I just turned 60 and have been telling myself that I am too old to live like this (I have lived furniture-free before - in my 30s and 40s for a year or so at a time) but I just realized that what BETTER time to do that now? Now, that I have come to be one of those older/aging people that cares less and less what people think and don't have many friends anyway really. I think it is possibly one of the best things you can do at 60 (if you are in relatively good health and are ambulatory - able to get up and down).
I agree with you. I am nearly 68, and when I realized that furniture caused the structural issues that led to needing expensive chiropractic and therapeutic massage, I ditched the furniture. One I got rid of the furniture my body adapted rapidly. I now move my body in ways that are impossible with furniture and I am stronger and more flexible as a result. 🌺 One of the problems that comes with upholstered furniture are the flame retardants and other chemicals that continuously/forever leach into the indoor air. Plus, quality furniture is a big investment, especially beds. Paying to move furniture when you move house is like paying for the furniture a second time. I love this lifestyle! 🙃💕
@@Supplementarian I agree 💯 %! I’m 62 years-old and I’ve been furniture-free for two years. Not only has it created more space in which I can move within my home, but logistical improvements such as cleaning is so much easier; for example, I no longer have to vacuum around/under my bed and furniture. In addition, utilizing my body’s strength to get up and down off of the floor many times a day provides on-going strength training. In fact about 80% of the time I consciously get up and down without using my hands to assist me; it’s a fun game to play, and, again, I’m having to utilize my strength, balance and flexibility many times throughout the day, which is yet one more benefit of living furniture -free. 💪
@@Supplementarian The only time I’m reminded of the fact that I’m a statistical anomaly (at least here in the United States) is when people come over and see that there isn’t a comfy chair or couch onto which they can plop. The question I’ve received recently after realizing there are no beds in my rooms is, Where do you sleep?!? I’m so used to living this way I don’t ever think about it!
I am a week from 61 and thinking the same thing. Should I buy the Eames lounge chair I desire or should I ditch it all and just use a rug, a coffee table, a couple of cushions and sleep in a hammock? I was furniture free in my 20s and 30s.
I’m 62 years-old and I’ve been furniture-free for two years. Not only has it created more space in which I can move within my home, but logistical benefits such as cleaning is so much easier; for example, I no longer have to vacuum around/under my bed and furniture, and there’s no furniture to dust.😊 In addition, utilizing my body's strength to get up and down off of the floor many times a day provides on-going strength training. In fact about 80% of the time I consciously get up and down without using my hands to assist me; it's a fun game to play, and, again, I'm having to utilize my strength, balance and flexibility many times throughout the day, which is yet one more benefit of living furniture-free! 💪🏻
It’s worth noting that an adjacent lifestyle to actually furniture free might be called “floor living.” It’s not just for minimalists or people who don’t have space because they live in a one bedroom apartment. You can still have furniture. It’s really just modern chairs that get forsaken. You can have tables that are 12 inches high instead of 30. Japanese traditional culture is very floor centric and there is plenty of furniture for that purpose. I’d also add that I think stools and benches without backs of varying non traditional heights can be useful as well. For health and mobility reasons it really is the cushy modern backed chair that lets you get completly lazy and comfortable in bad positions that would be horribly uncomfortable in any other setting. Modern beds do this as well. There’s nothing wrong with sitting on a backless bench for a while too. You don’t want to be in any position for too long, even sitting stagnant on the floor. That’s why “furniture free” is so great because no position is so comfortable that you get stuck in it. You have to fidget every few minutes. As they say, the best position is the next position. But floor living does not mean you can’t have a table or desk or a stool. As a furniture maker I like chabudais (floor dining tables) because the legs are so short you can effectively make them up to six feet wide and as long as you want and they still fit through a doorway no problem. Normal tables need removable legs for this reason but using metal fasteners is considered taboo to “pinky up” furniture makers like me. I can just glue up a floor table base and one piece using traditional joinery and never worry it won’t go through the door.
