It’s been a dang long time since we’ve done anything in the guest room, which we scrambled to get ready for my mom’s stay over two years ago. Can you believe that was two years ago? Crazy. Anyway, we’ve always thought that the grabbed-it-that-day-in-a-panic mirror over the bed from Target could stand to be a little bigger since it blends into those dark walls so much and the reflected circle that it sports seems a little tiny for that big bed under it (even if we beefed up the trim or added starburst-like details around it we worried the actual size of the mirror was still a little piddly).
And you know we’re no strangers to tweaking things over the years (more on that here) so we kept our eyes peeled for a larger mirror that might work better. Yup, we’ve spent two years sort of passively (and sometimes actively) looking for a mirror. Is that some kind of record? We just didn’t want to jump the gun and grab the wrong thing again. Then I saw this guy on Joss & Main (called The Charles Mirror if that helps anyone hunt it down) and boom. Love at first sight. Everything from the bright white color (which ties into the curtains) and the fun bamboo shaped frame (which relates to the bamboo side table made from an old luggage rack) to the size (this baby’s three honking feet wide) was perfect for the room.
The only scary part was the price. It was $169 with free shipping. So we hemmed and hawed (we’re used to spending around $60 on a mirror at Hobby Lobby, HomeGoods, or even finding one for $5 at a yard sale). Then we admitted to ourselves that we loved the mirror, and it was exactly what we’d been looking for over the past 700 days. Most of all, we worried if we didn’t spring for it that we’d spend another two years looking for something else, so we pulled the mirror trigger.
The new guy definitely fills out that wall better and balances out the window on the left of that wall (the dark wall above the bed felt weirdly heavy next to such a light and bright window when it was sporting the darker & smaller mirror).
Here’s a before shot from a similar angle so you can see what we mean. In person it was even more off-kilter looking (so much light flooded into the window but not much light was reflected by that tiny round mirror). In person it felt like “HI I’M A WINDOW!!!” and “psst, I’m a mirror” – so it’s nice to have a new one that fills out the wall in a more compatible way.
As two pretty frugal folks, sometimes it’s hard to decide when to splurge – and we’ve actually received requests from you guys for a post on that, so let’s dive into that for a hot second. Since 95% of the time we do things the cheap way (shopping on craigslist and at thrift stores, cutting each others hair, cloth diapering, driving one car, DIYing as much as we can, etc) we like to remind ourselves that splurging every once in a while is ok too, especially for something that proves to be especially hard to find or is even more via most other retailers (most mirrors of this size are a lot more actually, like this 3′ wide mirror that’s on sale for $499 at Ballard!).
So I guess our answer to that common “when do you know when to splurge” question can be summed up by these few questions:
- Do we have the cash to pay for this? (we pay off our credit card in full each month, so if we don’t have the money on hand that purchase is a no-go)
- Do we think we can find something that we like just as much for less? (after two years of looking the answer was a resounding “NO!” – haha)
- Have we checked craigslist, freecycle, and local thrift stores regularly to see if anything there pops up? (we did this every few weeks for months to no avail)
- Can we build it? (even though we thought we might be able to DIY a similar looking frame with lots of time/mitered cuts, it was hard to find any round mirror this large with a rim/frame that we could alter)
- Is the item still a good value? (seeing other retailers selling mirrors of the same size for much more made us feel like this wasn’t a bad price for something so detailed/large)
- Have we saved money in other ways that make this purchase feel justified? (obviously if we had just booked a vacation or spent a ton of money on something else we would have passed, but since we hadn’t, it felt nice to “treat ourselves” in the always awesome words of Tom Haverford…
But back to the mirror. Once once we got over our nervousness and ordered it, we were excited to get it up on the wall when it arrived. So imagine our surprise when it showed up without any hanging hardware on the back! It freaked us out for a good minute or two before we realized we could fix that little issue pretty easily.
