as the sample upon which this study was based. The entry blank was quite detailed, with an estimate of 30 hours required to complete the application form. Be- cause of the nature of this survey, the primary characteris- tic of respondents was their self-selection. They volunteered ’ information due to their interest in home furnishings as well as the incentives of the contest. The furniture preferences expressed probably reflect the style desired but not neces- 'I "A McCall's Magazine Study, 1950, 92. gig. 10 sarily the buying intentions of the respondents. In this study, 35.5 percent of the women respondents were thirty years of age, and 69.9 percent were under forty years of age. All areas of the United States were represented. The number of children in the contest families was: 2h.3 per- cent with one child, 28.6 percent with two children, 11.0 per- cent with three children, h.1 percent with four children, and 2 percent with five children or mm‘e. The remainingfamilhs reported no children or did not answer this item. 0f the 20,000 families in this study, 79.2 percent owned their homes, 6.9 percent rented their homes, and 13.1 percent were apartment dwellers. When respondents were asked to characterize styles of furniture to be used in the remodeled rooms, over 70 percent specified modern furniture, or a combination of modern and traditional. Studies of the entries reveal that when a com- bination of modern and traditional was planned, the latter was already owned and the new purchases would be modern. Comfort was a factor selected in an overwhelming per- centage when the respondents were asked to check terms des- criptive of the room they were planning. Informality and in cleaning were next in frequency mentioned. The specific items of furniture that respondents wanted. in their remodeled living rooms in order of preference were: Once each year Retailing_Daily conducts a survey to Sofas Lamp Tables Large Upholstered Chair Coffee Table Other Tables Small Upholstered Chair Book Cases Desk Secpnd Large Chair Open Arm Chair Television Dining Chairs Piano Second Small Upholstered Chair Radio-Television Love Seat 33.9% 73.6% 71..6% 73.3% 61.3% 53.2% 50.1% 1.3.2% 0.2% 10.8% 39.3% 3t..9% 31.3% 33.9% 21.2% ' 16.6% determine retailers' opinions on furniture design and a general business outlook. store owners and 6h department store representatives are reflected in the findings. cities located in 28 states. ings for October 17, 19551 are reported here. Fairch u York. tailin Dail , the Home Furnishings Newspaper, A 1W The opinions of 129 furniture Questionnaires came from 58 11 A brief summary of the find- cat on, 7 East 12th Street, New Ycrk 3, New \ 12 In the sale of upholstered furniture items, the con- temporary style accounts fcr 5!. percent of the selections , traditional styles 27 percent, provincial designs 13 percent, and no period - 6 percent. Many customers are reported sol- ving the problem of limited space in homes by using dual sleep equipment in the living room. Ownership of television was singled out by the retailers more often than any other factor as influencing the current and expected consumer buying patterns. Seating units are _ wearing out more rapidly because of television viewing. Style change is affected because living rooms are being used more for family and guest entertainment. Seating pieces sought by the customer also reflect the demands of televi- sion. Light scaled pieces that can be moved easily are wanted. Sixty-seven percent of the retailers interviewed commented upon increased interest in the occasional uphol- stered chair. Greater comfort consciousness is attributed' to two factors: the long time people spend sitting for tele- vision viewing, and the fact that the husband now appears in the store as a shopper. Mr. Consumer is not so conscious of period or style requirements as his wife, but comfort is high on his list. In response to a question concerning the effect‘ of television and hi-fidelity on upholstered furniture, re- tailers made the following comments: 13 .... more seating and better seating is needed. .... sofas and chairs wear out more rapidly and are replaced sooner because the room is used for prolonged seating for television viewing. .... there is increased demand for scaled-down oc- casional chairs that can be moved easily. .... the trend is to accent pieces with confort a necessary feature. .... sales indicate much higher-priced upholstered furniture. .... customers look for better style and better service in upholstery covering. .... sales are increased for swivel chairs, high l'back chairs, and plastic covers. Customer preferences in 1955 for wood finishes on Modern furniture were: (1) blonde, (2) walnut, (3) Pumice, (L) tan, and (5) fruitwood. Finish preferences on tradi- tional furniture were: (1) mahogany, (2) fruitwood, (3) maple, (L) walnut, and (5) pumice. Retailers indicated that consumers continue to request wider color selection and more durable weaves in upholstery. fabrics that will take the rough wear to which they are sub- jected. Retailers reported the 1955 trend was toward individual sales in upholstered pieces with sectional units in second 1L place and suites in third place. Forty percent of all stores reported an increase in sales of reclining chairs. Retailers also indicated that consumers were making more stringent demands in respect to construction of the furniture purchased. 'Of the 193 retailers interviewed, 38 percent of them said construction is significant to most customers, 38 percent said it is important to only half of the customers, and 2h percent indicated construction was important to only a few. ‘ \ The review of literature covering various aspects of the subject under study was quite limited. Numerous sources were checked for similar or related studies and the pertinent material found was included in this report. Theses in Home Economics in related fields from colleges and universities in the United States were reviewed. Editors of leading home furnishings periodicals were contacted as well as the Grand Rapids Furniture Guild, Herman Miller, Inc., RetailingDaily, and the Redbook Magazine. Reprints of the survey of consumer Finances from the Federal Reserve Bulle- tins provided information as to national expenditures for furniture and equipment. Library facilities at Michigan State university and Purdue university were used. III. METHODS AND PROCEDURE Classification of the Sample Selection of the Counties in Indiana ‘ Hancock and Parke Counties in Iniiana were selected for this survey because both were in proximity to Lafayette, minimizing expenditure of time and travel for the investiga- tor in collecting the data. Both counties have an organized home demonstration program and county enrollment cards which provided desired information. Home Demonstration agents in these two counties were willing to cooperate in this survey. It is recognized that the sample taken from these two counties is not representative of a region or the state as a whole insofar as the economic level is concerned. Drawing the Sample The qualifications of the eighty women to be inter- viewed in this survey were that they be experienced home- makers, members of a home demonstration club, within the ages of 30 and #5 Years, married and have two or more children. Hancock and Parke Counties have respectively 838and 707 home demonstration club members. From 163 qualified mem- bers in Hancock County, forty were chosen at random and from 13L who qualified in Parke County, the remaining forty were drawn e Initially it was thought that the selection of the 16 persons to be interviewed might be made during or after the leader training lessons in home furnishings. This did not prove feasible to be included with a full day of\teaching. There was also a hesitancy on the part of the local leader to have the Home Furnishings Specialist come to her home fol- lowing the lesson dealing with principles of home furnishings. It was also thought that the data would be more significant if the sample were random rather than on invitation by the homemaker to visit her home. The Interview Procedure The home'interview procedure was decided as the most effective method to secure the desired information for this survey. It was important to the investigator to observe the furniture under discussion, as well as the homemaker, her attitude and philosophy expressed as the interview progressed. After the counties were selected for the survey and permission obtained to preceed with the,interviews, a sche- dule of visitation was planned with the county personnel. A letter of introduction was sent by the Home Agent to the homemakers to explain the purpose of the interview, to iden- tify the interviewer, to indicate when the visit was likely to occur, and how long the interview would take. Thus, no direct appointments were made and the homemaker was free to cooperate if she wished to do so. This enabled the inter- viewer to see the room without advance preparation or change 17 on the part of the