DIY kitchen remodel — antique mirror over kitchen sink.
Originally I thought we would end up with something similar to one of these options over the kitchen sink.
I spent a lot of time trying to figure out a solution that I LOVED, that was also practical and kitchen-y… because sometimes I forget the natural order of things and I try to be reasonable.
Once I let go of what I “should” do over the kitchen sink, and embraced what I would LOVE, the solution became obvious: MORE GIANT FANCY THINGS FOR EVERYONE.
I have been looking for a year… And about half that year has been spent reconsidering shelves or cabinets because I couldn’t find anything that was “right.”
Right size.
Right shape.
Right style.
Right color.
Right price.
At first it was FUN– being “required” to scour the salvage places and spend hours online looking for GFT’s… but the fun wore off about month four.
Looking for something specific/that MUST fit a defined area/that is also a “reasonable” price as defined by my completely UNreasonable experiences scoring antique card catalogs for next-to-nothing/and is hopefully less than a day-of-driving/or we’ll be spending money on having it shipped… good luck.
After a full year of research, here is my report:
Anything AMAZING is $10,000, and definitely too big… and will leave you sad and dissatisfied with your entire life because you visited the holy land and then were forcibly ejected like the peasant that you are.
Anything affordable is a compromise of heroic (and wrong) proportions.
Anything sort-of-acceptable is $3,000… which is FAR too much money for something that makes your soul die a slow and disappointing death of compromise: see below.
The one mirror I did buy prior to this one, wasn’t really the right size… I knew this beforehand, but it was cheap, (and I am a hoarder) and it did me the favor/further-obstacle-to-progress by cementing yet another factor: I was completely inflexible about color… I wanted dark wood to complement the repurposed antique island.
The piano is dark rosewood, and ornate in a style that’s specific to about 1870-1880… it’s also the immediate focal point when you enter the kitchen, and I wanted to complement that.
I think because of The Kingdom Mirror, (and, errrr, the multiple other mirrors,) and because my general life motto is: BRING ME SHINY; you could assume that I think gilding wins all… but actually, my absolute favorite possession/craigslist find is the massive wardrobe we salvaged.
My truest love is Renaissance Revival/ideally around 1870/dark wood/lots of large carving/anything with an Ansonia head/Eastlake if ornate and not just etched with a spoon/never veering into Gothic or Rococo.
I had no idea that finding a mirror that fit these criteria would be SO HARD… (although I certainly knew that once I have a CONCEPT, there will be NO OTHER CONCEPT.)
And once I added the dark wood criteria, it almost didn’t matter if I’d had an unlimited budget (which I didn’t) because size-restriction already made it a nearly-impossible task. … So I started thinking about how we could retrofit something.
Enter the organ phase.
Even without showing Paul, I knew that the arguments against getting an organ are many… and sort of indisputable.
Unless you are an organist.
Or Beethoven.
But, in case you didn’t know? You can buy a SUPER FANCY organ for about $200… which is practically FREE!
Plus, let’s be honest – why would you NOT want to own an organ? Go search your Craigslist! Your significant other can thank me later!
My idea was that we would take the decorative top half, which is usually detachable… and hang that fancy part over the sink… and then turn the base into an addition to my pile of chaos in the garage: the place I store things “I am going to do something with,” that I will never actually do anything with.
OR I could get a blue tuxedo. And also lederhosen. And a bandstand with trumpets. And on Saturday nights, host a Lawrence Welk reunion show where I reprise all of the roles.
I believe this is what is called a win-win situation.
Eventually, after being forced to look at 47,000 organs, Paul got to a point where he said – fine. If we need an organ to move forward, try to stay within a three-state radius.
Then immediately, Self was completely dissatisfied with the organ idea. (Although to be clear – ONLY dissatisfied with organ-over-sink. NOT dissatisfied with the ACTUAL owning of an organ, which will absolutely be happening at some point.)
So I altered “let’s-repurpose-an-organ” to “let’s-repurpose-ANYTHING-THAT’S-FANCY.”
But even I could see that POSSIBLY I would be unhappy with hanging half a sawed-off headboard over my sink.
I was to the point where I was ready to just CHOOSE SOMETHING. Anything. Or go back to cabinets… or just start without a plan (which I said I would NOT DO.)
Forcing Self to WAIT FOR THE THING was maddening. And it made me question my imaginary plan that no one else was quite on board with. And it gave me ample opportunity to mentally explore the fine line between something-you-will-love… and poor-substitute-for-glory-in-the-form-of-half-an-antique-organ.
But as soon as I saw this mirror, I was SPEECHLESS at how much I coveted it; how MAGICALLY it was exactly what I wanted; AND that I would be permitted to go and get it because we NEEDED it.
The frame complements the piano perfectly, it was less than an hour drive, not grotesquely-over-budget, perfect color, size, and the CARVING GIVES ME SEIZURES every time I look at it. (Also, look at the close-up above and you’ll see that the mirror lady is wearing a necklace of invincibility.)
Somehow, miraculously, this is exactly what I wanted: a space that is unexpected and un-kitchen-y, and old and interesting… a space that is FULL of beautiful things that I love.
My expression here sums up how I feel: I cannot even believe how MUCH I love this kitchen.
Now for some details:
1. The four corners of blue tape are marking out an (unpictured) soul-killing option, in Boston… which was seeming more and more like what we were going to end up with.
2. The blue tape is also marking a wall-mount faucet that I AM IN LOVE WITH.
The choice is entirely aesthetic, as I haven’t yet begun my doctorate in spout-reach and faucet aerodynamics… also, YES PAUL TOLD ME you are not supposed to have wall-mount on an external wall, but I guess he thinks I don’t have access to the internet to figure out how to furr out the wall and add insulation.
