Things that keep a house in order

Where the furniture takes the most wear

A chair rarely wears out all over at once. The fabric thins on the flat of the seat and along the two arms where hands rest every afternoon. Putting a faux leather chair pad on the cushion and matching covers over the arm rests protects the original upholstery underneath. It saves a good chair from being recovered before its time. Quilted pillow covers do the same quiet job for bed pillows under their daily pillowcases.

How the piece comes off for washing

Before choosing a cover, look at how it attaches and what it takes to clean it. A chair pad lifts straight off the seat when crumbs get under it. Arm rest covers slip over the ends and stay in place until they need a wipe with a damp cloth. Zippered pillow covers enclose the pillow fully, which keeps the ticking clean and lets the outer cover go straight into the wash with the regular laundry.

Reading numbers from across the room

Some pieces belong on a side table or a wall rather than a chair. A big screen atomic clock sets its own time and holds digits large enough to read from across the kitchen without crossing the floor. The portable traveling timer sits beside a chair to track baking or laundry in the other room. Both exist to show the time clearly so nobody has to walk over to check.