Home and furniture-free living
My wishes for a new home are serenity, smallness, light, and space. Since I arrived to Finland in the end of December, I've lived in a temporary accommodation which is an aparthotel. When moving from peaceful northern Sweden, my fear was that in Helsinki it would be difficult to find a place which is in line with my needs. I fell in love with a nearby island when I went for a walk there. The island is a part of Helsinki, but very close to Espoo and hence to my university. New apartments will be finished in the end of February. I went there to feel the space, talk to the people who are building those apartments, and to see the apartments which are already finished. I'm glad that the apartments are unfurnished, so I can finally practise furniture-free living and invite all the light in. I had an opportunity to practise this lifestyle only once and only in one part of a rather large apartment which I shared with another human being in another country.
I prefer furniture-free living for many reasons. Sustainability is one of them. Production of furniture requires materials and energy. However, one can get second-hand furniture or honour the furniture they inherited or were gifted, so living with furniture is not necessarily unecological. Fast furniture is of course problematic. Another reason is aesthetic. To me, no furniture looks and feels as good as does 'empty' space. Angles, various hights and various materials do not feel as calming to me as does floor-based living with soft and natural fabrics. Yet another reason is spiritual and relates to non-attachment to material objects. This mode of living also encourages me to move more. Furniture-free living should be a personal choice, it's not a sustainable lifestyle in itself.
