I’m just old-fashioned, because I love to receive paper catalogs in the mail.  I don’t consider them junk, and even if I don’t know the retailer, I always look through every catalog I get before I throw it out.  Most of the time lately, catalogs go into the recycle bin shortly after receipt with a “I don’t need any of this stuff”.

Last week, a thin little catalog came with my Wall Street Journal, from high-end furniture retailer RocheBobois.  Much of their furniture is interesting, and they make some things that are just fun.  Now, I evaluate furniture on two basic parameters.  First is practicality.  Can someone sit on this couch and remain comfortable and polite?   I reject furniture that has cushions that are too soft, or too wide to sit on and have your feet on the floor.  My second parameter is creativity.  Does this furniture catch the eye, besides being practical?  Will your friends like to visit you to sit on your chairs?

Well, the new catalog had a bunch of styles that I immediately loved.  Mind you, I’m pretty sure these pieces are way over any furniture budget we would have, but I just fell in love.

First, RocheBobois has a range of living room furniture named “Mah Jong”.  It contains big cushions that can be positioned on the floor, and smaller ones with backs like normal couches.  And they come in a wide variety of colorful, whimsical fabrics.  This furniture definitely catches the eye, and there are almost infinite ways to arrange the pieces for any room.  Here are some pictures.

Aren’t the pieces pretty and whimsical? I think having this furniture would make anyone want to spend time in your living room. If you arranged them correctly with the right colors, you might feel like you were in an Arabian Nights harem.

They have another line called “Bubble” that I also like. These lines are not “faddish”, disappearing in a short time from their stores. The Bubbles just look comfortable, and I’m sure you won’t find them in every house on the block.

They look so comfortable!  They even make a bed with those bubbles.

Finally, for the engineer in the family, a new item is called Astrolab 2.0.  It’s a glass-top dining table with a very clever mechanism for the leaves!

You could have fun working that mechanism. And how hard would it be to cover the table with a cloth? You’d want to use placemats so you can see what’s inside. Very clever! And you’d never be at a loss for conversation subjects.

I appreciate the comfort and beauty of these pieces, even if I’ll never be able to afford them.