When I moved into my current apartment over a year ago, I didn't have a sofa anymore. I thought at first that I would acquire one, but I ended up finding some nice big floor cushions for a good price and made the conscious decision to orient my living room toward a lower point-of-view.

I now have what I call "The Un-Couch" -- a pile of floor cushions, floor pillows, and assorted other pillows that rearranges to provide seating, laying, or lounging support for 2 to 4 people, depending on what you do with it.

It's even organized neatly around a little faux-Japanese rug with dragonflies on, which I found at Target.

For a long time, I've been growing increasingly pleased with my floor-based lifestyle, but I've also discovered some pitfalls.

1) Outside of Japan and its surrounding neighbors, it is virtually impossible to find a good size low-lying table appropriate for eating or working. Unless, of course, you want to spend several hundred dollars or more. As a rule, American coffee tables don't work -- they tend not to have space for legs to protrude beneath them.

So far, I've resigned myself to eating meals at the dinner table, or sitting in the solitary chair with a small folding table. If I could only find a good floor-oriented table, I could sell off the dinner table and open up a lot of room.

My mission now is to find an importer that carries a kotatsu at a reasonable price. If you haven't encountered a kotatsu before, it's a brilliant idea -- a low, wide square table with a heating element underneath. In the winter, you put a big futon blanket on that skirts around the edges and keeps your feet warm and toasty under the table. Next best thing to a fire in the fireplace. In summer, ditch the blank and heater and just use the table. If anyone has a lead for finding one in the US, or getting it here cheaply, let me know.

2. Technological doodads are invariably designed with a chair-seated audience in mind. For example, my new rear-projection television (just arrived today!), which is noticeably dimmer when sitting or reclining on the floor / UnCouch than when sitting in the chair. As a result, daytime viewing of darker scenes includes distracting on-screen reflections of objects in the room. If I sit in the chair, no such problem. I suppose I should have got an old-fashioned glass-tube, but this one was an incredible deal. It's 43 inches and HDTV for only a shade more than I almost spent on a 32-inch Sony Wega to replace my 15-year-old ancient 21" RCA.

3. Renting an apartment with carpet is not such a bright idea when attempting a floor-based lifestyle. Things do spill. Constantly. Luckily, my carpet is very short and easily cleaned. Still, it makes the whole wooden-floor / tatami mat Japanese aesthetic make a lot of practical sense when you think about it.

4. If you have a cat (or other pet) who sheds copious amounts of hair, little clouds of it will be constantly migrating around the room to annoy you and get in your food / mouth. You had better love your pet.

5. If someone moves out of the apartment next door and you are suddenly invaded by ants, they will take advantage of your proximity to their floor-based domain to bite you with greater frequency.

So I'd definitely recommend it as an option...something different to do with your living room. And I hope that some of the information above will help you avoid some of the more annoying situations I've encountered.