homemaker. \ A platt map of the county aided in finding locations of the homes to be visited. It was found in the pretest of the questionnaire that the interviews would vary in length from one half to one and a half hours. Due to the profes- sional committments of the interviewer, the visits were planned for December, 1956, and January, 1957, with a total of eighteen days necessary to complete the eighty visits. Because of the cooperation of the Home Agent, it was possible to average five interviews-per day. Inasmuch as there was extremely cold weather and snowy roads, the interviewer found very few home- makers away from home, thereby minimizing the number of second calls. Only ten people of the original eighty in the sample were not interviewed, so the next random numbers were selected. Reasons for not completing interviews at these homes were due to illness, moves out of the county permanently or for the winter, major remodeling of the home involved, or a discre- pancy in information received concerning age and number of children of the interviewee. The Survey Questionnaire The survey questionnaire1 was prepared, pre-tested 1A copy of the questionnaire may be found in the appen- dix. 18 and administered by the interviewer. It consisted of four parts and provided information: (1) Family classifications, information concerning the family, location of home, approxi- mate income, school and home demonstration club experience of - the homemaker; (2) Inventory of living room furniture, to in-o elude each item cf furniture listed as to its acquisition, approximate cost or estimated value; (3) Homemaker's opinion of her living room furniture, what items she would consider essential on a limited, moderate, and unlimited budget; and (A) General information about the living room, the furniture and its use. Pro-testing of the questionnaire was arranged through the Home Demonstration agent in Livingston County, Michigan and was conducted in five homes. Several changes in the form of the questionnaire resulted from these interviews. The final pre-testing and mimeographing of the questionnaire was done in Indiana. IV. REPORT OF THE FINDINGS Description of the Sample A knowledge of the characteristics of the women and the counties involved in this survey is pertinent to the in- terpretation of the data. The Countiesl Hancock County is in central Indiana equi-distant from Indianapolis, Anderson, Shelbyville, New Castle and Rushville. The county seat is Greenfield, with a population of 15,000, and is located twenty miles east of Indianapolis on National Road A0. New suburban developments in homes and business are occuring around each of the townsih the county. Although the county is predominately rural, the number of people employed by industries in the nearby cities is high. Swine is the major livestock enterprise in the county. followed by beef, dairy, poultry and sheep. Fort Harrison Army Center, Western Electric and the Chrysler Plants along with new shopping centers to the east of Indianapolis has resulted in an increase in the number of people moving to Hancock County. Indianapolis is the main lThe two counties and their location in respect to Lafayette are shown on the map of Indiana which is included in this chapter. .’O “. “._ Ion: sweat»! tamer (A must "we“ e at: '0" . nous Mme (MIMI. Itasca/sac ”—1 man" J “Lu wuss! I'WJM F ”were ‘ “‘ ‘ um: um 81’wa 7 “£001 TIPP£CANO£ ”omega “new 0* cuuran \ .MMV a, r/Prwv “may D£LAWAR£ ‘* ' ‘ ‘ mucous e" ' x (0“ “M7600! AMIL r0” 1 some . t I e ‘ a l w” ‘4 ~ g as”! . «gas 6 'I 1N0 056 )7 ’ ' r- amen ; . Mt; 7 , IIELJY wco I a”; MORGAN JUMBO” ”anus OWEN atom/R omv «recto. .wuuwv 8 Mllfll 3 sumo: 3' 5 32' UltflCE cum ”I“ MUN JZ”EMN 3W1”! R ”saws arm can mm: M cuwmo taro ,3 INDIA NA § JCALE-JTANYE MILES meme user 3 § 0 n so so 4e 9" _. *0 20 shopping area for residents of Hancock County. \ Parke County is located in the south central part of Indiana, along the Wabash River. The entire county is rural. The county seat, Rockville, with a population of 2,500 is the largest town. Many residents of the farm area work in Terre Haute or Indianapolis because farms have become larger and mechanized. Therefore, theyemploy fewer people than they did formerly. Only.sma11 industries such as Kraft Cheese plant, Hybrid Seed Corn Plant, limestone quarries, and some small coal mines provide in-county employment. Indianapolis and Terre Haute provide the shopping area for furnishings outside cf the smaller towns. The Families As indicated in the procedure, the homemakers included in the survey were between 30 and A5 years of age and have two or more children. An analysis of the eighty interview sche- dules as summarized in Table I show the composition of the. families. Sixty percent of the families have two children and approximately one-fourth have three children. Table I Number of Children Per Family CHILDREN FAMILIES PERCENT L8 60 2h 7.5 7.5 O 1 IOU Q a HOO‘OWO 3‘7 O‘WPWN I 21 Table II which follows shows the age and sex of the children. Approximately one half were of elementary school age, approximately one-fourth were pro-school age, and slightly more than one-fourth were teen age. In the eighty families there were the same number of boys as girls but\there were divergents in age between the two sexes. Table II Age and Sex of the Children Bays Girls Both Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Pre-school 21 20 23 22 LA 21 Elementary A8 A5 A2» 39 90 A2 Teen Age 33 28 33 31 63 29 Other . 9 8 17 8 MM 211. 100%; Although the age range of the homemakers was between 30 and A5 years of age, the years of marriage ranged from two to thirty-one years as shown in Table III. There were four second marriages among the homemakers interviewed. The average number of years as homemakers was 16.35 years. A comparable percentage had been homemakers between 10 and 1h years and 21 to 30 years. The greatest number, Al percent, had been established in their homes between 15 and 20 years. This factor was important to this survey in regard to the age and replacement of furniture found in the homes. Children who were married or beyond teen age were classi- fied as "other". 22 Table III Number of years Homes Were Established NUmber of homemakers Years Percent 8 2-9 10 18 10-lh 23 33 15-20 #1 21 21731 26 The reouirement that the homemaker belong to a Home Demonstration Club revealed that the average membership in the extension program was 7.76 years. Table IF‘shows that half of those interviewed had been club members from four to nine years. Almost 20 percent were new members in the pro- gram with one to three years membership. Table IV Home Demonstration Club Experience Number of homemakers Years Percent 15 ' 1-3 19 27 l.-6 31. 13 7-9 16 13 10-12 16 2 13-15 2 6 , 16-18 3 1 12-23 5. Table V shows that sixty-four percent of the women interviewed had attended high school and 22 percent had at- tended college. 23 Table V Education of the Homemakers Number of ngggmakers ’School Percent 3 Grade School A 51 Hi h School 6A 18 Co legs 22 0 Graduate School 0 8 Business or Voca- 10 _tignal Although sixty-six percent of the families lived on the farm, only A8 percent of the husbands were either full or part-time farmers. Both counties were located near cities that offered job opportunities to supplement farm incomes. This factor might explain why more of the husbands were not farmers in these two predominately rural counties. Three- fourths of the families owned their homes and the other 25 percent lived in rented homes. \ Table VI Occupations of the 80 Husbands Number Occupation Percent 30 Farmer 38 Part-time Farmer 10 8 Professional or Technical 10 6 Clerical and Sales 7 28 _iaborer 35_ FortyLone percent of the families had an annual gross income of $A,500 to $6,500 and the median for all families was in this income bracket as shown in Table VII. This is 2h higher than the median gross income for Uhited States fami- lies in the year 1956 which was 33,0001. The median gross income for Indiana families in 1956 was $3,200. The inter- viewer recognizes that the annual gross incomes could vary from those reported because of the reluctance or lack of knowledge on the part of the homemaker to give the informa- tion. Table VII Annual Gross Income of the Families2 Number of Families Income Percent 0 Up to $1,500 0 1 1,500 - 2,500 l 7 2,500 " 3,500 9 . 12 3,500 - ,500 15 32 2,500 - ,500 A1 10 ,500 - 8,500 12 5 8 500 - 10,000 10 over $10,000 1A Only five percent of the eighty homemakers had full time jobs in addition to homemaking while 11 percent repor- ted part-time employment outside the home. The national 1These calculations are from the 195A Statistical Ab- stract of the United States, page 312. The 1950 United States - median family incOme was $2,619 and fiar 1956 it was $3,000. The 1950 Indiana median gross income was 32,827 and for 1956 it was $3,200. 2Three did not know the family income. 