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…
Stephanie says
Wow! What a transformation. I kind of figured you guys would spray that puppy white at some point. It just goes to show, sometimes splurging on what you L-O-V-E, really pays off! Besides, if you ever wanted to move that around at some point, it’s such a versatile piece. I agree that I thought you changed the bedding too. Nice touch for spring! So bright and happy now! :)
Gabriella @ Our Life in Action says
Now that really did brighten things up. I barely noticed there was a mirror on the wall before (don’t know how I missed it but my eye was drawn from the dark wall to the bright curtains and headboard. The new mirror looks amazing!
Anna P. says
Love the mirror. Quick question. How do you mark the spots where the hooks are on the back? I’m having issues with that lately. I can mark the top, but is there a trick for figuring out how far down in back you need to put the nails to catch the part that it hangs on?
Also, would love to hear more about how you guys manage to save/budget money. Having issues with that too. Hard to be patient when you want to change everything in the house!
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
We just measure down from the top of the mirror to where the hooks are so we can mark that on the wall. Hope that makes sense!
xo
s
katie says
I hate decorating and you guys make me want to remodel every part of my home.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Katie, you’re sweet.
xo
s
Sam Peri says
You just made the right choice! I really don’t like small rounded mirrors in bedrooms. If you watch the movie, “THE RING”, then you will understand what I am saying. lol :-D
Heather says
I am just cracking up at the “treat yo’ self” reference. I have a hard time buying for myself (but not for my hubs or kids) and after walking around store for 30 minutes I finally say, “Treat yo’ self”! I may or may not come home and have a meltdown after that!
Jenn says
OMG. My sister has been quoting that Parks & Rec episode to me for a long time and I’ve never seen it. SO THANKS! HA!
Melissa says
I mean….I’m game for bring back “Cowabunga” if you all are game for helping me bring back “NOT!” :)
Amy says
Cowabunga indeed! It looks great! I love the crisp white and how much light it brings to that side of the room. You 2 are really good at using mirrors to smartly decorate a space- I always forget that they can add as much as a good piece of art!
Your guest room is still one of my favorite overall “spaces” so i’m glad you decided to TREAT YO SELF and do the space justice!
Paige says
It looks great! What color is your guest room room? I love it! Love the teal with the yellow. So fresh and so welcoming for guests. Really lovely!
YoungHouseLove says
It’s Plumage by Martha Steward (a dark teal color).
xo
s
Jenn says
It makes me happy to know that you, too, have a hard time spending over $60 on something home décor-related. I often wonder “How do people justify spending SO much on a little thing?” but sometimes, just one little thing makes a room complete. I am currently trying to decide on some runners for our hallways on Joss & Main, and I keep waffling on the price, but I know it will “finish” off our halls if that makes sense.
Lindsay says
So Pretty!
And I actually *do* understand what you mean about using the level, but I must admit that when I read you were using a level to hang something circular, my brain exploded.
Hanging something round? It’s going to be level no matter WHAT you do! hehe. (Like I said, I DO understand what you mean, it just sounds funny!) :)
Great update to the room!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I just meant that we didn’t want the sunrburst pattern to slope to one side or not be centered :)
xo
s
Morgan says
I am generally a lurker, but I had to comment to say TREAT YO SELF! :) I love that clip from Parks and Rec.
Iris says
Do you use anything special under your furniture legs to prevent them from leaving heavy indentations into your rugs? I currently use just the 3M felt pads, but it doesn’t seem like enough. I have a jute rug, and don’t think I can “fluff” it back up. Sorry, unrelated to the mirror, but your picture with the bed over the rug reminded me.
YoungHouseLove says
We don’t – with wool rugs it seems like an ice cube (just put it in the dent and let it melt) is all it takes for it to floof back up, so that’s my trick :)
xo
s
Katie says
I love that mirror, and that’s not a bad price any way! I also find it so hard to know when to relax and spend a bit more, sometimes I’m sure I can get something cheaper when really I can’t.
I actually have a post scheduled for tomorrow (Just discovered scheduling, love it!) on our budgeting and how we manage to furnish our rented home for next to nothing while still saving up for the deposit to buy our own place
tenantchic.blogspot.co.uk
Kelly K says
Cowabunga, indeed! You guys nailed it with that mirror. Makes a huge difference in that room.
Emily says
Treat yo’self is one of my favvvvorite parks & rec moments! I always say that to my husband when we buy something we don’t need but REALLY want. haha! Love it!
John says
If I want to splurge on something I’ll think how many bags of mulch would that buy? A guy thing.
YoungHouseLove says
Hilarious!
xo
s
Karly says
Mirrors…..Mimosas….Fine Leather Goods…..Treat Yo Self!
YoungHouseLove says
Hahah!
xo
s
Hampshire Furniture says
The new mirror makes such a difference and was definitely worth the investment. The smaller dark mirror is cute, but the white mirror just transcends the whole room. Great points on knowing when to splurge too. My main concern is always with quality, I’d rather spend more money and have less stuff, if that stuff is really high-quality and will last forever.
