How can I politely tell people who visit my home not to sit on my furniture?
My chairs and sofa are oldish and inherited and very nice and sometimes the people who come to my home (friends ,family members, my husband’s work colleagues and my children’s friends) can be a bit scuzzy, scruffy and generally in need of a wash. I don’t want them to get my furniture oily, dirty or greasy/ruined. If someone is a bit greasy looking, how can I stop them from sitting on my chairs/sofa, without offending them or being too upfront?
Incoming search terms for the article:
© Copyright 2009 Web Design Leeds All rights reserved. Designed by Free Wordpress Themes and Made free by 2cuk | SEO Company
You can’t without them thinking you’re a little mental and OCD. Which is what I’m thinking right now and you haven’t even told me not to.
you should tell them that you are crazy and that you bought chairs to not sit in.
Don’t take them in your living room. Go to the kitchen table, a den, patio, or just tell your immediate family who may not be invited to your house. (I am shaking my head in disgust).
Get some furniture in your home people can sit on or don’t have anyone over.
Asking people not to sit on your furniture when you invite them into your home is rude.
Cover them with sheets when you expect visitors but it would only be courteous to provide some sort of seating for your guest ! – perhaps do your entertaining in another room, like a porch area !
Tell them your furniture is infested with fleas and lice.
Simply tell them you`ve been diagnosed as a mental Disturbo …………..and that you are subject to occasional bouts of blind , homicidal rage if you forget to take your medication in the mornings ………….. or if anyone sits on your furniture !!
Tell them that you suffer from a disturbing illness which means that you can’t stand any dirt in your house and that you want everything to be kept spotlessly clean.
If you don’t want them to sit on this furniture, then you either need to move the furniture to a room where visitors aren’t allowed or let them sit where you don’t care so much about the dirt, eg dining room chairs.
KD
if you invite people to your home, you are expected to provide them with a place to sit down. If they show up and have been changing the oil in their car or something similar, just guide everyone to the kitchen and suggest that everyone sit there while you make some tea or coffee or something. It’s easy for you to suggest someplace…..”why don’t we go outside in the back and sit on the patio, it’s lovely outside.” or….. “do you guys mind if we sit in the kitchen today, I can make us some martini’s!” but, surely you must agree that you can’t go into the room with your chairs and sofa and expect them to sit on pillows on the floor.
If this is a common occurrance, maybe it would be a good idea to invest in some sofa covers and chair covers so you could just throw them on your things before your guests arrive.
If you have guests over they have 2 sit somewhere. Guess u have 2 decide which is more important….the guests or the furniture.
I agree with the first answerer. You should think about buying chairs and sofas that guests can actually sit on.
You seem to be like my mother – a person who somehow thinks they are superior to everybody else. I am surprised your husband invites anybody home
Do what they do in National Trust houses – put holly or teasels on the seats.
Put the furniture away and get some that you are not so protective of, ir stop having people come to your house. It is rude almost to the point of mental illness to allow people into your home then tell them they can’t use the furniture. Do you seriously make your guests uncomfortably stand around in the middle of the room? For shame.
Try covering them them up with throwovers ect
This is when it’s nice to have a family room/TV AND a sitting room. Reserve the living room for special occasions only.
If your home is small and you only have that one room, then I have three suggestions – none of which are great but here we go anyways:
1) If the furniture is truly valuable (antique) and you have no other living space, consider putting the furniture in storage until you have a living room and a family room. People have to “live” in a home so unless you have a room you can set aside for special occasions, the furniture is not appropriate for your current space.
2) If the furniture is nice but not antique (meaning your connection to it is primarily emotional) consider “letting go” of your sentimental attachment to it. I understand you inherited the furniture, but it is just “stuff.” Photos, letters, jewelry and small household items like a vase or tea set are much more practical sentimental keepsakes. You can’t let sentimental attachment to furniture prevent normal social activity from happening in your home.
3) If your home is small and this is the only living/entertaining space, consider purchasing upholstery covers for it. You can buy machine washable chair and sofa covers at places such as Pottery Barn and Ikea. Just laugh it off with visitors like “With kids and pets I just have to keep Grandma’s sofa covered except for special occasions….” And then remove the coverings for special events.
The bottom line is – you can only keep them from sitting on your furniture if you have someplace else for them to sit.
And if you don’t have someplace else for them to sit you either have to put the furniture in storage or cover it.
P.S. When I was 8 my parents bought a home in a nice neighborhood and my mom was so excited to have a nice living room (and a family room). She splurged and had the living room decorated by an interior designer. She also had some antiques including a teak tea cart and a Victorian sewing chair. It was “normal” for us kids to know that we stay out of the living room. And by the way, I’m turning 40 this year. My parents have since moved house but they still have the same furniture. The antiques are lovely but the rest of the stuff is another story. I’ll admit it’s quality furniture and in MINT condition, but the sofa, wing back chairs and ottomans are over 30 years old and look very dated to everyone but my parents. Just food for thought…..