My family went *mostly* furniture-free five years’ ago. Best thing ever 💁♀️. We do *have* furniture, but it’s *floor* furniture. Mostly it’s about all the extra trips up and down from the floor, and all the different postures and positions. The downsides: 1. We got a puppy, and… 🤷🏼♀️ now everything is accessible 😁, and all the floor cushions are a dog bed. 2. Can’t think of any others … - We do have folding chairs to bring out if we have visitors, and we have a full-height kitchen counter with tall stools, but nearly everyone is willing to try the floor. For us, I guess it’s technically “no conventional-height seating” . But we do have a “normal” height bed, though it’s *quite* firm. It’s just a lot more convenient for us.
We've also found that most people are willing to try furniture free at least for a little bit, once people have agreed to come to our house they are usually intrigued. I've also considered going back to a bed frame at some point, because since sleeping on the floor we have endless problems with damp, especially in winter.
@@Movementum I’ll mention another solution I found for my desk set-up… The have a big computer system with monitors and hard drives that sits on a “normal height” table. Since I refuse to sit in a chair, and I can’t do standing, I thought… if I can’t bring the desk down to the floor, maybe I can bring the floor UP to the desk. I bought a *huge* ottoman. It’s so large, that it’s virtually the same as the floor, and I can work in any of the positions I use on the floor. Right now since we need to get a higher table (because puppy) and I’m not happy about it, we’re going to do the same thing so that when “seated” at the table, it’s the same as sitting on the floor. It solves the “multiple positions” thing, but I do think for us the benefit of having to get up and down from the floor each time you sit is the *most* valuable. The big ottoman is like having a big chunk of floor rise up 😁
That's a really good solution to the problem, I might mention it in my "transitioning to furniture free" video, would you be happy for me to use a screenshot of your comment in it? Also, does that mean you are going to surround your table in huge ottomans? Because that sounds both amazing and a bit crazy :P
@@Movementum Have you looked into the Japanese futon-on-the-floor-while-sleeping and roll-it-up-in-the-morning-and-put-it-away-to-air-during-the-day idea? The Japanese, I don't believe, would leave their bedding out all day long, when sleeping on the floor; they'd roll it up and store it away in a closet. Secondary to that they'd have their futon out on a tatami mat while sleeping, so that the bedding can air out. And every once in a while they take their futon outdoors, even in the winter, on sunny days, for airing out. I did the sleeping on the floor thing with my futon for several years when I lived in Nebraska; the room and the closet I had at that time worked well for that. When I moved to my house in Oregon, I couldn't figure out how to make that work, so I bought a small twin sized bed frame from Amazon; it has wide slats, and while that was comfortable enough (I could feel the slats through the futon), adding a tatami mat on top of the slats is much better. I don't worry about the futon getting damp or not airing out properly with this setup. Now all of you furniture-free RU-vidrs have got me thinking about all of the furniture I bought when I moved into this Oregon house. I can see less furniture in my very near future. But I think I'll keep my futon setup the way it is.
you can actually get reported to social services for not having furniture if you have kids. I am not sure if its the furniture itself or the stigma - meaning that it is often seen as extreme poverty or neglectful by others, but something to think about for parents who consider it. and im not sure how invested social services are about hearing it. however, when speaking to them about it, they didn't like it when I didn't have a table for the little one to practice eating at, because of its impact at nursery or in cafes. I think its to do with the rule following or social aspects of it.
I watched your "Furniture-Free in a rented Apartment"-House tour about 3 years ago.... And while i was already on my path to become (my version of) a "minimalist", your video was an eye-opener.... Whilst going through all my physical possessions, i had actually not even considered any of my furniture... After watching your video, i have gone semi-furniture free...and i love it.... Floor sleeping took a while getting used to, but my sleep quality has improved significantly...