25 figure of 60 percent working wives in 1955 is much higher than the combined 16 percent full and part-time employment found in this group. There was no significant rate of increase in family income shown in the families with working wives. There were twenty homemakers reporting jobs away from home, fourteen in part-time employment and six on a full time basis. 0f the twenty-five families with an annual income of over $6,500, six of the wives had full or part-time employment. Over half of the working wives vere from the families in the $A,500 to $6,500 income bracket. A comparison of annual family incoues of the farm families with the town families revealed no significant dif- ference. Some bias in the findings could be expected because the women in the sample were home demonstration club members. The attitudes and opinions expressed by the subjects could be somewhat different concerning the home and its furnish- ings than a census-type random sample. Inasmuch as the homemakers knew the Home Demonstra- tion Agent by name or face and were familiar with both county and state extension programs, their willingness to cooperate as a participant in this survey was not unexpected.‘ 26 THE FURNITURE INVENTORY There was a total of 852 items of furniture found in the eighty living rooms, giving an average of 10.65 items in each living room. The total cost or estimated value of all the furniture was $62,301 which made the average cost of furni- ture per room $779.00. The furniture included seating pieces, tables, chests, pianos, radio and/or phonographs, television sets, bookcases (if not built-in) and some miscellaneous itemsl. The furni- ture was acquired by several methods as shown in Table VIII. Table VIII How the Furniture was Acquired Number 92 items How Acquired Percent 567 Purchased new 67 25 Heirloom 3 89 Second hand 10 127 Gift 15 29 Made in the home 2 3 1 Custom made and other 2 ‘83"52 TOTALS 105’ 1There were thirteen heating stoves, one tea cart and one music cabinet included in the inventory. The last two items are included under tables and chests. 2Some furniture was in the home on a loan basis, bor- rowed temporarily or acquired as "a trade" for another item. \ 27 Table II lists the items of furniture, how they were acquired and their cost. The upholstered furniture, including sofas, lounge chairs and occasional chairs, was more frequently purchased new than other furniture in the inventory. All eighty homes had a sofa or a sofa-bed and 8h percent of the sofas were pur- chased new. Sixteen percent were purchased second hand or were acquired as a gift. Eight families had both a sofa and a sofa-bed in the living room. Seven of the new sofas were sectional. This was of interest because many homemakers com- mented that they would like the old sofas to be replaced with a sectional type. Some favorable comments were made by sec— tional owners. One problem was that of keeping the sections together when they were to be used as a regular sofa. TABLE IX Summarized Inventory of Living Room Furniture1 AcquISition 2 Item Second Made in Cost New. Heirloom Hand Gift Home Other Sofa 68 ' 6 1 $11,976 Sofa-Bed 1h 1 1,6hl Lounge Chair 70 1h 6 1 6,016 Occasional . 0 air 53 1 a 18 2,392 Rocker 36 L 6 12 1 2,L51 Child's Rocker 7 5 6 1 168 . Straight Chair 3h 1 3 ll 2 Lh6 Ottoman 26 l 7 9 359 Tables (End) 66 1 a 2L 8 1 1,390 Occasional 38 7 5 l7 5 3 1,627 Coffee 19 5 5 h 626 Drop Leaf 5 1 h 695 Chest 6 5 l 3 l l 1 510 Desk 16 1 I. 2 2 91.3 Piano 3 3 17 3 2 5,731 Sewing Machine 2 2 l 673 Radio and/or Phonograph 13 2 3 2,566 Bookcase 12 3 2 9 619 Television 67 7 19,6L7 Stove 13 1,925 567 25 89’ 127_ 29' I TOT ‘ TO co , 1 No furniture was acquired as a purchased antique or cus- tom made so these categories were omitted from the table. 2008t represents actual cost of item or estimated value at the time of its acquisition. 3 Twenty-nine of these were platform or tilt-back rockers. 29 The sofas that were purchased new ranged in age from one to twenty years. The numbers of sofas in various age groups were: 33 Sofas 1-5 years of age 19 Sofas 6-10 years of age 9 Sofas ll-15 years of age 6 Sofas 16-20 years of age Every home but one in the eighty visited had one tele- vision set and four homes had a second set. Ninety percent of all the‘television sets were purchased new with twenty different brands represented. Only one color set was seen. The second sets were reported to be in the den, kitchen, bed- room or in an archway between two rooms. The cost of the television set represented approximately one-third of the total cost of furniture for the living room. Since the average cost of furniture for one room was $779, approximately $250 would comprise the cost of television. This would leave slightly over $500 for other furniture to complete the room. ' With very few exceptions, television was considered a necessary item for family entertainment, especially for young people Just starting their families. Comments by the women indicated that two sets'in their household would be desirable. The problem of scheduling programs to suit all family members was mentioned and was a determining factor for opinions on owning two sets. many homemakers said that television had 30 created problems of furniture arrangement in their living rooms, and indicated that thev wanted the set in another room. A family or recreation room was preferred, where fur- niture and floor coverings could be chosen to take the neces- sary wear and tear that television viewing creates. Half of the families reported eating in the living room in order to watch favorite programs. Homemakers reported noticing more rapid signs of wear on furniture and floor coverings than before the advent of television in their homes. Twenty-six homemakers reported "no eating allowed" in the living room. Although many homemakers expressed a desire for a recreation room other than the living room, only 10 reported such a room. ' Even thOUUh 6h percent of the women said they paid cash for furniture purchases, several mentioned that their first installment credit purchase was the television set. The high rate of television sets in the homes visited could be due to the good television reception around Indian- .apolis. Other areas of the state perhaps would not follow the high percentage of sets found in these two counties. The one family without a set preferred it that way, indicating that the family had many other interests to occupy its time. Of the twenty-eight pianos counted in the inventory 60 percent had teen purchased second hand. The feeling was that this item of furniture was valuable for family entertainment and that if it was to be purchased new the cost would be 31 prohibitive for many. Homemakers seemed willing to sacri- fice beauty and good room arrangement for the convenience of having this piece of flurniture for the family members. Two hundred and one tables were found in the homes, in- cluding a wide variety of styles and qualities. End tables, coffee tables, and occasional tables of many kinds were ob- served. Sixty-three percent of the tables were purchased new. Compared to upholstered pieces, tables were more frequently acquired as gifts or purchased second hand. Twenty-four per- cent of a11,tables were acquired as gifts. There were only ten drop leaf tables in use in the living rooms. Some were reserved only for dining use, the others were used as an end table, for a lamp, magazines or accessories. Only 16 percent of the tables inventoried were coffee tables. The usefulness of this table was controversial with those interviewed. Some homemakers "wouldn't give it floor space" and others "couldn't get along without it". Four women had someone in the family make their coffee table and were quite proud of the results. It would seem by the attitude expressed that the coffee table was a prestige item or a table necessary to "complete" the living room. The need or intended use of the table was not necessarily considered. Thirteen heating stoves were occupying floor space in the living rooms of the families visited, indicating the lack of a central heating system in at least 16 percent of the 32 eighty homes. Over half of the stoves were found in homes with annual incomes (f 33,500 to $6,500. Some additional stoves were visible in other rooms beyond the living room but these were not included in the inventory. Sixty-eight percent of the 296 chairs were purchased new - as compared to nine percent purchased second hand. Eighteen percent were received as gifts. 