Maharashtra Board Class 11 Home Management Chapter 7 Home Furniture PDF Download

Home Furniture

Furniture is very important in home. Several varieties of furniture are available in the market. Some of them are costly, attractive and proportionate, while other type of furniture is cheap, lack of qualities and less attractive. The material used for furniture is wood, cane, metal, plastic, upholster and glass. While selecting furniture one should be careful and examine it for beauty, comfort, utility and multipurpose use. Furniture items also form integral part of decorating scheme in any room of the house. It enhances beauty of the interior and proves functional. Cost of maintenance also must be low and it should be easy to clean.

Definition

The dictionary meaning of furniture states it as: The movable objects used to make a room or building suitable for living or working in.

Furniture is used for various activities such as sitting, sleeping, eating, dressing, etc. Furniture is basically intended for work, storage, comfort and rest.

7.1 Factors In Selection Of Home Furniture

The number of furniture items that a family should have will depend upon the activities carried out in different areas of the house. Once the family has taken a decision, regarding furniture, the individual pieces must be examined and selected carefully on the basis of following criteria:

Comfort: Comfort is a desired and expected characteristic from the furniture. The features of the furniture which make it comfortable to use are its weight, mobility, suitability and firmness. Furniture should be designed according to the anthropometric measurement of the user. Most of the furniture is made by using standard measurements for an average person. Before purchasing the furniture one should take a trial and feel the comfort for oneself to use it.

Family Preference: While selecting furniture for the family, one should consider the preferences of the family members. Profession and social status of the family should also be considered. The selection of furniture should be done according to their need and use or utility of furniture. The families with transferable jobs prefer the light weight, easy to carry and folding furniture. The families residing in small home should use multipurpose furniture example: two in one furniture, sofa cum bed, sofa cum box etc.

Budget: The cost of furniture depends on the material used, design and style, colour of the furniture, and construction. One can buy essential furniture first and then add gradually. Compare the cost of furniture while selecting, by visiting different showrooms. One should be careful when buying on discount sales. Example, cost wise upholstered furniture is costlier than cane or metal furniture.

Teacher's Note

Comfort in furniture is very important for your family. For example, when you sit on a chair in your classroom, it should feel comfortable so you can study well without pain.

Exam Trick

Remember: The three main things to check before buying furniture are Comfort, Budget and Design. Think of them as CBR - Comfort, Budget, and Right design. This helps you remember all three in the exam.

Points to Remember

Comfort is important for using furniture every day.
Budget means the money you have to spend on furniture.
Family preference means what your family members like and need.
Always compare prices before buying furniture.
Light weight furniture is good for families that move often.

Construction and Design: Proper construction of furniture makes it sturdy, comfortable and increases its durability. No one should purchase a piece of furniture without making a complete examination of it. The purchaser should check the bottom, sides, back, inside and front of the each furniture piece. The leg and the frame should be usually joined with glue and also with dowels, screws, and clips or corner metal plates. A person may have difficulty in examining the whole joint but one can ask information from the seller.

The design of the furniture refers to its shape, size, weight, balance, and proportion. A simple design is better than a decorative design for furniture. Design should make the furniture easy to use, comfortable, easy to clean and maintain. The construction of furniture should be ergonomically good to get maximum comfort.

Durability: Durability of furniture depends upon the material used, the type of joints used, design and style, and workmanship. Sturdy furniture, made of well-seasoned wood is more durable than cheap quality of wood. The furniture will be more durable if it is well maintained by dusting, polishing, repairing in time, handled with care and used properly. Durability is also dependent on the construction of the furniture. Example: Proper finishing of surfaces etc.

Climatic Condition: Atmospheric condition is an essential factor to be considered in buying furniture, for example metal furniture is not suitable in cities having humid condition. It tends to rust which affects its strength, beauty, and life. The wooden furniture is not affected by atmospheric condition and is suitable for all types of climatic condition.

Maintenance: Maintenance of furniture is an important factor while selecting furniture. The maintenance cost should be less than purchasing cost. Proper care of furniture in terms of dusting, polishing, timely repairing is essential to maintain it in good condition. In general, steel furniture requires less maintenance than the upholstered and glass furniture.

