The master bedroom is very spacious, with the door facing north and a terrace to the south.
On the left-hand side as you enter—the northern side of the room—Su Ying plans to place a wardrobe. Adjacent to the wardrobe, she will position a bedside table and a 1.8-metre-wide bed. Su Ying has already decided to fit the bed with a vintage, princess-style canopy.
Although the canopy clearly clashes with the solid wood furniture in the room, it has been Su Ying’s dream since childhood, so she simply must have it.
A soft, fluffy rug must be placed between the wardrobe and the bed.
On the other side of the bed, Su Ying plans to arrange a dressing table and an adjustable desk in a straight line.
As for the foot of the bed, Su Ying had actually intended to leave it empty, but the space was simply too vast. After much deliberation, she finally decided to place a five-drawer chest and a double-tiered eight-compartment storage unit there, with a beanbag sofa in the south-west corner and a bookcase between the beanbag and the chest of drawers.
Perfect!
Su Ying applauded her own arrangements.
She didn’t even need to use a measuring tape to check if the room was big enough; there was plenty of room to spare, nothing was too tight.
Having sketched out a rough floor plan, Su Ying immediately headed out to a chain of solid wood furniture stores.
She’d heard of this particular shop whilst she was still working; amongst her company’s clientele, it was the sort of furniture favoured by the ‘middle class’—those with a certain taste and high standards for quality. Ordinary households would typically opt for custom-built furniture for the entire home, which would cost around two or three thousand at most. Even that sum would be passed through Su Ying’s renovation company, meaning the actual amount reaching the custom furniture supplier would be even less—hardly worth the trouble.
Moreover, in this industry, it wasn’t as simple as Su Ying paying a higher price to secure better quality timber; one needed both expertise and the right connections. In short, it was too complicated a business, so she decided it was better to buy ready-made solid wood furniture.
Going to a factory outlet to customise solid wood furniture is fraught with pitfalls too, so Su Ying, being both lazy and short on ideas, opted straight for this ready-made furniture chain.
There are certainly drawbacks: the prices are on the high side, there’s a lot of laminated wood, the finishing materials aren’t great, quality control is mediocre, and there are quite a few flaws. But there’s nothing she can do about it – after all, Su Ying doesn’t have the connections to deal directly with solid wood factory outlets.
Su Ying had originally planned to head straight to the solid wood furniture shop in Central Mall, but when they passed a Japanese restaurant that Luo Xin had previously visited, her appetite was instantly whetted. She asked to get out, but the driver refused, even after she repeatedly offered to pay the full fare.
In the end, Su Ying had no choice but to grit her teeth and be driven to Central Mall.
I really do need a car of my own.
Unfortunately, after her university entrance exams, Su Ying had been too busy working a summer job at a factory to earn living expenses to find the time to take her driving test. She had considered getting her licence during her university days, but had lost her resolve amidst the online chatter claiming that ‘a driving licence is the most useless piece of paper’, and so she never took it.
Su Ying planned to sign up for her driving test after the New Year, and as soon as she got her licence, she would buy a car! She would never have to put up with the hassle of hailing taxis again!
When Su Ying arrived at the furniture shop, it was lunchtime. There were no customers; only a sales assistant sat at the counter playing on her mobile. Upon seeing Su Ying enter, she merely glanced up without uttering a word.
She probably assumed Su Ying was just browsing, after all, even in this bustling city, it was rare for a young woman like Su Ying to be buying solid wood furniture on her own.
Su Ying was actually quite happy to have the place to herself.
With her hands in her pockets, she looked around, taking it all in. The showroom was laid out in a three-bedroom, one-living-room layout, and to be honest, it had quite an atmospheric feel to it.
However, Su Ying wasn’t entirely a complete novice; she knew a thing or two. For instance, the ceiling heights in shopping centres are higher than in typical residential areas, so whilst the furniture might look just right in the shop, replicating it exactly at home could feel a bit oppressive.
Take the lighting in the showroom, for instance; there’s a bit of a trick to it. Once at home, without the benefit of such lighting, the furniture can easily look rather lacklustre.
Or consider the solid wood furniture in the showroom—the grain patterns are all carefully selected, so one ought to lower one’s expectations considerably for the actual pieces one ends up with.
The solid woods most commonly chosen by the average person are essentially oak, cherry and North American black walnut.
Cherry has a warm feel and a fine grain, but its colour oxidises and turns red over time. Furthermore, as it is relatively soft, it is better suited for cabinetry.
Oak is affordable and offers excellent value for money, but it has poor water resistance and requires high maintenance; it may crack or warp.
North American black walnut has a smooth feel, natural grain and a rich texture. The downside is that it is slightly more expensive, and for a young girl of Su Ying’s age, another drawback is that the colour is a bit too sombre.
For Su Ying, who hadn’t won the lottery before, she was quite content to save up each year to buy a piece of cherry or oak furniture to gradually fill her home, but now…
Of course, she’s going all out for black walnut!
Su Ying fell in love with a bed at first sight. Instead of a standard solid wooden headboard, it was shaped like a cloud, with two ornate pillars either side—it was absolutely stunning. It instantly stole her heart.
“I’ll take this one!” Su Ying pointed at the bed with her index finger.
Her voice wasn’t particularly loud, but it carried clearly through the spacious, quiet showroom.
The sales assistant looked up from her mobile and turned to Su Ying, asking somewhat uncertainly, “What did you just say you wanted to buy?”