0f the 296 chairs 91 were lounge type chairs, 76 were occasional chairs and 78 were rockers. (Nineteen of the rockers were for children) There were 51 straight chairs. Almost every homemaker felt it necessary to have at least one comfortable chair in the living room for the man of the house. A very popular type of "comfortable" chair was the platform or tilt-back rocker. Over half of the rockers were of this type. Many of these rockers had plas- tic covers. One point in favor of this chair, repeated many times, was-that the back was high enough to be a head rest. Only seven of the lounge chairs were of the "heart-saver" or ”contour" type, but several homemakers indicated they would like one of them for their living room in the future. The fifty-one straight chairs represented desk chairs or dining chairs pulled into the living room for extra seat- ing space. Nineteen children's rockers were found in the living - 33 rooms visited. This item of furniture often traveled from one room to another, depending on the play location of the small children in the home. These chairs were freouently acquired as family heirlooms or gifts. The cost of all furniture in the living rooms of the individual respondents ranged from $362 per room to $2,190 per room. The average cost for furniture in a room, based on the entire group of eighty was $779 and the median cost was $727. Table I shows the cost range according to the num- ber of living rooms which cost in round numbers from $300 to $2,100. TABLE I Cost Range of Living Room Furniture1 Cost of Number of fiurniture LivingARooms $300 I. #00 5 500 13 600 1A 700 13 800 11 900 8 1,000 k 1,100 1 1,200 2 1,300 2 1,L00 1 1,500 1 2,100 l lTotal furniture cost for each family's room is listed in round numbers. The number of.rooms in each hundred dollar category is listed also. 3h There was no significant relationship between family income and the cost of their furniture in the living room. For instance, the lowest cost for one room of furniture from the eighty‘living rooms was $362. The income of this family was from $6,500 to $8,500. At the other end of the scale, one of the higher cost rooms, $l,h15, was in the $2,500 to $3,500 incone bracket. No significant pattern was observed in the comparison of total cost of furniture in a room to the family incomel. There was also no relationship found between the number of years the home had been established and the total cost of furniture per room. No related comparison was found with regard to the num- ber of family members and the number of furniture items in each living room. The amount of furniture in each room ranged from six as the least in any room to fifteen as the greatest number found. An average of 10.6 pieces of furni- ture was found in the eighty living rooms with the median number of ten different items for each room. Family size ranged from four to nine members. It would appear from these findings that larger families do not necessarily have more furniture in the living room. 1The table for more detail in this comparison is in the appendix. INFORMATIOH ABOUT THE LIVING ROOM, THE FURNITURE, AND ITS use The homemakers were asked their opinion as to the ade- quacy of their living room furniture. They were asked also if they had a plan for new purchases and if so from what source they secured their ideas for furniture selection. Information about how the family used their living room was requested also. Over half of the homemakers said they had all the fur- niture they needed and nearly one-fourth indicated they had all they wanted. Only 2.5 percent felt they had too much furniture. The remaining 26 percent felt more furniture was needed for family or guest use. Furniture items needed are discussed in this chapter. TABLE II Opinions As to Amount Of Furniture in Use Number of - Homemakers Opinion Percent It All I want 17.5 #3 All I need - 5h.0 2 Have too much 2.5 26 Otherl 26.0 10070 1This number includes those people who wanted more fur- niture for their own family use or needed some special items for entertaining guests. 36 Sixty percent of the homemakers reported that their fur- niture was purchased as it was needed. Thirty percent planned their purchases in advance and only one percent indicated that their furniture purchases were made "on impulse". A combina- tion of "planned" and "as needed" purchasing was shown by pine percent of those interviewed. TABLE XII Purchase Plan For Furniture um er 0 Hgmemakers Plan Percent #8 ’ 1. Purchases as Needed 60 2h 2. Planned in Advance 30 l 3. 0n Impulse l g h. Combination of 1 & 2 100 Payment for furniture was made with cash at the time of purchase by 6h percent of the families. Installment credit accounted for 30 percent of the payment plans. Several home- makers indicated that the television set was the first or only item of furniture to be purchased other than by cash. Six percent reported furniture purchases by charge account or lay-away. Thirty homemakers reported a combination of pur- chase payment plans. (Twenty-two used cash and installment credit, four used cash and charge account and four used all three methods . Half of the people using installment credit or a combina- tion of credit and cash for furniture payment were in the 37 th,500 to $6,500 income group. Sixty-one percent of those living on the farm paid for their furniture purchases with cash. Thirty-four percent of those living in town paid cash for their furniture. The higher percentages of cash payments for farm families might be due to the nature of their incomes. TABLE III: ' Furniture Payment Plans Number of Homemakers Payment Made by Percent 70 Cash 6h 33 Installment Credit 30 7 Charge Account, 6 my .away 30 Combination of the 27 Three Plans1 Magazines and advertisements were the source of ideas for furniture selection by 73% of the women interviewed. Shopping in stores and looking at store windows was the next highest source mentioned. The Home Demonstration Club was third on the list. Several mentioned that magazines fea- tured furnishings and ideas "too far out of their reach". They felt magazine suggestions were often beyond their finan- cial means and sometimes "too extreme" in design. 1 Thirty homemakers reported combinations of three pay- ment plans, therefore percentages are not additive. 38 TABLE XIV Homemakers' Sources of Ideas for Furniture \ Number of Homemakers Source Percent1 58 Magazines 73 25 Shopping in stores 31 2h Home Demonstration Club 30 9 Relativesand other Homes 11 8 Own Ideas - Make them up 10 Suit myself 3 Mode Homes 3.5 8 Other Response to the question, "What style or period is your furniture?" was often amusing. Thirty-three answered that they just didn't know but thirteen of these guessed at the style. Out of the sixty women who identified their furni- ture as to period, approximately one-third said that it was modern in style. Nearly one-half of them said their furni- ture was a mixture. Other comments recorded for this group were: "nothing in particular", "early depression",fla real hob-bob", or "Just furniture”. Only seven women or 11 per- cent indicated that their furniture was traditional, inclu- ding reproductions of antiques, Provincial, Duncan Phyfe and 1Several respondents reported more than one source, there- fore, the percentages are not additive. 2 her included Extension Bulletins, Catalogues, Books, televis on, Purdue classes, own file and one said she "Just didn't know". 39 Early American. The comment that furniture was purchased for the family's use and comfort rather than fa} period or style was a frequent remark. According to the observation of the interviewer, no one room visited included all furniture representative of one period. Approximately two-thirds of the rooms contained a predominate mixture of traditional furniture. The remaining rooms had furniture of a contemporary nature. Eighty-six.percent of the homemakers said they were pleased with the style of their furniture. Approximately half indicated they had no desire to change their flirniture. Reasons listed by the A3 women who would like to change all or parts of their living room furniture were: . . . would like a color or style change. . . . ready for new! . . . plans include building or remodeling, then all or part of the furniture would be replaced. . .3. would like to buy better quality furniture and . exactly the style preferred. . . . present furniture is wearing out-springs and cushions are worn -- need replacement. . . . anyone would like a change. . . . would like to change when funds are available. Ninety-five percent of those interviewed reported that they were pleased with the wood, color and finish of their LO furniture. The largest percentage of wood was dark and ap- proximately 13 percent of the homes contained a mixture of dark and light furniture woods. IOnly 7 percent of the rooms had predominately light furniture wood. ‘ Some of the reasons given for the preference of dark wood were: . . . dark tones which will blend with the color of the wood work. . . . warmth of dark wood preferred. . . . dark wood will any in style longer than light. . . . started with dark wood and not practical to change. . . . Just like dark wood and it's not 522 modern. Reasons for those having and preferring light furniture wood: . . . easy to care for . . . scratches, dust, finger marks and mars show less on light wood. The ten women who had a mixture of wood colors in their living room furniture indicated they liked the blend of dark and light. The dark-tones added warmth and the light woods were easy to care for. Occasionally the husband preferred one wood and the wife another -- hence, a blend of wood tones in the room. The living room storage problems for those 30 percent