New Trends: While furnishing the house, selection of modern furniture is preferred. It is desired to have novelty in furniture. Proper selection of furniture will reflect the taste of the family. Hence, while selecting furniture, socio-economic status should be considered. Today, families prefer eco-friendly multipurpose use furniture and in built furniture to utilize the available limited space.

Flexibility: The use of multipurpose furniture is the best example of flexibility. Recently this type of furniture has become more popular. It should be easy to move from one place to other place and should have possibility to be used for multiple activities. Example: Sofa cum-bed, Folding Dining Table etc.

Teacher's Note

Good construction and design of furniture is like having good foundation for a house. In India, people check wooden furniture very carefully before buying because it is expensive and must last for many years.

Exam Trick

Remember: Durable furniture = well-seasoned wood + good joints + proper care. Just like a strong relationship lasts long, strong furniture also lasts long when made with good materials and taken care of properly.

Points to Remember

Check the bottom, sides and back of furniture before buying it.
Simple design is better than very decorative design.
Well-seasoned wood makes furniture more durable.
Metal furniture can rust in humid or rainy cities.
Regular cleaning and polishing keeps furniture looking new.

Aesthetics (Beauty)

Elements of design like colour, texture, form, shape, and space play important role in aesthetics of furniture. Beauty of furniture is based on good designing with consideration to ergonomic factor, good construction, comfort in use etc. Furniture with variety of raw material in different shapes and designs bring in innovation which adds beauty to the room.

7.2 Material Used For Furniture

Different types of materials are used for manufacturing furniture. Each material has its own quality and limitations. Good range of material is available in today's market. Cost of furniture depends on the type of material used for making furniture.

1. Wood

Wood is the traditional material used for making the furniture. Most of the time whole furniture or pieces of furniture can be made from wood. The wooden furniture has aesthetic value, durability, natural beauty, flexibility in use and also has utility. It is generally not affected by the climatic condition.

Woods are classified:

a. Soft wood and hard wood

b. Natural wood and Artificial wood

Soft wood are used for housing construction, for panelling and for kitchen furniture. Namely; Cedar, Fir, Pine. Where as hard wood are used for furniture, housing building, boat construction, and tool making. Namely; Beech, Chestnut, Ebony, Elm, Mahogony, and Maple.

The most common natural woods that are available in India are used for furniture. It includes Teak wood, Walnut, Sandal, Mahogany, Halda, Sal, Shisham, Deodar, Mango etc. Artificial woods as Plywood, Hardboard, Particle board, Fiber board, Willow, Rattan and Reed etc., are also used for furniture.

Teak Wood: Teak wood is generally used for valued furniture in high class interiors. It is durable, water resistant, resistant to pests, disease, and rots and comparatively expensive. It is rich in appearance and its grains and rings are very clear and ornamental. It is moderately heavy and hard. It is easy to polish.

Walnut, Sandal, Mahogany Wood: These are also used for furniture but are not available in abundance and are costly. They are useful for small decorative articles and small furniture pieces such as centre table, boxes, etc. Sandal wood furniture has its own value and beauty. It is impossible to use it for making furniture because, cutting of sandal wood trees has been banned by the government.

Sal wood and Shisham: These are strong and heavy woods. Keeping quality of Sal wood is low compared to Shisham. Shisham has beautiful appearance but it is very costly. It is used for furniture and decorative articles.

Varieties like Halda, Bamboo, Mango and Neem: These are used for low cost furniture. Durability and grains of such varieties cannot be compared with teak wood.

Teacher's Note

Teak wood is the best wood for furniture in India because it lasts very long and does not get spoilt easily even in rain. Many old Indian houses have teak wood furniture that is still strong after 50 years.

Exam Trick

Remember: Teak = Tender to pests means No, it is Tough to pests. Teak is the best and most expensive wood because it resists water, pests, and rot. Think of it as the king of woods.

Points to Remember

Soft wood is used for kitchen furniture and construction.
Hard wood is used for expensive and durable furniture.
Teak wood is the most expensive and long-lasting wood.
Sandal wood is banned by government so cannot be cut.
Low cost furniture is made from Halda, Bamboo and Neem woods.

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