Can “Keeping Up With The Joneses” Be Good?
by Katy on October 27, 2024 · 24 comments
My father and I visited with his friend Charles a few days ago and I found inspiration and a surprising sense of calm in his darling house. Not only was there a spectacular view of Mount Saint Helens, but the house had classic craftsman features, both in structure and furnishings. I’d been to the house multiple times as a kid, but wasn’t of an age to appreciate the details.
I sat in an antique rocking chair, while my father chose a gorgeous “Morris” chair. One we later learned had belonged to Charles’ grandparents. It reminded me that I too was in possession of a similar (trash picked) chair. Although a Morris chair by definition reclines back, I consider mine to be Morris adjacent.
Unfortunately, the seating on mine is eleven types of lumpy, although the leather does appear to be in excellent condition. I’ve thought about attempting the job on my own, but have hesitated as I’m scared to somehow ruin the chair.
Seriously, how pretty is this specimen?!
I drove away from the house with inspiration to reupholster my chair. Not on my own, but to hire it out. My financial outlay is starting at $0, which’ll help to balance out the cost of hiring a professional.
Another thing that jumped out at me was how Charles’ windows were absolutely immaculate — no schmutz or remnants of spattered rain — just shiny clear perfection. I may not live in a neighborhood with mountain views, but that doesn’t mean I can’t wield a bottle of windex as well as the the next person. So yes, I later pulled out a bottle of cleaner, (also garbage picked) cleaning cloths and got to work on my own windows.
“Keeping up with the Joneses” is rarely if ever presented as a positive trait, but seeing someone else’s home and aspiring to recreate certain aspects can actually be a perfectly fine thing. It’s not the same as buying a car you can’t afford or booking a whirlwind European vacation from a sense of competition and insecurity. The choice to repair a piece of furniture and clean windows came from inspiration, not envy.
I like my life, I just think I’d like it a little bit better with a comfortable antique chair and immaculate windows.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for the reminder that I need to wash my windows before really cold weather arrives.
You’re welcome!
Also need to finish washing our windows!
It would be great if you can find someone who can save the leather and restuff the chair. It’s just gorgeous. We found a local company that specializes in restuffing leather sofas and had our much used sofa redone. As a bonus, the company owner let us know that it was actually made by a posh Italian brand for Macy’s and very much worth saving.
I don’t think the leather needs anything more than some conditioning.
Hooray for restuffing instead of repairing your sofa!
A few years ago I noticed that four of my friends had beautiful quilts hanging in their homes while I had none. And all their quilts had been made by me! I hung a few in my own house the following week.
I’m impressed with your quilts without even seeing them as they’re apparently display-worthy!
@Mary in maryland – Oh, what a lovely tribute to you, and how wonderful that you took it and ran (home) with it – to copy your friends who were simply sharing the beauty you had shared with them. Aww, my heart!
I remember my daughter buying an upholstered bench for the end of her bed and I lamented that it had gorgeous material, but the padding was flat and it didn’t show well. The next time I visited she showed me the bench again and it was like new. She had removed the top, took the poly fill from a couple of bed pillows then fastened the gorgeous fabric back down again and it was beautiful. She had only paid a few dollars for it because it was so flat, but she could see the potential. I have since been similarly inspired to use the stuffing from old pillows to fill out some of my decorator pillows that were too pretty to throw out but had lost their pouf. Old pillows can still have a second life. Look around maybe you have something that needs new stuffing.
You daughter sounds both smart and inventive!
I had a rocking chair in the style of your chair.
My MIL had purchased it second hand when my SIL was born(61 years ago). She gave it to me when my children were babies .
Recently my SIL was newly single and furnishing her place. I gifted her this rocking chair and a leather chair and ottoman that had come from a second hand leather sectional set I had purchased when my family was growing up.
The sectional was in perfect shape when I purchased it except for one spot where someone had sat repeatedly in jeans.
No problem I had someone come in and reduce that one area. It looked great, you wouldn’t have known by looking that there had been wear to the leather.