Su Ying pointed at the bed, raising her voice with a hint of excitement, “I want to buy this bed.”
The sales assistant blinked, immediately stood up, and strode over to Su Ying. Clasping her hands in front of her, she smiled and said, “This style comes in several materials. The one in the showroom is North American black walnut. Are you looking to buy the North American black walnut version?”
Su Ying nodded. “I want all the furniture I’ve set my heart on to be made of North American black walnut!”
Su Ying emphasised the words ‘North American’. North American black walnut was the real deal; so-called South American black walnut was a completely different matter. Although she knew a shop of this size wouldn’t pull any tricks, Su Ying still wanted to give herself some confidence, so she wouldn’t appear to be someone who could be fobbed off easily.
Upon hearing Su Ying’s words, the sales assistant’s smile grew even more sincere, and she began to give Su Ying a detailed introduction.
Su Ying waved her hand. “No need to explain. I’ll have a look myself. If I find something I like, I’ll buy it.”
The sales assistant immediately nodded with a smile. “Right, right. Please, take your time.”
Su Ying clasped her hands behind her back, tilted her head back, and began strutting around the showroom with an air of utter confidence.
It has to be said, it felt rather satisfying. Although she knew the sales assistant might be all smiles on the surface whilst secretly grumbling about her behind her back—
Stop, stop, stop! Su Ying quickly shook her head. Why did she always assume the worst?
Besides, as long as she was enjoying herself, what did it matter what others thought?
As well as the bed, Su Ying chose a matching bedside table. Originally, she’d thought one would be enough, but the matching bedside table was simply too beautiful, so she went ahead and bought the three-piece set.
She fell for a French vintage-style wardrobe with arched doors and a black walnut finish—elegant, truly elegant.
Su Ying couldn’t resist running her hand over it; it felt wonderfully smooth to the touch. Without a moment’s hesitation, she bought a wardrobe measuring 1.8 metres wide by 2.2 metres high.
Fearing she might forget, Su Ying took out her mobile and opened her notes app. Now it was time to move on to the dressing table.
For the dressing table, Su Ying chose a 1.1-metre-wide, all-in-one unit with a mirror. The design was very vintage. Although she felt she would likely need to buy a separate make-up mirror once she got it home, the dressing table was simply too beautiful; without the mirror, it would feel as though something was missing.
Most importantly, this dressing table was the perfect match for the bed she had bought—they went together beautifully.
As for the desk—which she’ll actually use as a computer desk—Su Ying didn’t opt for one with drawers. Although it never tripped her up in the showroom, she’s used to placing a small stool under her feet, and she didn’t want the risk of it getting in the way once she’d brought it home. She went straight for a 1.6-metre-long, 0.7-metre-wide office desk, which is more than ample for her needs. The only drawback is that the showroom didn’t stock any height-adjustable desks.
However, if she were to assemble it herself, the price would certainly be cheaper, though it would be a bit of a hassle. Moreover, the solid wood market is a mixed bag, and Su Ying wasn’t sure she could get her hands on genuine North American black walnut boards.
Not wanting the hassle, she opted for a ready-made desk that couldn’t be adjusted.
As for the chair, she didn’t intend to buy one from the shop; she planned to take her time and choose a proper ergonomic chair. After all, this would be her ‘workstation’ where she’d be sitting for long periods, so she wanted to be kind to her spine.
These were items she would use frequently in her daily life, so Su Ying took particular care in selecting them. As for the chests of drawers, shelving units and bookcases, which she was buying simply to fill the empty space in the room, Su Ying picked a few that looked passable; after all, being made of black walnut, they couldn’t be too bad even if they were of lower quality.
Su Ying ticked off ‘bedroom’ in her to-do list; the furniture was sorted. As for the soft furnishings, she’d have a browse on social media when she got back to see if there was anything worth taking inspiration from.
She turned to head for the checkout, only to suddenly realise she’d only sorted the bedroom – what about the rest?
What about the dining table and breakfast bar for the dining room?
She rather liked the design of the breakfast bar. The top section featured a combination of closed display units and open shelving, whilst the storage area at the bottom had three-drawer units on either side and double doors in the centre. The worktop was made of black stone, giving it a very high-quality feel; Su Ying had fallen for it at first sight.
She even fantasised about the scene of the worktop laden with an air fryer, a microwave and a thermos flask, before pouring herself a cup of hand-ground—oh no, instant—soya milk.
She’d originally planned to buy a smaller tabletop, but given the size of the dining area, she followed the sales assistant’s advice and opted for a 0.8 x 1.4 metre one. However, when it came to choosing matching chairs, the sales assistant asked in disbelief, ‘Are you only buying one chair?’
Su Ying glanced at the price tag on the chairs: over 800 yuan each, nearly a thousand. One chair would be enough; what else would she need so many for, apart from storing clutter?
If it was for clutter, such a large table would easily accommodate it all.
The sales assistant pressed further: “What if you have guests over? Surely your family and friends can’t just sit on the floor when they come to visit?”
Faced with the sales assistant’s persistent questioning, Su Ying grew a little impatient: “Can’t you sell the chairs separately?”
The sales assistant paused for a moment: “Of course.”
“Then that’s settled.” Su Ying was completely unconcerned; she had no intention of letting her relatives know she’d bought a flat. As for her friends… Su Ying’s mind flashed briefly with the image of her senior brother, Su Jiayu, but the thought vanished in an instant.
The moment she imagined how elegant, sophisticated and high-class this furniture would look in her home, Su Ying’s face lit up with delight.