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…
Amanda Perry @ Sistas of Strength says
I am in love with this room!!!
Andrea says
It looks amazing!! Perfect choice
Jeanna Walton says
The mirror is simply stunning! I love the size, looks so great over the bed and makes the remaining white in the room really pop. Now I’m really noticing the lamp, and I never did before, lol. Love the color, but now with the mirror its looking a bit small………… what are your thoughts?
YoungHouseLove says
Yeah it’s little – I’d love something bigger but didn’t want it to make the tray table look piddly. We’ll have to see where it goes…
xo
s
Susan says
Love the new mirror!!! I’ve always wanted to put one above my bed but we live on a fault line and it makes me nervous to have a big, heavy mirror above my head. Do you have a trick for making it nice and secure?
YoungHouseLove says
We use heavy duty anchors but I don’t know if it’s recommended to do that in earth quake country, just in case.
xo
s
lisa says
You just made my day! Cowabunga is overdue for a comeback!
Paula M. says
Always amazing (and instructive) to see the difference that one little change can make!
(And man, isn’t that the Best, when a simple change has so much impact? “Simple” aside from all the looking and waiting and hoping for a deal, that is. I know that journey myself, heh heh.)
Glad it all worked out!
(and wow, I was so caught up in looking at the Before and After mirrors and the difference the switch made, I must admit I didn’t even notice the molding til another commenter mentioned it, but now that I see it, it looks fab, too, of course)
Mary | lemongroveblog says
That looks so much more proportional! Also love the pop of white on the wall – looks great!
Robin O says
Gorgeous! Wow, amazing how one piece brightens up a whole room!!
Laurie says
You added the headboard, and the pillows, and the CROWN MOLDING! Love the mirror and the crown molding. The molding looks reallly good with the teal wall. Love that Kreg Crown Pro too.
YoungHouseLove says
Heck yeah! We owe you guys an update post on all of our crown process. So glad to be getting other rooms checked off :)
xo
s
Katie says
Something I do if I really want something and I think it might be too much is go to a site like plastic jungle or raise ( http://www.raise.com/raise-rewards/NjoyOCAtMNjYxMDg= )
and see if they have any discounted gift cards for that retailer – if so I’ll buy them to save a little bit more on the item and as a bonus – if it’s not an e-gift card – I have a few days to really think through if its worth it while I wait for the gift cards to arrive!
YoungHouseLove says
Smart idea!
xo
s
KP says
I LOVE this post because my husband and I just went through a very similar same process – we have a red wall in our dining room and we’ve spent a year and a half looking for the right decor. We’ve looked for mirrors, wall sculptures, paintings and everything in between. Nothing really fit (turns out I have no idea what I want but I know exactly what I *don’t* want), so it’s been bare this entire time.
Ironically we found a trio of paintings (50% off!) at a store last week that perfectly fit our style, design and color scheme but it still took my husband flat out saying “I want these for the house” (which he never does, so I knew he was serious) for me to hand over the credit card. I thought I’d have buyer’s remorse (I usually do even when the purchase makes total sense) but I honestly don’t regret these at all. Coming out to the dining room the morning after hanging the paintings was like Christmas, hehe.
Carrie - Worth Pinning says
What a difference one piece can make in the entire room- nice switch up.
Laurie says
It’s darling. My first thought was, a heavy mirror over a bed? Then I remembered you are on the East Coast. Us West Coasters aren’t supposed to hang heavy things over a bed because of earthquakes. Which is really too bad because I love a nice big piece of art to anchor the bed.
Carolyn L says
Looks beautiful! I’m an *almost-licensed* designer with a degree and my own house could use a little brightening! While it’s my passion, I think applying it all day makes for a tired designer come time to apply it to my own life. Keep your energy!! It’s infectious! I can see that your enthusiasm, interest, ability, and natural eye for design is a true talent (no formal training FTW!!!). You are a rare and lucky couple! xxo
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Carolyn!
xo
s
jbhat says
What a beauty! It’s definitely the fairest of them all. (I hope no one else has said that already….but I am not going to scroll through comments to try to come up with something more original if they have.)
jbhat
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I think you’re the first!
xo
s
Katie says
It’s amazing how much better that mirror looks! It brightens up and anchors the room so much better. Money well spent!!!
ashley @ sunnysideshlee.com says
Parks and Rec Treat Yo Self = best thing ever
Christine says
This is one of my favorite updates yet! Looks like a designer room now!
Julie says
Definitely brightens up the room.