I don't remember if it is the Quakers, or the Amish cultures in America -- maybe both -- but one or both of them in the past if not also in the present will store wooden chairs such as dining chairs, by hanging them on walls. Very often, their rooms are without carpeting, and often without rugs, so hanging furniture on the walls makes it convenient to clean. In addition, it makes sense to have tables that fold down from a wall, or are in sections that can collapse or extend out into a room from a rather compact form against a wall. Italian furniture makers (and others) seem particularly adept and willing to construct modern furniture for 'the modern home,' much being designed to be adaptable for smaller spaces. Finally, I have found it difficult -- nearly impossible -- to find furniture adapted to 'floor living,' such as low tables, low benches, low desks, etc, etc. Even if one can find pictures of Japanese home interiors, this culture seems to stack the walls with all kinds of acquired goods, from cheap shelving, to appliances, to pictures of all kinds, and so on.
I am very intruiged as I feel like this way of moving/ hanging out / sitting suits me. But I would miss the cosy/comfy style of my living room and the storage room below my bed.
Thank you, Billy! Actually, your previous video inspired me to try to switch to my floor office half a year ago. Now I sleep on the floor too. I do everything on the floor and it feels so good and natural to me. Funny enough, in my childhood I used to replace furniture a lot, and finally reorganizing my stuff has never been so easy!
You are truly my favorite RU-vidr. I appreciate how you’re demonstrating and teaching a very attainable lifestyle that is conducive to living and being in touch with our best natural selves in today’s world. Well done as usual!
This is my favorite RU-vid channel, please make more videos! I am almost 34, I’ve had 4 children and I live mostly furniture free, it would be completely if my family would let me throw out the couch lol. That being said I used to have bad back problems, and I’m definitely more flexible than other people my age. I also find office chairs, stools, sofas extremely uncomfortable, the only time my back hurts anymore is when I’m forced to sit in a chair lol. I’m also a software engineer and spend lots of time on my computer and I’d love for you to make a video about how you made your desk and other props you use for your computer, I have been struggling to find the right setup. Thank you for the great videos ❤
Thank You! More videos are in the works, and I'll be making a "How I Transitioned to Furniture-Free" video soon, and I'll make sure to have a making/converting/acquiring equipment section in it :)
Hey we've just gotten rid of our sofa recently and just sit on little pillows, a folded floor mattress, mats, big and small bean bags. The kids love them and they can be stacked away really easily in the corner and make the room look massive.
I found after sitting in a chair for a while makes my joints stiff but sitting on the floor for a comparable amount of time does not. I think this demonstrates sitting on the floor is better for ones joints.
Bravo! It might not have as much "curb appeal" as cozy soft furniture rooms, but furniture-free has definitely increased my enjoyment and appreciation of life as well and kept my flexibility from deteriorating as I get up and down a lot. Some good rugs and floor cushions go a long way. My back and neck couldn't adapt successfully to sleeping on the floor without a fairly thick inflatable pad under me (yes I do posture exercises and have used chiropractic), so I began sleeping in a Brazilian-style woven cotton hammock or a backpacking-style hammock (no spreader bars). This is absolute heaven and I love that my bed folds up to the size of a large can of coffee. I just toss a blanket and sleeping bag into it and a small thin pillow for the back of my neck and am good to go. I have mounted attachment points into the walls for it. My current "desk" for my laptop is a small storage ottoman that I do Asian squats before, and I use storage trunks with a wooden tabletop surface on them for other tables. Floor cushions are a favorite too. I have also experimented with sleeping in a sitting meditation posture on a floor cushion leaning slightly back against a covered board for back support, Tibetan style. Cheers.
I love all your videos. I know the stigma coming from other people. I was sleeping on my yogamat and and extra matress, and people was thinking so many things, and I started to feel bad, so I bought a bed. Now after 2 years, I feel my bed is taking so much space, so I give it to secondhand next week.
I feel you ! People can think you do ut because you don't have money and you don't wanna admit it or you're just a bit weird to them but now I just answer I love japanese style from before and they say it's quite cool. If you have a nice décoration (it can stay minimalist) the apartment can actually be very very cosy and beautiful with everything on the floor.
