Encouraging Long-Term Use of Furniture by Promoting Strong User Attachment: Exploring How Design Can Enable Longevity and Stewardship.

Abstract

In the context of rising environmental concerns and a fast-paced culture of consumption, the short lifespan of everyday objects, furniture included, has become both a design problem and a societal symptom. This thesis explores how design can be used as a tool to counteract disposability by promoting longer use time through the creation of strong mutual relationships between the user and furniture. Rather than focusing solely on durability in a technical sense, the project adopts a holistic approach that considers emotional attachment, material aging, functional adaptability, and the evolving role of furniture in everyday life. The research is grounded in a multi-layered design process that combines literature studies, theoretical frameworks such as Patrick Jordan’s "pleasures of design" and Jonathan Chapman’s "emotional durability," as well as observational analysis and iterative prototyping. Insights from this process inform two design concepts: a modular shelving system that adapts to changing spatial and user needs, and a multifunctional stool that invites interaction, reinterpretation, and emotional connection. Both designs serve as speculative yet functional answers to the question: How might furniture be designed so that people not only use but also choose to keep? By framing longevity as an ongoing relationship rather than a fixed attribute, this work proposes that design can extend the relevance and presence of furniture in people’s lives. When objects are designed not just to serve, but to resonate, evolve, and stay meaningful over time, they become more than things: they become companions in daily life. In doing so, design takes on a stewardship role, encouraging care, retention, and a deeper sense of value. This thesis argues that meaningful relationships with furniture are not a sentimental ideal, but a future design strategy in the pursuit of sustainability.