Thankfully it had a nice thick wood frame back there, so we grabbed one of those packets of heavy duty metal hanging hooks that can be drilled in with two screws so they’re extra sturdy (we found ours for $2 at JoAnn but they also sell them at Home Depot, etc). We screwed two screws into each of the two hooks, which we attached in the same spot on both sides so it would hang nice and straight. Then, ta-da, it was ready to hang.
John held it up on the wall and shifted it around with the headboard still on the bed while I stood back and said “an inch to the left, wait, a little higher!” and then after we marked the wall for the two heavy duty anchors and screws that we added to hold it up, we removed the headboard and the pillows so they wouldn’t be in the way while we got to work hanging the mirror.
Then we added back the headboard…
… and the pillows.
Cowabunga, dude. Come on guys. Let’s bring back cowabunga.
So that’s a little update in a room that we haven’t touched for two years. What are your rules for when to splurge? Do you ask yourself a ton of questions first or is it just something that you go with your gut on? Sometimes I hate that we over-analyze everything, but in the end I think our bank account thanks us for it…
There is no appropriate place for this comment so….
Last night I had a dream that I showed up late for a party at your house. Everyone had left, but I had stuck around to “ooooh and ahhhh” at your floor to ceiling shelves (yes, plural) neatly filled with vintage ceramic animals. When asked why this corner had never been posted on your blog, you said, “We have to keep some secrets around here.” Also, the walls were hot pink. Thinking of painting soon? :)
I clumsily knocked over two of the shelves, leaving many animals shattered on the ground. Let’s just say you were was not so happy, leaving me to scour the floor for every missing piece before I could leave. Sorry for killing your ceramic animals in my dream!
Ps. Love the blog.
Haha, that’s hilarious! I like the “we have to keep some secrets around here” thing, I wish we had a whole secret room (possibly filled with ceramic animals…). Hah!
xo
s
Gotta treat yourselves once in a while. And definitely love Joss & Main. Thanks for sharing some tips on knowing when to splurge. I am working on getting to the point of paying my credit card off every month- that is so impressive!
You guys! Again — with the semi-obscure, but spot-on comedy reference my friends never get! I make reference to TREAT YO-SELF at least once a fortnight (yeah, I wrote that) and no one ever responds like Tom or Donna might.
Le sigh. You guys get me.
Gorgeous mirror — great fit for the room — so glad you treated yo-selves!
I really liked this post. Not only was the mirror a definite win, I liked that you addressed when to splurge when to save. I didn’t realize how “meh” the old mirror was until you replaced it with the new. I was just thinking you could paint it lighter like others, but as you noted the mirror itself just wasn’t a good fit.
I always justify a splurge on a unique item by saying “it speaks to me,” :) looks like this mirror definitely spoke to you two! Plus it’s a style and color that I think you can incorporate in other rooms or with other styles down the road as things change, another plus for when to splurge.
Wow, one small change, one tremendous impact! It’s perfect! But, please add a close-up photo of the front of the mirror! We can’t really see the bamboo detail.
I’ll have to snap a detail pic or two for you soon!
xo
s
My thought on splurging is that you save in so many other areas that its perfectly acceptable to splurge on something that you love and makes you happy. Good buy!
Love the new mirror. It looks stunning in that room against the dark blue walls. Makes such a difference compared to the old one.
xo quinn
Quinn Cooper Style
Well worth the money! What a difference a small change can make!
LOVE the mirror!!! Fits the wall just right. Also love the crown molding in the room. We have to get our butts in gear and finally add crown to our whole house. Only our Family Room is done. When it comes to purchasing anything I always ask myself “do I really need this”, “will it really help the space” and “do I really love it”. We will spend the money if all of those answers are “yes”. ;)
I’m on board – let’s bring back Cowabunga! ps. def love the mirror upgrade/splurge. Well worth it :)
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I LOVE this room! I would just move right in if I could. The room was already so colourful and happy, the new mirror just adds to that!
It’s hard to believe how much a difference one thing can make. That mirror is perfect and sets the room so nicely.
I’d say that was a perfect splurge!
Love that mirror and it is perfect for that space. Worth every penny and then some. Love it!!
Love the mirror! And the TMNT are back….so why not Cowabunga!??