reporting such problems were in order of frequency mentioned: Al 1. books 2. magazines 3. toys L. cards and games 5. sheet music and records 6. trophies (h-H) One woman said a larger house would solve part of her storage problems and three indicated plans for built-in liv- ing room storage. Seventy percent of the homemakers said their living room storage was adequate. Books were frequently kept in the rooms of various family members, as were toys and occasionally games and recreation equipment. The living room was used for family entertainment in 96 percent of the homes. Twenty-three percent of the women in- terviewed said their family had a recreation or family room’ besides the living room. Several commented that such a room would be very desirable and plans were being made for such a room in the future. Fifty-four women said that their living rooms were used for food service. Favorite television programs were respon- sible for most of the eating in the living room. Approxi- mately half of the women reported serving food in the living room for this reason. Occasional serving for guests, over- flow from the dining room, children's parties and club groups L2 accounted for the other reasons for living room\food service. Forty-nine homemakers reported 53 special items of fur- niture that had proved more satisfactory to their families than other items. Chairs were mentioned more frequently than any other piece of furniture as being highly satisfactoryl. TABLE XV Satisfactogy Items of Furniture um er 0 Homemakers Satisfactory Item Reasons 1h Lounge chair Comfortable leather (including 5 contour cover, husband's ' type) favorite, everyone enjoys this chair. 12 Platform rocker Husband's favorite, leather - easy to care for. 1 Twin occasional chairs Comfortable. 1 Swivel chair Convenient. 7 Television set Whole family enjoys ' its 5 Occasional table Pride in refinished heirlooms. 6 Sofa Comfortable for relax- ing, like style. 3 Sofa-bed Provides extra sleep space. 2 Piano Family enjoys it. 1 Footstool l Desk Beautiful, serves purpose. 1 See Table XV £3 Items of furniture that were less than satisfactory for forty-seven homemakers revealed dissatisfaction because of style, poor construction, unpleasing color, or lack of com- fort. Sofas and occasional chairs were the most frequent items mentionedl. TABLE XVI Qnsatisfactory Furniture Items Number 0 Homemakers unsatisfactory Item Reasons 15 Sofa uncomfortable, Springs worn too rapidly, war furniture, cover poor, prefer 2-cushion sofa. h Sectional Uhhandy to sit on. Sec- tions won't stay to- gether. 3 Sofa-bed Springs give out; does not sit or sleep well. 11 Occasional chair Seat too high, plastic cover split, back not high enough. 7 Lounge chair War-time; poor quality; not comfortable. 2 T V Chairs No good, too expensive. 2 Platform rocker Plastic split; buttons came loose from back. 1 Contour chair Not comfortable; poor design. 3 Occasional tables Prefer another style. 1 Piano Prefer smaller one. 1 Television Prefer light wood. 1 See table XVI hh Plans to purchase one or more items of furniture were revealed by sixty-two of the eighty homemakers. Various pieces of furniture to have in place of or in addition to what was not owned included: 16 Occasional chairs 12 Lounge chairs 2 Contour chairs 2 Rockers 9 Sofas (3 sectionals wanted) a Sofa-beds 9 Living room suites 21 Coffee tables 1 Drop leaf table 2 Desks 2 Bookshelves 1 Television 1 Record player 1 Room divider 1 Piano The reasons most frequently mentioned for not having these items in the living rooms was because of insufficient funds. Twsnty-nine women reported this as the chief reason. Others said they hadn't been added because they: . . . plan to build or remodel or move LS will wait until children get older follow an order of purchase plan find old is still good plan for husband to make item of furniture have a lack of Space in room now can't find what is wanted L6 LIVING ROOM FURNITURE SUGGESTED FOR THREE BUDGET LEVELS In response to the question "What would you have in your living room if your could start over?" the homemakers expressed a wide variety of opinions. They were asked to consider their family, how they lived, the furniture they had used during their years of marriage and if any changes would be made in light of their experience. Their sugges- tions and comments are related in this chapter. The homemaker was asked to consider the furniture with which she started her home and then suggest what she felt basic for a living room on a limited budget, what additional items or changes she would make if the money for furniture was unlimited. No effort was made by the interviewer to establish what amount of money constituted a limite¢,moder- ate or unlimited budget realizing this amount would vary with every individual. Although the eighty women expressed different ideas about the amount and quality of the furniture they would have, many similarities were observed. A total of the number of furniture items each woman suggested at each bud- get level made it possible to establish an average figure representative of all women interviewed. Table number XVII shows the total of all furniture items mentioned at each budget level, and the average number of pieces for a room at each level. The basic five items sug- L7 gested for a limited budget, an additional three items for a moderate budget and one additional item for the unlimited bud- get makes a total of nine pieces. Recreational equipment was added to the list depending largely upon the interest of the individual families. A television set was to be included in the living room by all but one homemaker. Fifty-seven percent added this item at the moderate budget level, thirty-three percent said it should be in the home on a limited budget and the remaining ten percent felt its purchase could wait until the budget was unlimited. Host of those interviewed felt television was good if not essential for family entertainment. There were twenty-one women who wanted a desk in the living room with over half of them adding this item on a moderate budget. Only six homemakers suggested that a stor- Age chest would be of value in the‘room. There would be twenty-nine pianos appearing in the liv- ing rooms and all but five of them would be added at the un- limited cost level. The five women considered it possible to have a piano at a lower budget level provided it was purchased second hand. Bookcases were desired by twenty-eight women and approxi- mately half suggested that built-in units including space for books, radio, phonograph, television and other storage was Preferred if cost need not be considered. #8 The four opinions most frequently expressed by fifty- five of the eighty homemakers concerning the purchase quali- ties of furniture at various cost levels were: 3h percent said, 25 percent said, 18 percent said, 6 percent said, Buy good quality furniture at any income level. Have fewer items in the room in order to buy better quality. Add furniture as the family can afford it. Consider comfort an important item in furniture selection. As more money becomes available for furniture purchases, change to a more desireable style. (sectional, corner table, etc.) Add accessories, carpeting, draperies on the unlimited budget -- not more furniture. Buy less expensive furniture until the children grow up, then replace worn out items with better furniture. Other opinions expressed by the women as important in furniture selection were: . . . buy furniture with simple lines -- so it will be easy to slip cover. L8 The four opinions most frequently expressed by fifty- five of the eighty homemakers concerning the purchase quali- ties of furniture at various cost levels were: 3L percent said, 25 percent said, 18 percent said, 6 percent said, Buy good quality furniture at any income level. Have fewer items in the room in order to buy better quality. Add furniture as the family can afford it. Consider comfort an important item in furniture selection. As more money becomes available for furniture purchases, change to a more desireable style. (sectional, corner table, etc.) Add accessories, carpeting, draperies on the unlimited budget -- not more furniture. Buy less expensive furniture until the children grow up, then replace worn out items with better furniture. Other opinions expressed by the women as important in furniture selection were: . . . buy furniture with simple lines -- so it will be easy to slip cover. L9 . upholstered items with wood arms and loose cush- ions are good choices. . a comfortable chair for the man of the house is important at any budget level. . consider the way the family lives as to expendi- ture for furniture. . buy second hand furniture and remake it if the budget is limited. . pay more for upholstered pieces -- do with fewer tables. Some general suggestions about the living room and its use made by the homemakers were: the room should be "easy-to-keep". add family room when possible to take some wear and tear from the living room. add water, bathroom and household fore.good living room furniture later. . young couples just establishing a money could live in a furnished equipment be- -- that can come home with little apartment, then gradually buy furniture of"standard styles". The interviewer is aware of the various interpretations of how much each room described in this chapter might cost. On the basis of the actual cost of the furniture inventoried 50 in the living rooms visited in Indiana1 a possible cost level could be: $300 - 3 #99 Living room furniture cost for a limited budget. 