Might there be a shift in how we think about furniture? You used to run into people who&#x27;d have stuff that was passed down the generations, and not just in wealthy homes. It seems to have been a necessity for poor young couples, and a lot of old stuff seems to have been hand crafted.<p>Nowadays, you can change every piece of furniture in the house for a few hundred bucks. There&#x27;s constantly something new at IKEA, and you don&#x27;t want to care if the kid scratches your dining table. You also want it to be easy to clean, and if you&#x27;re moving house you can just throw out the old stuff.