The Foretelling of Modern-Day Trends by Airborne Furniture from the 1990s, Especially for the Millennial Generation
In the summer of 1998, as a 14-year-old from The Bronx, I stumbled upon an intriguing piece of furniture in a catalog called Just Nikki. The item in question was a shiny, futuristic, tree frog green inflatable chair, emblazoned with a vibrant blue and purple design. It was a symbol of the modernity I longed for, a far cry from the traditional furniture my parents owned.
Inflatable furniture was a novelty back then, a promise of a better life and a new century. The company Inflata, known for its pop art-inspired designs and logos from famous brands, was at the forefront of this trend. My chair, much like many others, featured South Park, Nickelodeon, and even Britney Spears imagery.
As a writer, business consultant, game developer, and jeweler, I found the perfect way to lounge in my inflatable chair. I would plant my butt directly in the center, with my legs hanging over the arm and the other arm propping me up. It was a unique experience, one that felt symbolic as I grew disillusioned with using a tire pump for lounging.
The Jell-O chair, as I dubbed it, held up surprisingly well. It survived the first two years of the Bush administration, despite the occasional patch-up with duct tape when a stray object ended its cloud-like form. However, it was more work than I was prepared for as a 19-year-old. A couch dumpstered from the curb was a more optimal choice for my lifestyle.
Inflatable furniture was a rare sight in the wild and did not seem to exist in as many homes as the catalogs suggested. I did not know anyone who had inflatable furniture. Yet, I let myself be duped by its cool-looking design. The late 1990s and early 2000s were a time when people could be easily hoodwinked with slick designs.
Looking back, my inflatable chair adventure seems like a blast from the past. Today, I seek the cutting-edge beauty of modern furniture without sacrificing utility. My inflatable chair may have been a novelty, but it taught me a valuable lesson about the fleeting nature of trends and the importance of practicality.
This article was originally published on Medium, where I write for law firms and businesses and am frequently featured in Reptiles magazine. Now, I reside in Los Angeles with a monitor lizard, living a life far removed from my inflatable chair days. Yet, the memories of that chair and the era it represented remain vivid, a testament to the power of nostalgia.