500 - 899 Living room furniture cost fcr a moderate budget. 900 - 2,20O Living room furniture cost for an unlimi- ted budget. These categories would include only the cost of furniture items since carpeting, draperies and accessories were not a part of the inventory covered by this survey. These items re- present the furniture requirements for a living room as ex- pressed by eighty Indiana homemakers. The inventory of fur- niture in the homes of these people revealed an average of ten pieces in each living room. The difference can be ex- plained by the respondents varied opinions as to additional furniture items to be included with an unlimited budget since most of the homemakers included several items to be"built-in”. There were twenty-five different items of furniture men- tioned to be included in a living room at the three budget levels as shown in Table XVII. Of these twenty-five items, twenty were mentioned a total of 363 times on the limited budget level. The five items most frequently mentioned were ¥ 1See Table 1 51 assumed to be the basic pieces of furniture needed in a liv- ing room if financial resources were limited. The limited budget room would include: one sofa, one lounge chair, one occasional chair, one end table and one occasional table. Figure 2 is an interpretation of this furniture in a living room shown with a minimum of accessories. The accessories include one table lamp, a rug instead of carpeting and pre- sumably inexpensive drapery fabric. The potted plant and the sofa pillow complete the accessories for this room. The homemakers suggested twenty-two different items of furniture as possible additions to the room on a moderate budget. The average number of pieces to add at this budget level was threel. Of the twenty-two items most frequently mentioned an occasional chair, a coffee table and a televi- sion set were selected to be in the room of moderate cost. Figure 3 pictures the addition of these three items of fur- niture plus several different accessories. Some homemakers mentioned that carpeting could be included at this budget level but most of them thought this expenditure should be made at the unlimited level. Additional accessories in the moderate room include a floor lamp, coffee table accessories and a wall book case. 1See XVII TABLE XVII Number of Times Furniture Items Were Mentioned at Each Budget Level AdditiOnal Additional Items at Items at Items at Item ldmited Budget Moderate unlimited Sofa 6O * 1 7 Sofa-bed 19 l 1 Love seat 1 1 Lounge chair 1 55 * 7 7 Lounge chair 2 7 ll 7 Occasional chair 1 LC * 22 t 6 Occasional chair 2 . 9 6 9 Rocker 13 8 6 Straight chair 5 6 2 Childs' chair 1 l Ottoman 2 h Tables - Drop Leaf h 1 Coffee 1 29 a ll EDd 1 39 * l9 7. End 2 30 * 18 3 Occasional 29 * 15 18 Desk h 13 h Chest 2 3 1 Piano 2 3 2L * Sewing machine 2 l Radio-Phonograph 7 L 6 * Bookcase 9 8 11 * Television 26 LL * 8 * Organ l 2 * figyFidelity , A a Sub total‘ 363 725 ’ 151 Grand total 739 1From the sub totals of each budget level the average num- ber of furniture items was found. (The sub total divided by 80) Limited budget b.55 or 5 items; moderate budget, 2.85 or 3 ad- ditional items; unlimited budget, .85 or one additional item. These nine items of furniture are presented visually in figures 2’ 3 and he \ * Items starred represent the furniture to be included in the room for each cost level. Most homemakers preferred the items in the unlimited column as built-in features whenever possible. Either an end table or an occasional table could be included as ‘the second table in the limited budget room. 53 A wide variety of furniture items were suggested to be added in the unlimited budget category. Entertainment equip- ment was most frequently mentioned, however, with homemakers often specifying that it be "built-in". The "built-in" fea- ture often included the record player, hi-fidelity equipment, television and book shelves. The piano was mentioned twenty- four times as an addition for the unlimited budget and two persons suggested they would include an organ. The homemakers also indicated that if money was no problem in furniture selec- tion, better quality selections would be made and accessories would be added. They also pointed out that the size of the room and the tastes and activities of the family would greatly influence the amount and kind of furniture. Most women were of the opinion that a room reaches maximum capacity as far as the number of furniture items was concerned. The remark to keep a room uncluttered and not too crowded was heard many times. Figure A shows the additional furniture and acces- sories as they might be seen in a room on an unlimited budget as suggested by those interviewed. All homemakers thought a sofa and a lounge chair to be essential in a living room because they felt seating comfort was important in this room and that these two pieces need not be a matching set. Seventy-five percent reported a sofa should be included in the room on a limited budget. Twenty-five per- cent suggested that a sofa-bed would be a good investment to , 55 provide for extra sleeping space and that this piece of fur- niture could be managed on a limited budget. Over half of the women considered an occasional chair necessary in addition to the one lounge chair. Other chairs were suggested such as rockers, straight chairs and chairs for children but they were not mentioned in sufficient num- bers to be included in the average room. End tables and occasional tables were included on the basic furniture list by over three-fourths of the women. Seventeen women specified the tables should contain storage space such as shelves and drawers. V DISCUSSION OF THE FINDINGS Visits to the eighty homes in two Indiara countiesem- phasized the fact to the interviewer that little is known about the influences that determine the choice of furnishings for the home. It is a certainty that the choice of furniture for a home is subject to many variables and it is therefore difficult to establish an "average" amount or kind of furni- ture for a given room such as the living room. Some of the influences on the selection of home furnishings brought to the foreground with this survey were: 1. The goals of the individual family. 2. The family's plan to achieve these goals. 3. The standard of values that the family has accepted in their plan to meet these goals. h. The wide variety of taste and interest in furnishings from one person to another. A study of this scope does not provide sufficient in- formation to form a basis as to the extent of satisfactions the homemakers derive from the furnishings of their living rooms. I It was learned from this survey that family income, the size of the family and the number of years the home had been established has little to do with the expenditure for or selection of furniture for those families visited. There 57 was no appreciable difference in the furniture costs and pre- ferences of furniture for the people living in town compared with those of the people living in the country. ' The modesty with which the living rooms were furnished and the obvious satisfactions exhibited by the homemakers with their rooms was of great interest to the interviewer. Eighty percent were "pleased" with the style of their furniture and most of‘them said without hesitancy that whatthey had was a mixture of styles. Approximately half of the homemakers in- dicated no desire to change their furniture. Some reasons _implied or spoken include comments indicating that they really were satisfied with the design, color and function of their furniture, or that they didn't want to admit to poor selec- tion of furniture, or that they felt they had to be satisfied because of the financial impossibility for a change, or that furnishings were not of major interest to them personally. Comfort for the family members played an important part in the selection of upholstered furniture as expressed by the homemakers. Upholstered furniture was more frequently pur- chased new than was case goods. A comfortable chair for the man of the house was a major consideration for many homemakers. The design or the pniportion of the chair for the room would be sacrificed for comfort. The "contour" chair, tilt back or platform rocker were considered by many as the ultimate in 'LJ LI 58 comfort. The furniture items observed in the living rooms as well as the furniture suggested by the homemakers to be in the three rooms of different budget levels, revealed a limited knowledge of