Love this idea, but there are a few things to consider: 1) If you like entertaining, you should be mindful of your guests' comfort. 2) If you don't clean frequently, you will be down there with the dust. 3) It can be boring. Having multiple levels can actually provide some expanded opportunities for movement. You could have step stools, loft beds, monkey bars, etc things that you can climb on. Couches are also great for jumping onto and using to build forts. Basically, adults just need to be more like children.
True words, especially regarding thr sedetary lifestyle. I changed (and still am changing) to life wirhout chairs and bed after herniated disk (sleeping and working on the floor). Planning to reduce furniture even more. Thanks for the video :)
TLDR: You inspired me to try floor sleeping and getting rid of my old desk. :D You inspired me 2 years ago to try this. I love the science of human biology and how it work with it versus against so your idea of living without furniture to increase movement was brilliant yet intuitive. I first adopted floor sleeping. Hurt my back for like 4 days straight and honestly couldn't sleep. But oddly, my back must've corrected any tightness I had, and now its more comfortable to sleep on the floor vs a regular mattress which is about as comfortable as when I first slept on the floor lol. I did kinda miss the slight cushion of a mattress and bought a 3inch thick futon. After using it for over a year, I'm starting to think I'll return back to the floor once the futon's life is up as it wasn't much of a difference. I tried the floor desk thing for a while sitting either on the floor or on a yoga cushion. Long story short, it was and still is very uncomfortable to sit in any position on the floor for a long time. The major thing for me was the back support which I had none of. In hindsight, maybe a floor chair with a back rest would've let me continue but I just couldn't. My back would hurt so bad sitting on the floor and I know why: hamstrings. Ironically, the very thing I want to get away from, sitting in a chair, in one position, for long periods of time, have given me such tight hamstrings, that they rotate my pelvis forward putting more pressure on my lower back. So my inflexibility, was hindering my progress. Currently have a standing desk which is nice, but honestly, I definitely need to take the transition slower if I'm to sit and work on the floor like before.
Taking the transition slowly is definitely the key, as a general rule, the longer you have lived with furniture, the longer it will take to transition away from it. Hamstring flexibility is definitely important it furniture free, but if you are struggling you could try sitting on a block (bum on block, legs on floor) which changes the pelvis angle, which some people find easier. Hope that helps!
Thanks Movementum. I think that what you don't mention about a desk as an example is that it creates another space on which you can put things or underneath it. It is the same for bed, you get some kind of storage underneath it and the matress isolate your body from the cold floor, the air flows underneath it drying up the matress from the moisture your body creates. The advantage of living with less furnitures is that it is easier to move out. One has to mention that it requires more exercise to sit on the floor than on a chair and also that when you are confortably seated at a desk one tends ( at least in my experience) to forget one's body which helps with the concentration. Not having a back on your chair doesn't help your back to relax. To sit confortably I use a sleeping cushion that I put between my back and the back of the chair at the base of my spine. One other thing that has to be said is that when you don't have a chair your floor must be very clean or you keep your shoes at the entrance of your appartment. Because you are still using a desk, i wouldn't say you are furnitureless bur more "chairless" or "floorlover". Maybe the next move could be to get rid of your fridge. I think that if you provide some high enough cushion for your guest, it could be enough or maybe your blanket folded could be enough... Another thing that I would mention is that when you do just one hour of exercise such as walking, it should be enough to keep you in good shape. Take care...
Hello, one thing I've noticed about sitting on the floor is that I don't get that stiff feeling I get after sitting in a chair for long periods. It just doesn't happen on the floor because you change positions so often. I really enjoy your videos. Keep it up. :)
Been watching you for years, you're one of my favourite movement people! I've been sleeping straight on the floor for years now. One day I'll sleep outside like the true OGs of this movement, homeless folk. I've recently gone back to having a pillow, but I was fine for ages without.
We've just gotten rid of our sofa recently and just sit on little pillows, a folded floor mattress, mats, big and small bean bags. The kids love them and they can be stacked away really easily in the corner and make the room look massive.