We recently splurged on some living room furniture. It’s the first room you walk into in the house and it had NO furniture in it for TWO YEARS. I couldn’t figure out the configuration I wanted, plus I had it in my head that I only wanted to spend X on all the furniture for that room. Then I couldn’t stand it anymore, found a dark teal couch at crate and barrel that I LURVE and we splurged on it along with two chairs. It’s definitely bold but added a much needed punch of color in the room. And it is awesome. Definitely worth the wait and the splurge. Now I just want to pet it all the time. Weird but true.
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds amazing!
xo
s
Suzanne says
It’s amazing what something as simple as a mirror can do to a room! And I love how it looks with that snazzy crown molding ;)
Olivia T says
Love the mirror! GREAT SPLURGE!
TREAT YO SELF 2013 has already happened for me…
guess I have to wait a whole year to do it again ; )
[email protected] says
Pretty Mirror! I also just saw something I totally missed before.. (and was wondering if you guys would do it again)… but your advertisement page: “Signed for a two book deal with Artisan/Workman (our second book is still in the works).” Two books?! Eeek! #Cantwait!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah, we’re trying to breathe for a second, but we’re excited about that book when it comes!
xo
s
Erin says
The scale of your new mirror is spot on! Love how the white brightened up the room! (You are going to keep it white, right?)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah, she’s staying just as she is.
xo
s
Rachel B says
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.
That literally made me “LOL”. You guys are the first thing I check out in the morning, even before my inbox!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Rachel!
xo
s
whitney says
wow! love the mirror! what a difference it makes. and the crown molding is blinging pretty too :)
Sherri says
Perfection! It’s worth it to splurge now and then when you achieve such a good result. It’s amazing how much lighter and brighter the entire room looks. Now everything pops. Crown molding looking good. Oh yeah.
Joey says
It’s just a mirror! So many words. All you did was hang a mirror.
YoungHouseLove says
Just took a second to answer a common reader question while we were at it. Chatty is my middle name :)
xo
s
Lindsay says
Your splurge was also a bargain! Just looked online for that mirror, and Sears is selling the black one for over $400! So just keep reminding yourself what a deal you got :)
Jamie says
Love it!!! It really made the room! Good buy :)
Dani says
I think your Should-We-Splurge questions are just about the same as my husband’s and mine. Justifying a biggish expense by realizing how frugally we usually are is the best, though. Random side note: I just bought a giant round mirror today, and I have been trying to find one for 8 or 9 months now. It was a bit more than I wanted to spend but oh-so-perfect. I cannot believe how hard it is to find a big round mirror, though!
Dani says
P.S. I love your mirror! It looks so great there, especially against the bold blue wall.
Kitty says
I like it! It’s amazing how changing just one thing can perk up an entire room. My only complaint? TOO WORDY! You could have written an excellent post in 100 words or less. I’m assuming that you often post the rationale behind your decisions to head off your critics. Screw ’em! Stop being defensive and catering to the haters. Please keep it short and sweet for your fans!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, I can blather on like the best of ’em – and we’ve been explaining the “why” of stuff for years now (it’s just how we blog). Oddly enough, whenever we publicly resolve to write shorter posts, we hear “nooo! I love long posts!” so for every comment like yours, we’ll get one begging us not to change a thing. So we just write until we say “done” and click publish. Sometimes posts are 100 words, and sometimes they’re 1000 :)
xo
s
MegP says
I will admit to owning (and enjoying) a Ninja Turtle mug and drinking glasses, one of which does say Cowabunga on it. I bought them pretty recently at Marshall’s. And yes, I’m almost 30. You’re never too old for TMNT merchandise right??
maria says
Ninja Turtles are back. Or so I’ve gathered from the non ironic Ninja Turtle toys out there and from my 4 year old students mentioning them.
kate says says
hi Sherry
hat mirror is perfect! it is your wonderful master.
I like it!
julia says
i’ve been looking for a 36″ round white mirror for above my dresser and this would be perfect! whenever i see something from joss & main its always sold out already though :(
plus i live in canada so shipping is $$$. love, it in your guest room though, it looks perfect above the bed!
xo julesinflats.com
YoungHouseLove says
Aw man, hope you find something soon!
xo,
s
MC@ThousandStoryKitchen says
Ugh- we just splurged on a CAR. Felt horrible about it for a whole day, and now we realize we not only love it, but it has already proven itself super necessary in our family, so we’re feeling much better. Cowabunga Dude!!
AndreaReneeJ says
I recently splurged on a 15″x24″ Elfa utility board with wall mounts, a few things to attach to it, and a separate steel wall file folder holder for my desk area in my office. I had a corkboard in its place before, with the intention of being useful, but it quickly became a cluttered cache of photos, notes, and trinkets. With the most intense part of my college career quickly approaching (i.e. NCLEX test prep time), I needed something significantly less cluttered and much more useful. Here’s a pic: http://instagram.com/p/XP6lrwPGS3/
The coolest part is that the super-helpful lady at the Container Store was able to snatch up a free $25 gift card for me, since I watched the store demo of their Elfa system. Woo for savings!!!
