DECOR VOCABULARY

When I was a young homemaker and learning the ropes, someone taught me  a vocabulary lesson that opened my eyes. Naive about the ways of the world, I had a limited dictionary at my command or so it seemed, regarding one important piece of furniture.  In my neck of the woods… we called it a sofa or a couch… but a good friend of mine did not. I remember her inviting me over for a coffee klatch and while we conversed, she showed me around her house. It was the first time I had been there. When we headed into the living room, she says, “I’ll be getting a new DAVENPORT soon.” I had never heard of a DAVENPORT before… so I just smiled, pretending I knew WHAT she was talking about. I remember thinking at the time… that it must be some kind of buffet, hutch or sideboard. But… I discovered it wasn’t… when I asked my husband about it… later that night. Slightly older and more knowledgeable than me, he educated me on the subject. The expression DAVENPORT is used among folks of a certain geographic location, (the Midwest and New York) and age (born before World War 2). It is used as a synonym for the word couch or sofa. (It can have storage under it or be made into a bed, sort of like today’s futons.) I was gobsmacked to hear this… but quickly added the word to my vocabulary… so if it ever came up again, I would know how to respond. Suffice to say, I grew up and have learned so much in my life… but this one piece of information has always stuck with me. SO… what do you call that thing you sit down on in your living room? A couch, sofa or davenport?

We replaced our old torn one (the slipcovers weren’t working for us anymore) with a couple of new armchairs. Saw them on the showroom floor and fell in love. VERY, very COLORFUL, aren’t they? Believe me… they are not that sedate look we usually go for here at our house. But it’s a new year and the chairs BRIGHTEN our lives and fit our derriere’s. Not to mention, the price was right. CLEARANCE. So we’re taking a walk on the WILD side.