Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

26 Mar Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

I have been on the hunt for a mirror.  An awesome mirror.  Because let’s face it, my stairwell is complete Snoozeville. Though the mirror I have here is super neat, it just doesn’t go, and I thought maybe I needed something brass instead of painted.

This is one of those spaces that on paper, it sounds great…

* bamboo mirror

* limed chest

* fun, whimsical lamp

* original artwork

* brass catch-all bowl

* high gloss navy paint

Sounds good, yes?  Stylish?  Chic?

It’s not working.

And I have tried.  I put ribbon along the edges of the wall after being inspired by these photos.

Martha Stewart Living

Nuevo Estillo

It didn’t work.  My husband said it looked like I was taping off the wall to paint.

I’ve rearranged accessories.  The mirror was white at one point, and then I painted it “Bay Leaf” from the Martha Stewart paint line for Home Depot.

Futile, I tell you.

After all of this, I thought what I needed was a real knockout piece.  Maybe a mirror could be my answer?  A showpiece focal point mirror?

I loved this.

And this pagoda mirror is so cool.

And this classic mirror.

One problem though…they are all about $500.  With all of the work we have had to do on our house, plus the work we are still doing, plus the fact my sweet understanding hubby may have a heart attack at the mere idea of paying that much for A MIRROR, plus the tightening of my own heart just thinking about it, I knew I had to come up with a different idea.  And that involved waiting…argh.

And then, it happened.  A magical moment.

I was walking through an estate sale with my girls on Friday.  Yes, my four-month-old was strapped to me in a carrier, and I was holding my one-year-old.  And then, I saw it.  This little lovely.  (well, it’s not so little…four feet tall by two and a half feet wide)

A true vintage gilded bamboo mirror.  It was $40.

I ripped that masking tape price tag off as fast as I could.  Getting it to the car was another story since I had to park two blocks away to even get to the sale.  Did I mention it weighs 100 pounds?  And did I mention it was raining?  I almost didn’t even go to the sale that morning.  Luckily, a nice man ended up carrying the mirror to the car for me.

Don’t you love the “Grace SOLD” tag on it?  Sigh.

More to come on my new plan for the stairwell.  I’m excited.  I’m feeling revitalized about the space.  Of course, now I feel inspired, and that means a whole new scheme.  And guess what?  Last week was a good week for me in more ways than one.  The stars aligned, and this is on its way to my house.

Yup, a little sneakity peek.  Can you guess what it is?