November 23, 2015 @ 1:06 pm
WOWZA! You found IT. That piece is just stunning. How perfectly perfect. Thanks for sharing your journey….I am sooo enjoying watching this amazing kitchen come together!
November 23, 2015 @ 1:08 pm
I just wanted to tell you how much your posts both inspire and amuse me. My husband (who I totally make read you blog so I look comparatively rational!) and I just bought our own old house. It’s a 1837 Greek revival with big white columns. There is no plumbing, dodgy electricity, an army of squirrels in the attic, and a leaking roof. But hey – the whole house counts as a GFT right! I totally blame you for this purchase. . . . Oh and there are two organs in the basement!
November 23, 2015 @ 1:48 pm
Consult Paul about the finish to protect that gorgeous wood carving from water and steam!
November 23, 2015 @ 2:02 pm
Absolutely perfect!
November 23, 2015 @ 2:06 pm
Utter awesomeness. And OF COURSE you are going to leave the mirror in so once it’s all finished you can admire your gorgeous kitchen with a sense of accomplishment while you’re doing the dishes.
November 23, 2015 @ 2:24 pm
This was good for my soul. It is coming together beautifully. Congrats.
November 23, 2015 @ 2:56 pm
Enough already! I have spent years…yes, years shopping for items such as Victoria finds and I never find prices like she finds. $500! I have never found anything of that caliber so inexpensively! AND she couageously tries to get it for $400…I would have been paying the full amount and running away with it as fast as possible. Kudos, Victoria…,.Kudos.
November 23, 2015 @ 4:54 pm
I have tried desperately to have a marvelous time with you on every fancy thing that has entered your life and in all honesty, I have done a marvelous job! BUT, you had me somewhat worried that you were going to give in to normalcy with cabinets and shelves—–AND the island was going to be weepy by itself. YOU JUST DO NOT KNOW HOW excited I am with this post!!!!!!! It is a fancy grand idea and OH, I wish I had actually done grand things but somehow it was only marvelous thoughts that I enjoyed. For sure, when you see your reflection, know you have brighten many lives in this world. I am so happy you are in my life. I would never dream of reading your posts on my IPhone…….surely deserves myIPad and a fast drive to a glass of Sauvignon Blanc……you are so appreciated! Happy Holidays!
November 23, 2015 @ 5:08 pm
This is what I would imagine would be the perfect thing, and you just don’t know until you aee it what that thing is… : )
November 23, 2015 @ 5:24 pm
I am sooo thrilled for you! It’s perfect! Oh, and Lorie has some great tips, that Paul may shrug off, but Victorian Style leaded glass windows would looks incredible!
November 23, 2015 @ 5:24 pm
I love how you write about your emotions! I go through similar thought processes. I want something specific. I search and research. I convince my husband I must have it, and he finally gives his permission. Then boom. I want something different instead. Ha. 🙂 Your kitchen is going to be amazing!
November 23, 2015 @ 5:37 pm
Ahhhhhh, thats THE Piece, that just has to go there.
It always was the piece who’s destiny it is to end up on your kitchen wall.
So it waited patiently for you to find it.
And its maker is dancing a little happy dance in paradise, knowing his baby met its destiny, your kitchen wall ???
November 23, 2015 @ 10:01 pm
Do you need to treat it in any special way (extra coat of polyurethane or something) because it will possibly be getting wet?
It is gorgeous!
November 24, 2015 @ 3:51 am
Wow, thank you so much for all your work and time it took you to put this post together. It is nice to know someone else doesnt want to have buyers regret and becomes totally obsessed with finding the perfect piece you have in your mind. I think my husband’s radius is less then 3 states, ha.
November 24, 2015 @ 9:18 am
Will there be mirror in both the top and the bottom of the piece. It’s amazing. What was the backstory on the piece. I always love to hear how the seller came to own the piece. The kitchen is really looking wonderful.
xo,
Karen
November 24, 2015 @ 11:20 am
It will be beautiful, congratulations!
Her some more inspiration:
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Hope you can open the picture.
November 24, 2015 @ 1:09 pm
Victoria…I have decided you have been reincarnated from the Victorian Age and you are retrieving what was always yours and only truly yours. I can just see you in that Era -you would have been famous or” infamous” with a Salon of fascinating people and furnished completely with GFT and of course you would have ignored all conventions and done exactly what pleased you. Elvis was your best friend except of course as a beautiful Femme Fatale… like you and together you would have dazzled them all. Can’t forget Lord Paul, He waltzed you off your feet and into his arms forever..and I believe fervently in forever. Your writing is the most interesting entertainment I have found in lots of looking-I hope you keep all of your writing and have it translated into multiple languages and published some day. You deserve a wider audience……….Like the World……… Girl! Go for it…..!
November 24, 2015 @ 5:18 pm
The woman carved in that mirror frame looks just like you.
November 24, 2015 @ 6:59 pm
I love it! It reminds me of Jodie Patterson’s kitchen in this NYC brownstone – it used to be a bedroom:
http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2015/11/brooklyn-interior-design-brownstone-speakeasy-jodie-patterson/
November 24, 2015 @ 7:03 pm
Oh I do think it’s perfect!
But I’m not so sure about THAT faucet. Did you happen to read the review? Not so great for a $500.00 item. Looks great for a start, but you want it to look great for a long time. And work great! I tend to agree with Paul that an in wall is not a very good idea in a cold climate area… What happens if it does freeze? You have to get inside the wall to repair it. Also Furring out that wall is no small chore. And then there’s configuring the counter top to accommodate a the bump out… Or if you fur out the entire wall – there are window and door frames to consider. And he just finished the new ones…. He is the saint of patience! (I keep dreading I will read that he’s packed up his tools and gone to live in a tent.) I think you could find a better quality faucet that will work for you both.
Good luck!