A few years ago, I came across Maxwell Ryan’s theory on “carbohydrate” versus “protein” furniture in his book The Eight-Step Home Cure. It succinctly captured something I’d always felt about living spaces but had never been able to describe.
Carbohydrate furniture is basically your Ikea, Overstock, Target, and Wayfair purchases. As Mr. Ryan describes it: “relatively stylish, inexpensive furniture that is made of pressboard, plywood, and veneer with faux finishes to mimic solid wood.”
On the other hand, protein furniture is solid wood, likely handmade. (In my own life, I’ve extended it to include upholstery furniture; sofas, chairs, and rugs made out of natural materials, preferably handmade as well.)
Carbohydrate furnishings might fill your space now, but they’ll leave you wanting in a few years as the veneer scrapes off, cushions no longer fluff, fabric pills. Protein furniture lasts, and you’ll even be able to pass it down someday.
It’s kind of a great analogy.
I’d add that a room that’s filled with carbohydrate furniture just feels different than a room with a mix of both. Like that Ikea showroom effect. You can feel when your sideboard is so flimsy you could pick it up (or maybe it’s so flimsy it actually shifts and rattles if you merely bump into it.)
He recommends a mixed carb+protein home. As you look around the rooms in your home, try to achieve a 60-40 ratio of protein furnishings to carb furnishings (especially in any rooms that you feel uncomfortable in or that you don’t use that often). A carb-heavy living room feels light and temporary. A mixed-diet living room feels grounded.
Ok ok, so obviously, we buy carb furniture because we don’t have the money for protein furniture. This is only partially true. When I’ve had to fill spaces quickly on a minimal budget, it’s always a good idea to buy carb upholstery furniture and seek out used furniture stores and garage sales for protein tables, chairs, and shelves. (This is purely for moth and smell reasons. I like upholstery brand new.)
So, if you’ve got an Ikea sofa, pair it up with an antique rug and used coffee table. Or, an antique bed frame with Ikea mattress and Ikea rug. Or, as in our apartment, large Ikea closets and cheap West Elm side tables paired up with a velvet down sofa, heavy leather ottoman, and solid wood credenza.
I think once you give yourself the vocabulary of understanding what you’re putting in your home, you can figure out why certain rooms may not feel right or function right. Thanks, Mr. Ryan for such a fun and practical analogy!