Liz says
Seeing as I am of the Ninja Turtles generation, I am totally in favor of bringing back COWABUNGA!!!
I love that mirror. I didn’t know what was missing above my own bed until I found my current mirror for $20 at Big Lots…super steal and matches my bed perfectly :)
Donna says
I actually find that it’s the cheaper, bought-on-the-fly purchases I most end up regretting, with the more expensive items I love more each day. Probably because I will only part with the beans if I really, really love it ( and can afford it ), and have given some serious thought to before buying. So it seems to me, this is a solid investment piece for you guys that will make you happy every time you see it. BTW, it looks gorgeous!
lisacng @ expandng.com says
Great tips on when to save and when to splurge. The last thing we splurged on was a TV stand that cost over $600. We are most IKEA people, so this was definitely out of our comfort zone. But we weighted poor quality wood from IKEA, having to put the darn thing together, and having found nothing like this $600 TV stand for like 2 weeks and went for it. We love it and so glad we got it. It’s sturdy and beautiful. Great looking mirror! The point that would have gotten me to buy is also that 3′ mirrors from other retailers are even more expensive.
JenB says
Great mirror! It looks so great in there.
Do you ever get nervous hanging heavy items on the wall? It scares me to death! I’m sure with the 2 anchors you used, absolutely fine but I’m just too paranoid. We also have plaster walls, which seem to chip when I hammer a nail in the wall for a simple photograph. We’ve been in this house two years and it’s my first experience with plaster walls. I’m almost afraid to touch them!
YoungHouseLove says
We just look at the weight limit, which bring us lots of peace of mind (a lot of times it’ll say “up to 50lbs” and item we’re hanging is like 12lbs or something).
xo
s
Mary says
Best line of this post: “Come on guys. Let’s bring back cowabunga.”
Ha ha ha.
The mirror looks great.
Laura says
Great change. It lightens the room so much. Good job.
bridget b. says
If I’ve been looking for something for a long time with no results, I don’t feel as bad about spending more when the perfect object does come along. Our most recent splurge was a sideboard that I turned into a media storage cabinet.
Also, since I have so little free time, if it would be way harder to DIY something than to buy it already in the format I want, I’ll usually spend the money.
Steph says
I would like to marry that mirror. Is that weird? Eh, I don’t care either way. It’s bea-u-tiful.
I’m currently planning to splurge on paying my cousin to paint my house. I’ve hemmed and hawed on it for months because I know it’s something I could do myself. But tbh, I just don’t want to. It’s big and the person who painted before did a crappy job. It’d just be so time consuming to do & there’s just little old me. Add in a 9to5 and a social life.
So I’ve finally convinced myself to just have him do it. I figure I’ve done enough to save money (took advantage of family offering a lot of hand-me-downs and made them my own) that I can justify it.
Whitney says
People don’t say Cowabunga anymore? You learn something new everyday :) The mirror looks perfect, love how it brightens up that area, your wait certainly paid off!
elaina says
Just needed to let you know that I have been doing my part to get “cowabunga” to come back… When you ask my nephew (who is only a few days older than Clara) what a turtle says he replys with cowabunga!!!
Side note, it took me a long time to get a small child to be able to say that word where it is recognizeable by others! haha
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I love it!
xo
s
Sarah@SBrandesDesigns says
The size looks great, but the size isn’t as much of a game changer as the lighter frame is. Stands out so awesome against the darker colored wall now!
caroline [thediynurse] says
This is a little weird. We painted our master bedroom the same color [and I adore it]. I wanted a boho look and found a mirror at Ballard designs that’s white too- It’s actually really really large and had such a fun and unique look [coral-like curved edges].
I looked everywhere and couldn’t find anything similar- and compared to other mirrors size/price combos, it was quite the deal for 200 [shipping included] and that was with a coupon. It was hard to swallow but I look at it every day and smile. It pops off of that dark blue!
Also… have you been happy with your Joss and Main purchases?? I have a hard time once something is in my cart because I usually rely heavily on reviews which isn’t included. Just curious!
YoungHouseLove says
So funny! We’re bedroom twins! We’ve been really happy with our J&M purchases. We definitely search for better prices (on places like Overstock) to make sure we’re getting a good deal before we buy (and have noticed that some prices jump around a lot, so we try to hold out for lower ones and wait for free shipping promotions) but we have always been happy with what arrives :)
xo
s
Louise says
Money well spent Petersik’s!! *high five* it’s amazing how a mirror can complete and even transform a room! LOVE IT :)
Kate says
From the pictures, it looks like the bed isn’t quite pushed against the wall on the right-hand side. What is your advice for a small guest room for fitting a double bed?
We currently have the bed centered, but don’t have room on either side for a nightstand (there’s maybe 12ish inches on either side, so it isn’t too tight to walk, but we didn’t want to try to cram furniture in). To further complicate things, there’s only about 18 inches of clearance at the foot of the bed.
So it is definitely a small room! But we still want it to be a cozy place for guests!