I’m in the same boat for 3 years now due to losing all of my furniture. It’s so uncomfortable for me. As a veteran I can’t seem to get it back because of bills and no support. That’s why I don’t invite people over which furthers my isolation. I wish to have a better attitude until I can get more furniture.
when my buddy's wife left him, he came home from work and the house was cleaned out. He decided he didn't want to replace everything, so he basically went furniture free. He got a blowup bed, a couple zero gravity beach lounge chairs, and a TV...and that was pretty much it.
My living room at least is chair free, and we've got a low table for floor sitting. Still have a kitchen table though :-/ And you're absolutely right about the social stigma. People will say, "I don't want to come sit on the floor at your house."
Excellent video. Many of your videos have inspired much of my own videos and lifestyle choices. Quality content, hope to see more in the future. Thanks, Chris.
Please make a video about how to transition to furniture-free or, as my husband refers to it, The Society for the Abolition of Furniture Legs. Thank you, Billy!
We used to live like that when I was young. It was quite common then, as furniture wasn't that comfy. But now it seems to be hard to get up from the floor, aging is not fun 😢
This is just wonderful, I greatly appreciate you making this video! I just stumbled across your channel while looking into mattress reviews. Part of me has wondered about this sort of thing and it's excellent to have some insight into it. Thanks!
If you are moving [from one apartment to another, say] and trying to convince a potential landlord or landlady to take you in as a tenant, I suggest NOT telling them you are "furniture-free". The "flake-flag" will go up immediately and all sorts of questions will pop into their head like what happened to his/her furniture? Is he/she uncivilized? If they are this poor, will they be able to afford rent each month? Just avoid the topic of furniture altogether if possible. They don't have to know anything until the day you move in and by then it will be too late for them to discriminate against you.
I live on the floor & without fournitures sinces my 17. Now i am close to 60. Very flexible, Barefoot Walk help.Let the others live in their museum....their shops fulle of crap. They hâve no Space at all but it's like that that the majority of western poeple live.
I have recently been working while sitting on the floor and using a coffee table as a desk, but I have been getting knee pain from doing that. Do you think that is something that will go away over time? I have not been doing it consistently.
What I’ve noticed after 2+ years of floor living, is that my arms are not as strong as my legs. How do you keep your arms strong through everyday movement?
I have a theory about your GF's sore hip (as a general thing), the adaptation, and hard-surface-sleeping. I'm not a researcher, but anecdotal evidence would point to more broken hips in countries with softer mattresses than places with floor sleeping (i.e. Japan). Bone density is almost exclusively related to weight bearing exercise (if paired with a reasonably healthy diet, and correcting for age). Sleeping on a harder surface on one's side is placing a much larger amount of weight on the femur head and neck compared to a softer surface. Essentially, all night long you're getting heavy 'weight bearing' loads on a critical part of your body! I assume this carries to shoulder bones as well.
Inspiring! I have a entirely different question though, in some of your videos you mention bone density. I wonder what your take is on improving it, and some simple activities or exercises to improve it. For example bone density in the hips, how does one improve it? Same with wrists or ankles. Skipping rope? Handstands? Will carrying hravy loads help?
Hey, I love the concept. 🌻 And it is kind of connected to my general question theese days. Maybe U can tell me something about it? I noticed that I can squot nicely, but not for a long time. After 20seconds my legs hurt so much. And I always look in disbeliefe when people don't find it hurtfull. Is there a way to improve that, would it improve organicly in this way of living with no furniture, using movement more? What could I do to improve that squot timing? If U have some info, I would apreciate the help. Thank U for the content 😊
it is an intentional choice. that is why it is not hard for you to be this way..and those that wont have an issue have a more open mind and are not plagued by the mobility issues that furature can contribute to.
I appreciate your approach to health....however most Americans can't even bend over and tie their shoes. It's sad that the average person doesn't understand this principle. Flexibility is crucial.
As someone who sleeps on the floor and sits on the floor, my hobbies fit around high mobility, so my friends who are the same have no problem sitting on the floor. However I do have a couch for my mum as she is 65+ and used to sitting on a couch.