Amen!
xo
s
The mirror and crown molding really, really has me thinking the room is finally out of the ‘middle makes no sense’ stage for me. (I never quite saw the vision for such a bold colour on the wall, though I totally applauded you both for going for it. No use getting stuck in a rut!). Happy Graduation, guest room!
Aw thanks Kathryn!
xo
s
Gorgeous mirror! I love the way it fills up and brightens that wall. It really was worth the splurge! TREAT YO SELF! :)
What a huge difference. Love it. Crown molding, too. My hubby don’t know it yet, but I’ve crown molding on the mind for a while now. Not too sure he’ll be willing, so it might just be hired out when he’s on one of his trips. He likes coming home to surprises that he doesn’t have to do, ha!
Yikes, excuse the English! It should be My husband DOESn’t…
Haha, I knew what you meant!
xo
s
Love it! And I totally think we should bring cowabunga back. Maybe it just needs a little update like “cowabunga, baby!” since the “dude” immediately harkens back to teenage mutant ninja turtles? I say do it, $herdog! ;)
Haha, how about: cowabunga y’all!
No?
xo
s
I think that is still my favorite room in your house! I love it so much!!! Now it looks even BETTER :)
LOVE this!! And it looks like it could be an easy DIY. It fits perfectly in the space.
The problem with Joss and Main is that their names for stuff isn’t the actual title. I was thinking about buying a specific rug and it popped up several times during the months I was considering it. Each time it had a different name (and weirdly, a different price).
Aw man, that’s rough!
xo
s
It looks really ice in there. I have to say, I never noticed the other mirror in the room from your old pictures.
It looks beautiful… I appreciate the detailed account of your thinking (and doing) processes. I can’t tell you how many projects we have pending, and for how many months or (cough) years some of them have been pending for.
I read through your book in one sitting. Your warmth and humor really came through.
I haven’t read through all your archives, may be in there already, but I think it would be interesting to have a tour of your workshop area, list of essential tools, paint organization, etc. I’ve bought hammers and picture hanging supplies repeatedly because I can’t find the ones I previously bought.
Aw thanks so much Tess! You’re so sweet. As for our workshop area and a tour of what tools/gadgets we like to use (to hang things for example), I love that idea! We’ll have to write that up!
xo
s
It always amazes me how when you make one little switch how it changes how I see the rest of the room. That white mirror makes all the other white in the room pop out more to me, it was the same thing when you were tweaking the kitchen. I love the new look.
I am loving this swap! The new mirror is perfect, and worth the “splurge”…especially since it was so reasonable compared to other mirrors. I generally follow your same rules when it comes to making a large purchase…and since most of the furniture in our home is Craigslisted or purchased on sale…I think it’s okay to make a guilt free buy every once in a while. :)
What a transformation! Were you nervous to drill/screw into the wood knowing a mirror was on the other side? I would have been so scared!
Thankfully it was a really thick wood frame (the mirror didn’t extend behind that part of the frame so we could breathe – haha!).
xo
s
Another justification for a splurge: it’s the only thing in the room. I paid almost $200 for our retro hallway light fixture which is a lot for me but I LOVE IT. And it’s the only decorative thing in the hallway so it really stands out.
Ooh smart!
xo
s
I love everything about this room. It looks so luxurious and inviting for any guest who may happen to visit!
Love love love- awesome find! It totally brightens up the room and looks amazing! :)
The floral cushions’ pillowcases are the same fabric used by Sarah Richardson in the east guest bedroom of her cottage!
No way! They’re from Pottery Barn :)
xo
s
Loove Parks and Rec! I thought about this episode when I recently splurged on a new Michael Kors bag. Everyone deserves a “Treat Yo Self” day! The new mirror was worth it, looks great!
Wow, it’s amazing what an improvement a white mirror makes to the whole room! Looks amazing!! I die.
I love when such a small thing (changing out a mirror) makes such a big impact! So nice!