the possibilities in furniture election. A cliche or standardized type of furniture for the living room seemed evident. For example, the coffee table was considered by many homemakers as an'important item to be added to a liv- ing room, and yet the general attitude seemed to be that this piece of furniture was not always used or needed but that a well furnished living room should have one. Although storage was mentioned as a problem for several living rooms, very few people mentioned the value of drawers and shelves in tables or the possible use of a chest of drawers in the living room to be used for additional storage. Tables were often pur- chased second hand or acquired as gifts. Frequently, they were purchased to "finish out the room" or to make the room look better or to hold a table lamp. Good quality in furniture was another factor that was important to those interviewed but it was evident that home- , makers needed help in distinguishing good quality. One ' brand was mentioned often by the homemakers as "the best qual- ity" in furniture at any cost level. This fact reveals the tremendous force of advertising as an influence on the taste and preferences of the consumer. It is the opinion of the 59 interviewer that there are other brands in the same price range which give more value for the dollar spent. The major- ity of people felt good quality in furniture was so important that the number of items in a room should be sacrificed be- fore quality. The policy to buy "good but less" was preva- lent. This study indicates to the interviewer that the efforts of the home demonstration agent and the furnishing special- ists are needed by the homemaker to help her appreciate good design, to recognise good construction in furniture and to , know market possibilities in furnishings for the home. The fact that sixty percent of the furniture purchases were made "as needed" rather than by a plan indicates that the home- maker would benefit by training in her furniture selection. A small percentage of the women considered it best to delay more expensive furniture purchases until the small children in the family were old enough to appreciate their surroundings. There was no suggestion by the homemakers as to when this age of appreciation would begin. Because of the many activities that take place in the living room and the resulting wear on furnishings, many women said they would like a recreation or family room. Most of the homes did not have the space available for this Uextra" room. This emphasises the need br more careful selection of furniture for the existing living room. 60 Most homemakers agreed that a room reaches maximum capa- city as far as amount of furniture is concerned. As money becomes more plentiful they suggested it be used for acces- sories and better quality in furniture. Nine or ten items of furniture were the average number found in the eighty living rooms and also the number that was suggested for the rooms if the homemaker could start her home again. Findings indicate that most of the eighty homemakers would select the same - pieces of furniture again but they might make some changes in design, color, style or construction of these pieces. The impact of television on family living was found to be very great. Ninety-nine percent of the homes in the sur- vey had at least one television set. The concensus of those interviewed was that television was an important if not a necessary item in their home for reasons of family entertain- ment. Television viewing was mentioned as a factor contri- buting to more rapid wearing out of furniture in the living room. Many considered another room besides the living room as best for the tdevision set, but the majority had no other room available. The cost of television made up one-third of the total cost of furniture in the living rooms in the survey. Families that paid cash for furniture up to the advent of television said the television set was the first item they had purchased on installment credit. Due to the prevalence or television in the homes it seems that this media would be 61 an excellent one for additional education in the area of home furnishings. The visual possibilities for furniture selec4 tion are innumerable, and this neglected area in consumer mar- ket information would have great value and appeal to the home- makers. Magazines were most frequently mentioned as the source of ideas for furniture but most of the homemakers felt that what they saw there was often financially impossible for them. They also felt the ideas shown were too "extreme" for their homes or not practical'for their families. These facts indicate a need for help in interpreting what they see in magazine articles. This interpretation could come throuoh extension teaching. Although the findings from this survey are not world shaking or completelv new, the value to the author in visit- ine the homes and talking With the people with Whom she works has given new insight and incentive to her extension teaching program. The experience has also established further respect for the homemaker and her responsibility as a key person in the life of the family. .VI SUMMARY The purpose of this survey was to gain information for more effective teaching of home furnishings particularly to homemakers participating in the home demonstration program. There are an increasing number of young homemakers in the Indiana program who want and need information concerning the selection of furnishings for their homes.- It was the theory of the interviewer that a good place to search for such in- formation would be with experienced homemakers in their own homes. The survey included an inventory of the living room furniture found in eighty Indiana home, the homemaker's res- ponse to her furniture and its use by her family. The home- maker in each case was a member of a home demonstration club and was selected at random from a group who qualified accord- ing to age and family specifications. The cooperation of the Home Demonstration Agents in the two counties involved made it possible for the interviewer to go into the homes and talk with the homemakers personally. Among the women visited it was noted that there were differences in values placed upon furnishings by the home- maker. However, their set of alues was the greates single influence in their selections and appreciation for their liv- ing room furnishings. Very closely associated with their 63 values were the goals of the family and the plans to achieve these goals. There was a wide variety of taste and interest in home furnishings expressed by the individuals interviewed. To some, furniture was a very important item in family living. To others, the farm, community activities, family recreation and education received major emphasis with the house far down the list in importance. Family incomes of those interviewed were above the state and national average for the year of 1956. It was found that families with higher incomes did not necessarily have the most expensive furniture in their living rooms. Rural and town homes were so similar in family income, cost cf furniture found in the rooms, and opinions expressed regarding furnishings, that no significant pattern of dif- ference was revealed. Family size had no effect upon the amount of furniture found in the living room. The amount of furniture was more frequently determined by the size of the room, family fin- ances, and the ideas of the homemaker as to the proper items for this room. The homemakers expressed satisfaction with their furni- ture and indicated they would buy about the same type of furniture if they could start their homes again. Their ideas of living room furniture were largely limited to the "Stan- dard items" such as, an upholstered sofa and chair, two end 6h tables, a coffee table and an occasional chair. Comfort and practicality of seating pieces was of greater importance to the homemaker than appearance. Tables-were chosen as decorative accessories more than for their practical function. The survey pointed out to the interviewer that although the homemakers stressed the importance of comfort and good quality in furniture, her knowledge of selection possibili- ties was very limited. Through home demonstration teaching, magazine features, television and other sources.the home- maker has become intensely interested and aware of home fur- nishings but she needs guidance and help in selection and purchasing. The visits to these homes emphasized the great need for teaching fundamental principles of design, color and function basic to the selection of furnishings for the home. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY There are many aspects for investigation of what people prefer, select and buy for their homes that have not been ex- plored. Additional studies would prove beneficial to those interested in teaching home furnishings as well as to home- makers. 