YoungHouseLove says
It just makes it easier to make the bed if it’s not smashed up against the wall on that side. For your space I’d just try moving the bed around to see what you like :)
xo
s
rbc says
Saw you guys in real simple today! (well your blog anyway). I already read your blog daily and agree you guys are great! best diy blog imo :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks so much RBC! It was such a surprise to pop up there!
xo
s
Katie says
I didn’t think I could love you guys any more than I already did, and then you went and included the Treat Yo Self clip in a post. #cashmerevelvetcandycane
YoungHouseLove says
Hah!
xo
s
erin says
This looks so great!! I love the mirror. I’m sure you’ve already seen it, but I found the PERFECT thing for Clara. It’s a white ceramic….wait for it… worm!!!!!!!!!
http://www.westelm.com/products/ceramic-inch-worm-d492/?pkey=coutdoor-indoor-planters
YoungHouseLove says
Love it so much!
xo
s
Kasia says
Definitely on board with bringing cowabunga back. Also, the mirror looks fantastic!
Maggie Rose says
Haha, I fear I’ve conditioned myself to higher prices. When you were first like, “the mirror is $169” I thought “Wow, what a great price! I hope they snapped that up”… then read your “splurge” comment. What does this say about my spending habits?! haha.
I’m VERY familiar with the wait 2+ years for the perfect piece… and I’m at a point now where I’ll just wait until I can afford the nice thing I REALLY want instead of getting a cheaper item and wanting to replace it.
Michelle says
My favorite trick for hanging anything, especially something that requires two hooks is from Sabrina Soto on HGTV. Take a paint stir stick and screw a short screw half way through about an inch from the bottom. Now you can hang your wire or hook right on the screw, hold it by the stick up to the wall, and push in when you have it where you want it. No measuring needed. Great when you’re hanging something by yourself.
Mirror looks really great!
YoungHouseLove says
Smart!
xo
s
lesismore says
i’ll help bring back “cowabunga” if you help me bring back “cool beans”.
it’s awesome because we’re being ironic.
right?
YoungHouseLove says
Cool beans, it’s a deal.
xo
s
Marcia V. of Precious Style says
That is so strange that it wouldn’t come with hardware…especially at that price. Makes me wonder what the designers thought buyers would be doing with it.
YoungHouseLove says
I know right?! I actually think it was a mistake. How could anyone lean a giant round mirror like that? It would roll right off the mantel. Hah!
xo
s
Lindsay says
I purchased a very similar mirror (similar size, similar price) two years ago and it didn’t come with any hardware on it either. I was surprised and a little disappointed to have to figure out how to hang it myself!
YoungHouseLove says
Isn’t that weird?! Such a mystery!
xo
s
Cassondra says
The light mirror makes such a difference! It looks like a whole new room! Loving it.
Heather W says
Love the mirror!! I also I spy a green gardening stool in there too… Is that new this year. I think I have the same one from TJ Maxx last year. I have fallen in love with them from your blog they are so handy and can be used so many places.. What is your garden stool count now like 10 hahaha.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, HomeGoods! I love that guy! I am ashamed to count. Maybe three? Five? Ahh!
xo
s
Kendra Lewellyn says
I’m just going to BEG… please, please, please… y’all ever get an itch to come to the middle of nowhere Texas, I would LOVE for you to redesign my life/house. I think I fall in love with every photo, every project. And I’m convinced, if I ever came home to such an inviting home…. I’d never leave.
Contest perhaps?! I’ll enter a millions times. Even if you’d just redesign one room? Or make suggestions on where to start.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw you’re so sweet Kendra! We’d love to take this crazy little DIY fest on the road someday!
xo
s
Georgia says
Im one of those people that think ‘whats the point in a mirror over a bed’ but i have to say the mirror is really nice. love the style of it!
and it really brightens up the room makes it look like another window!
xx
LabLover says
S, you are really lucky that your husband even cares about a mirror. I have never heard of a guy so “into” a mirror or wall decoration before in my life ! You lucky gal !
LabLover says
Oh and if you get cowabunga, I get GROOVEY !
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, deal!
xo
s
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I wrote this post. It’s all me. I mean John doesn’t hate it, but it doesn’t make him giddy either, haha :)
xo
s
Jessica says
The new mirror looks great! At first I was like, there’s nothing wrong with the mirror they were using. Then I saw the new mirror in action and I was totally like, they definitely needed a new mirror in there. What where they thinking with the old one?!
Oh, and one of the ways I justify a new purchase is by looking at how much money I am saving by buying it on sale! My husband doesn’t seem to agree with this logic, but it makes complete sense to me!
Rachael G says
I love the mirror and the crown moulding!!! Looks great!
Susan says
I cannot figure out how to search for things at Joss & Main. (can you search for things?) Anyhow, I googled your mirror because I wanted to see a close up of the details and found it at another online store for over $400! Yikes! Y’all got a fantastic deal on a beautiful mirror. :)
YoungHouseLove says
No way about the price!!! There’s actually not a way to search J&M (you just browse by category – I wish they’d add a search function).
xo
s