As the children's book classic goes, "If you give a mouse a cookie..."

I am that mouse, and painting our bathroom was that cookie. Once the bathroom was painted a pretty shade of coral, I looked around and thought about what else should be changed. The wall sconce! The hardware! The flooring! The mirror! Soon enough, all of these things will be replaced, but what came first, in this instance, was the mirror.

I loved the idea of a slightly-girly, playful coral color being paired with something dark and daring. I really wanted an ornate, vintage-looking mirror that would make a bold impact. Something in flat black or gold, I thought. Something with a little flair.

And so, when I went back to visit my pals at Bay View Trading Co. last weekend, I asked if they could keep an eye out for an antique, ornate mirror during their next picking adventure (they'll do that, you know. You just have to ask). But then, almost as suddenly as I'd asked, I turned around and noticed an old, busted-up-but-beautiful antique frame hanging on the wall. It was essentially exactly what I was looking for: Unique, with plenty of character and just the right size. I plunked down the super-reasonable $30 for the frame and more-or-less skipped home in glee. I couldn't wait to hang it on the wall.

After procuring my "new" mirror (made circa sometime in the late 19th century), I was on a mission to get a mirror cut to size for the frame. I took my frame to the nice-as-can-be folks at Layton Mirror & Glass and paid just $12 to have a custome-cut mirror placed inside. When asked if I'd do the mirror installing myself, I opted to cut out one more DIY project from my life, and asked the shop to silicone the mirror in to the frame for me, for a grand total of $25 for both the custom cut and installation. A bargain!

As soon as I picked up the mirror (cut and installed in less than 24 hours), I rushed home and immediately placed it on our bathroom wall. I absolutely love it.

Gorgeous, right? When George at Bay View Trading Co. asked if I was going to paint it, I didn't hesitate: Of course not! I love how it shows its age. It's beautifully worn. But it's still got incredible detail.

This one antique mirror made a huge difference in the feel of the bathroom. The room went from clean and preppy to lovely and dramatic. It's amazing how one statement piece can transform a space. 

The lessson here is that you should always keep your eyes open wide for something that strikes your fancy. In my experience, you'll never be as happy with something you quickly ran out and bought just because you happened to need it. The mirror we had before this antique beauty? A $30 plastic mirror from HomeGoods. Sure, it served its purpose, and was even pretty nice looking, but how can you compare it to a custom-made mirror that's over a century old and filled with character? Hold out for something you love.

See a quirky old frame that, for some crazy reason, speaks to you? Buy it. They're the easiest thing to customize in the world. And many times, they'll cost the same (or less!) as something you'd find at a home decor store. 

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Tags: custom : antique : local