We then opted to search for affordable furniture on Craigslist.com. However after browsing through local listings, we only found expensive second-hand sofa sets or half dilapidated sofa that were free of cost. We figured that most people would not find much comfort in dirty and obviously second-hand furniture so Craigslist was not much help.

However, we didn't give up on our initial idea of creating an intimate living room atmosphere thus we decided to go with patio furniture instead since it was more practical and less likely to be damaged. Before we wanted to go too deeply into our furniture search, we asked for approval from campus planning for our project. Apparently someone’s spam filter was set too high and all of our emails were sent to the trash so we did not receive a response until much later. Due to the tardiness in response, we were told that we could not undergo our project without contacting the office of disabilities since our location would not be “wheelchair accessible.” We decided to ignore such unwelcoming emails and contacted the Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator as well as the director and associate director of Transportation and Parking. After receiving approval from all of the departments, we returned to our search for the right furniture.

- The Parisienne Collection -                                                - The Panamei Collection -

  -vs- 

We resumed our search for furniture at Target because we knew that they had an affordable variety of colorful lawn furniture. At Target we stumbled upon various lounge sets. Our number one choice was the Panamei collection, which was made of a lively green fabric. Apparently we weren’t the only ones who fancied the Panamei collection since there wasn’t a single available set found in any of the Target stores located in San Diego’s North County! We settled for the Parisienne Collection, which was made of a bright red-orange color. Since we were aware of the rather generous return policies that Target had, we decided to go all out and buy the complete “deep conversation set,” which consisted of a loveseat, two rocking chairs, and a table ottoman along with a gazebo and two 3-piece Bistro sets.

To make the place look more homey and more like a living room we decided to purchase games such as chess, checkers, and Connect Four. But what about those who want to sit on the floor but still be under the shade? To accommodate floor sitters without interrupting the social vibe in the outdoor living room, we placed a bamboo mat in the middle of the living room. For those who like having full sun exposure while sitting in the grass, thick pillows were placed around the gazebo as additional seating. We considered adding magazines and newspapers to the living room, but then decided not to since such amenities would promote individual activities more so than group activities. Instead the bistro sets were turned into two sets of game tables. Chess/Checker boards were taped onto the table where the game pieces were attached to the side of the table to encourage everyone to sit down and play a quick game of checkers or a longer game of chess.

We also decided that without assistance or guidance, no one would want to sit in the living room. Therefore to solve this dilemma we made signs that encouraged everyone to take a seat and/or play a game or two. Three signs were set up on the sidewalks around the living room so people walking from all directions could be able to read the signs.