1. Such studies might include: Cost and preferences of furniture in rooms other than the living room. Cost and preferences of accessories, carpeting, draperies in the living room. A comparison of the purchase cost and potential length of service in furniture items. This would involve the reasons forreplacing furniture. A study of upholstered furniture would be of value because this survey reveals that upholstered items are those most frequently purchased new. This survey also indicates many homemakers were disa- tisfied with the construction of upholstered fur- niture as well as the poor wearing qualities of cover fabrics. \ The relationship of expenditure for furniture to other expenditures namely equipment, clothing, food, educational opportunities and recreation might well be given further study. 5. 66 More information would be valuable which indicates the homemakers preferences in design and color in furnishings. This information would help improve course content needed for more effectiVe extension teaching. It would also be of interest to do a similar survey as this one reported with non-home demonstration club members. A metropolitan group survey as com- pared to a rural group survey might be of value. In the opinion of the author the differences in knowledge and taste in furnishings between these groups would not be as great as might be expected. BIBLIOGRAPHY BIBLIOGRAPHY A. BOOKS \ Whiton, Sherrill. Elements of Interior Design and Decora- tion. New York: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1951. Ford, Katherine M. and Creighton, Thomas. The American House Toda . New York: Reinhold Publishing Corpora- tion, 1951. Kennedy, Robert Woods. The House and the Art of Its Desi . New York: Reinhold Publishing Corporation, I533. Schroeder, Francis de N. Anato For Interior Designers. New York: Whitney PuBIications, I§§ . Nelson, George.° Living 8 ces. Interiors Library, #1. New York: Whitney PuEIications, 1952. Nelson, George. Tomorrow's House. New York: Simon and Schuster, 19h5. Lynes, Russell. The Taste Makers. New York: Harper and Brothers, l95h. B. PUBLICATIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT, UNIVERS ITY BULLET INS Van Syckle, Calla. Consumer Use and Purchase of Furniture in Flintl Michigan: 122;. TichnicaI'BuIIetin 233, October . gan State College, Agricultural Experiment Station, Department of Home Management, East Lansing. Van SYCRIG, Calla. Practices Followed by Consumers in Buy- in; "Lar- e-Ex-enditure" Items of CIothin *Furniture an n oment W. ecnca =u 8- t n ' . Ic gan tate o ege, Agricultural Experiment Station, Department of Home Management, East Lansing. The Penn State College. Use of Rooms in Farm Houses by Q} Penns lvania Families. e n , pr . SchooI of igriEuIture, Agricultural Experiment Station, State College Pennsylvania. Freeman, Ruth Crawford. 3 ndin and Savin Patterns of Illi- nois Farm Families from - . u et n , . Uhiversity of IIIinois, igricuitural Experiment Station, Urbana, Illinois. Thorpe, Alice C. and Gross, Irma H. Family Use of Farm Home. (A study of Activities Carried on by and preferences of Family Members) Technical Bulletin 227, 1952. Michigan State College, Agricultural Experiment Station, Depart- ment of Home Management. Heller Committee for Research in Social Economics. guanity vers ty of and Cost Bud ets for Three Income Levels. of California, I950. Federal Reserve Bulletin. Reprints of the Surve of Consu- mer Finances, Durable Goods, June, 195 . ay, . Band of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Washington, D. C. C. MAGAZINES AND NEWSPAPERS A McCall's Ma azine Study, What Women Want in Their Furniture. 1955. Naverfiising Researcfi Department, 230 Park Avenue, New York 17, New York. Retailin Dail , The Home Furnishings Newspaper, A Fairchild PuBIication, 7 East 12th Street, New York 3, New York October 17, 1955. D. UNPUBLISHED MATERIALS Miller, Mary Carleton. "A Study of the Factors Influencing the Purchase of Upholstered Furniture and the Resulting satisfactions as Expressed by Fifty Homemakers." Un- published Master's Thesis, Woman's College of the Uni- versity of North Carolina, l9h9. Thorpe, Alice Cutler. "A Study of Home Management Practices in Homes of Married Students at Michigan State College". Unpublished Master's Thesis, Michigan State College, l9h9. Pardee, Eunice A. Pardee. "Methods of Handling Money Income in 360-Selected Families in Michigan", Unpublished Master's Thesis, Michigan State College, 1936. Hawthorne, Ruth Estella. "The Development and Critical Survey of Modern Trends in Furniture and Fabrics in the United States, l925-L5." Unpublished Master's Thesis, Michigan State College, 19h9. APPENDIX TABISXII ‘Costefl'unitherRoemInssleofthsFanilysndmof ~, Yesrsofllsrrh. m :Time-Icaua mm o W 3362“!“ museum-a Stemware 82.500toAJOO-2 Average-12.5” ‘s ““9”“ e,5ooto1.o,ooo “mm.” Upto$2,500o2 nusiyom . 82,!ntoh5w-O Average-18.75”. “mmagm-a s,soouio,ooo M ii - ”$05M Upto$2,5m-O 7‘02! $2.500toAJOO-2 Ava-age n.9yesrs “snowman- BJCDCOJDJDO l :*W — “”699 optomsoo-o vuzz 82,500teAJOO—O Average .3”er himtomSOO-S e,sooum,ooo 1021:0797 Upte2pioo .o Utoflyeers 82,5w to 1.,500-1. Average 19.9” Meet-08.5004 8,3mt010.m endows- -3 __ W “$0899 UpteSZJOO-O OteZéyears 2,900uu,500-9 Ava-ageIGJyeu-s ‘smueomrl BJWtolOfim endows -0 W “ 902nm Opto82,500-o ateZSyears 82,500teh,5m-2 AW 13.51“" k3muagm-‘ BJNtolO,” 1.ooou2,19o Opte62,500-O Itezsnars 82,500 to him .- 2 Average 17.2 years M500 to 8.500 - 'I 0.500 to 10,000 “I! m ...:_L... Date SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE 2 me1y Classification 1c Code no, 2.(a) City or town (b) Farm (0) Acres (d) Own (e) Rent_r 3.(a) Number in family (b) Members in Home (check age and numbers): 1'10. Pre-school Elementary Teenage Other A.Husband's Occupation 5.Hbmemaker's (if outside of home) 6 Home established for how many years 7.Approximate family income (before income taxes): 3. up to $1500 a year d. $3500—4500 g. $3500.10,000 b. 31500-2500 e. 34500-6500 h. over 310,000 C. 32500-3500 r. $6500~8500 8eH0memakers school experience: a0 Grade school d. Graduate School b. High school 90 Business or Vocational s. College f. Others 94wa many years has homemaker been a home demonstration club memkers I Years: _ Other 0 «— H N .4-\ IN‘ II. Inventory of Living Room Furniture °°3t Check year of marriage when item was acquired item ten or to be for nor -h l - over than 1 2 3 A 5 6 13 5 20 5 25 one use filTING PIECES Sofa fa Occasional Rad Bookca elevis *How acquired? a— new, b-purchased ant que, c-heirloom, d-second hand, e-gift, fenade in home, g-custon.made, h-other RmReplacement H-High .-.\ IL Inventory of Living Room Furniture cost . item ten or Check year of marriage when item was acquired to be for nor -h l - over than v 1 2 3 A 5 6 13 5 20 25 one use EATING PIECES Sofa fa Occasional t :AISE‘ ables Dro off N st 0 t Radio-Phone Bookcase i Televis 1 i 1 *How acquired? a- new, b—purchased antique, c-heirloom, d—second hand, e—gift, f-Iade in home, g-custom.made, h-other RrReplacement H-High \m :.....T..T..<\..._..§..\ \ \ \ x; \:\....\....\_.i¥< \ \ \ \ \ III. Homemaker's Opinion of Basic Living Room Furniture ons ering the ture with which you started your home what --- do you consider tional items tional items basic or essential a MODERATE an UNLIMITED on a LIMITED BUDGET BUDGET EATING PIEC§§ Sofa Sofa- Love seat C 0t 0t 3ASE GOODS Tables Dro Coff e Li ~ Nest of tables ta e ' Desk Chest Piano Radio- Bookcase Televi o 11*. General Information about The Living Room, The Furniture and Use 1. a. Is the amount of living room furniture you have satisfactory for your fanilst needs? All I want 3 All I need 3 Have too much 3 Other b. Was it purchased as needed , planned in advance 9 on impluse ? c. Furniture purchases are media by cash_, charge account, layaway__, installment ' credit____, other . 2. a. What style or period is your furniture? Doth know 0 M. 0. Contemporary_ Early American 1930's (Borax)__ Colonial— ; Mission__ Federal__ ’0. Are you pleased with the style? Victorian__ European— Yes___ No__ Cement Nondescript c. Would you like to change? Yes_ No___ Why? d. Are you pleased with the wood and/or finish? Yes___ No— If pleased, why? If not, why? 3. a. Does your furniture provide adequate storage for your living room needs? Yes No be If not, what is needed? A. a. Is any item of your furniture more satisfactory than any other? Yes____ No____. ’ What . Coment b. Is there any item less satisfactory than any others? Yes____ No___ What? Cement :2. Is there a special item of furniture you would like to have in place of or in addition to what you now have? Yes____ No___ What? Why haant it been added? 5. a. If you have television, is it in the living room? Y'es__ No____ Where? I b. Do you have two sets? Yes____ No__ If yes, where is second set? .6. ac Is your living room used for family entertainment? Yes___ N0___ b. Do you have a recreation or family room? Yes____ No___ 7. Do you ever eat in the living room? Yes___ No__ Cements on types of service 3. Where do you get most of your ideas about furflture? A _ VFJIOGF‘A US’E OW mats: Due“ Demco-293 $39.: ’ '3" an {we} HICHIGRN STQTE UNIV. LIBRRRIES 3129301 1070673