Your bold guest room inspired me when I picked out a paint color for my son’s room! I envisioned a dark, peacock-ish blue and you took away the (sometimes agonizing) process of bringing home a bunch of paint chips and debating which to choose! I just went with Martha Stewart Plumage and we’ve loved it ever since.
Can I share the before and after of his Plumage colored room here?!
http://ricedesigns.wordpress.com/2012/09/06/gabes-bedroom-makeover/
He’s since moved into a big boy bed and we’re in the process of making him a big boy room.. and I still love the color as much as the day I painted it! So thanks!
Love that room makeover! Gabe is a lucky boy!
xo
s
I love, love, love the mirror. It really does make a huge difference!!!
But what I really love? Is Treat Yo ‘Self. I love me some Parks & Rec – in fact, I’m pretty sure I say Treat Yo ‘Self at least once a week. One of my favorite episodes!
Right behind you with cowabunga, dude. I may or may not have used that word shortly before losing my v-card many moons ago. (Can’t believe I’m telling you that but hey… why not?! It’s funny!)
Love the new mirror!
Haha, I love it Mel!
xo
s
Seriously love it! Totally worth it :)
What a great change!! Amazing how much brighter and more balanced the room looks:)
Love the parks and rec reference!
We soooo need to bring back Cowabunga! The new TMNT show (which is absolutely adorable and hilarious by the way; perfect for my 4-year-old), has decided to ditch Cowabunga and uses Booyakasha instead. I was like, “Huh?” lol
But love the lovely mirror!
No way! Booyakasha?! This I gotta see.
xo
s
My husband & I just introduced our 3 year old son to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, & have all been running around yelling cowabunga! haha Definitely bring it back!!
Haha, way to keep it alive Molly!
xo
s
Why did you want to stick with a mirror over the bed instead of maybe trying a painting? I understand you wanted to reflect the light around the room since the walls are dark but a painting would brighten the room too, right? I am not disagreeing with your choice. Just trying to learn techniques since I’ll soon be buying my first house!
Your guest room has always been my favorite room in your house. I love all the bold pattern and color, and this mirror is perfect!
Yes, yes, yes!! Money WELL spent considering how much the mirror does for the room. I’m actually surprised how much one small change like that (in my opinion) completely transforms the room. It looks much more bright.
Cowabunga!
I had a Snoopy t-shirt when I was a kid and he was saying, “Cowabunga!” on it. I’m ready to bring it back too…
Haha, bring it back Patty!
xo
s
WOW – i love it! i have to admit, i wasn’t a fan of this room – it felt like a lot going on but this mirror really makes a difference! i think some subtle curtains with maybe delicate yellow details would be nice and i can’t wait to see you do up the bare wall above the chairs.
You’re making me wish I didn’t live in earthquake country. A big mirror would look lovely over our bed, but I’m skittish about anything heavy over my head in case a temblor strikes in the middle of the night! Right now I’m looking for some kind of pretty tapestry or fabric hanging to put up. Pretty and won’t kill us in our beds. ;)
I live in earthquake country too: have you tried either: DIYing a light, driftwoody mirror? I’ve seen some that are pretty darn light! Combine that with maybe pulling out your bed a bit from the wall, and hang the mirror fairly low/close to your headboard so that it would be prone to fall straight down behind your bed? Just a thought!
My heart skipped a beat, it looks so perfect!!!
That mirror looks so lovely and does a great job helping your eye move around the room, connecting the white accents. Sometimes it is so worth it to spend a little extra coin for a luxe touch.
I’ve had a few battles hanging objects with those D-ring hangers until I figured out to use a single large piece of painters tape to template the position of the rings and transfer it to the wall to mark and drill. Posted my little tip here, http://happilyhomeafter.blogspot.com/2011/09/tips-for-working-with-d-ring-hangers.html
I definitely heard a toddler say Cowabunga this last weekend. I believe if we start them young like that, Cowabunga has a the potential for a strong comeback! Our youth hold the keys to the interjection-filled future!
someone else beat me to it….”and then we added the headboard….and some crown molding!” lol LOVE LOVE LOVE the mirror it was exactly what that room seemed to need. i would have spent the money too. great find!