Fast forward I’ve replaced that leather sectional with another one. This one sits in direct sunlight. No problem I’ve picked up two new leather refurbishment kits at “church” sales in the last few months ( one yesterday). Since it’s the back primarily faded I should be able to restore the leather with some experimentation.
So smart to refurbish instead of repair! Thank for reminding all of us that those produce exist.
Renew not reduce
We have a chair like that and so worth making as comfortable as possible. Can’t believe someone threw it out for you to find.
It was a lucky day!
Lindsey, I saw a rocking chair like the one in Katy’s photo at a church rummage sale. They were asking $250 for it….I didn’t buy it, even after they reduced it to half-price, though I love the style. Katy, I can’t even believe someone put it out with the trash, but thrilled you snagged it!
I love to be inspired by things I see and places I visit. I am even happier when I can recreate something with things I already have! We are thinking about moving back to the UK. One of the things on my “minus” list is the risk of being dragged back into the rampant over consumerism there. Finding the right community will be key. I don’t mind being a weirdo, I just don’t enjoy being the only weirdo LOL.
Thanks Katy, I now feel that I should wash my windows!!!!
This week I made soup with my pumpkin off cuts and some roasted tomatoes that are still ripening!
Mended two tops and continue to knit my daughter’s Xmas present with wool fromy stash that I was meant toknit something for her when she was tiny (9now!)
Making cross stitch xmas decorations as gifts for nephews, send one decoration every year, thread and material again from my stash.
Have cut off a sproti g piece of sweet potato, fallen to the back of the cupboard, it’s in a pot with damp kitchen roll and is now sprouting roots. Just need to keep it alive till the warmth of spring!!!!
Keep going gals and guys, frugal will one day rule the world…or at least stick it back together and clean it up a bit!!! Xx
If those nailheads are functional as opposed to decorative (hard to tell), you could pull them out with a catspaw and restuff the leather yourself easily. If the nailheads are no good after pulling them out, replacements are easy and cheap.
Katy, I like your take on keeping up with the Joneses!
We have a Mission style rocking chair (bought for a song at a yard sale decades ago) that needed some repairs to the wood arm and new springs and upholstery to the seat. A few years back my husband was trying to sell our old van and I realized the guy who wanted to buy it had done some chair repair/upholstery for us previously. In the end, he bought the van but we took less cash because we traded him to repair and reupholster the rocking chair. It has pride of place in our guest room.
My grandson (3) is currently wearing pajamas that my son wore 24 years ago. Today they need some new elastic. That’s all!
My daughter-in-law asked what fabric I already had for a throw pillow cover she wanted. She also asked me to remake a huge pregnancy body pillow into a variety of other pillows that she needs. I love to do those projects.
How lucky is she! Lovely when family appreciates your skills! Hope can bring a talent / gift of service to the table! I have a grand daughter, Jacinta, who brings a frequently unnoticed talent to the table, she notices when I need a loving boost, and it’s made such a difference in hard times, bless her big, loving heart!
Mt. Saint Helens! Katy, you and I are the same age and I remember when Mt Saint Helens was erupting when we were around 10 or 11 years old. I remember that I wanted a little jar of ASH sooooo badly. They were selling them at a local store where I lived in California. (Very much a CONSUMER purchase and I am so glad now that I never got it).
Thought of you yesterday when I was driving to a job and saw a FREE sign with a nice baby stroller and some used breastfeeding supplies, ready for the taking. Sold the stroller in less than 24 hours for $60. Craigs list porch pickup for the win. And the Dr Brown’s glass bottles, etc, are on eBay. Curb picked freebies made my whole weekend.
That chair is gorgeous. I hope you have it reupholstered. Will be perfect in your house.
I’m glad you’ve kept the Mission-style chair and are planning to make it more comfortable. I live in “Stickley country” and have often noticed that older chairs of this type don’t often make for comfortable sitting, for this very reason.