On the topic of saving vs. splurging… I would LOVE to see another installment of “Save It” soon. The last one you did was…. 2009? I get a lot of ideas from your money-saving posts!
<3 Andrea
YoungHouseLove says
That system sounds awesome Andrea Renee! And you’re right, we owe you guys more Save It posts for sure!
xo
s
Ginger says
WOW! It’s amazing the difference the mirror and crown moulding made! Great choice on the mirror! No buyer’s remorse there!
Brandi says
I love your guest room. The colors in the room are so fun! Great deal on the mirror. I’ve been crushing on a mirror from Moxii for the last couple of years, but just can’t bring myself to pay full price. I kept checking the site hope it gets marked down, no such luck as of yet.
YoungHouseLove says
I hope it comes back again Brandi! I tend to see it once a month or so, with different prices every time! Haha!
xo
s
Heather says
Sounds like you’ve found the sweet spot for splurging versus not. I like that you ask a lot of questions, but if you did it to the point that your house looked like mine, I think that’d be refusing to splurge often enough.
Cleo says
I’m so weird about mirrors, I only like square ones haha…. so to be honest I am not really that keen on either mirror. I’m just weird though, I’m sure most people don’t agree ;)
If I can afford a splurge I go for it. I think with a lot of things you get what you pay for (not everything) and if I am going to pay more for something it better last me a long time!
The exception of that was my rug! Total impulse buy!
Asheville Painting says
This blog is really cool. Nice one.
Khadija says
The room is lovely. I love the color balance. I think the mirror might look better over the two chairs. It would be useful there too. Over the bed you could put some kind of birdie white accent thingy. I’m thinking Pier 1 birdy stuff. Or some kind of raw fency-type thingy since your room is gardeny.
Just a thought! :D
Rebecca says
Hi guys! LOVE the colors in this room :) Where did you get those cute yellow pillows on the chairs? I need those in my house!!
YoungHouseLove says
Those were from Target a while back. Maybe try ebay?
xo
s
renee says
One thing I totally splurged on was the dining room chairs at my beach house. They have this gorgeous gold and white bird print fabric, all pleated and buttoned. Very cooool. Once I saw them, nothing else would do. They were $600. a piece! I bit the bullet and bought 6 of them. Have never regretted it, although I do take care to put a towel down for the kids if we are having ribs. You’ll have to do a house crash sometime. We’re in Ocean View, Delaware!
Meredith says
I love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, LOVE that mirror. It looks so good in there, nice job. I would probably walk by and look at it every day and smile. :)
Jeannee says
TY for my first chuckle of the day with – ““HI I’M A WINDOW!!!” and “psst, I’m a mirror” ” ;)~~~ I always love to see what you create///how you really caretake your home!!! You give vivid details and excellent, color photos! I do love the new mirror! but I’m wondering about it coming w/o hanging hardware – let me explain: I recently bought a ‘whistling teakettle’ – that doesn’t whistle! Hey, I figured – it heats the water, right?! Then I saw it in another catalog & realized – mine doesn’t whistle because it’s missing a part! the place I bought it from had a problem in the shipping department ;- so maybe that’s what happened with your hanging hardware ??? either that, or it’s this “new trend” that I loathe: when I ordered an accent pillow (again, catalog) -they ship the pillow cover separate from the pillow & you have to put it together – c’mon!!!… Also, ty for your excellent guidelines on splurging! for me what tends to trump all of that is – am I purchasing nostalgia??? Usually – but not always; its not a hard and fast rule – that ‘dictates’ a splurge!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, I totally think they meant to put the hardware in a bag on the back or something and it got lost or something. So weird about your non-whistling tea kettle! Haha!
xo
s
Jennie says
This happened to me too! I lived with a non-whistling “whistling” teakettle for a long time, until just recently, whenI treated myself to a new one!
Krista @thehappyhousie.com says
It is absolutely stunning. Totally worth the “splurge”.
Love it!
Krista
Abigail says
It looks great!
A little off topuc, but where did you get your wonderful yellow rug?
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Abigail! It’s from Pottery Barn a few years ago – maybe try ebay?
xo
s
First House Spouse says
We decided to paint our foyer & living room accent wall Peacock Tail, which is very similar to your dark teal. We’re having the hardest time matching a color for the rest of the walls! We’ll definitely use this post for some color inspiration…but, if only one of your walls was dark teal…what color might you paint the others??? See our blog for an Instagram shot of the accent wall and in-progress living room.
YoungHouseLove says
Maybe a soft gray color? Or a soft celery green?
xo
s