Downstairs Bath: DIY Mantle and Mirror

Moving right along with the bathroom projects, let's address this blank shiny wall, hmm? Since it's a bathroom, I had to get semi-gloss. I did flat paint once in a bathroom for style, and boy did I regret it. 

I hate to judge the decisions of previous owners, because I figure there must have been some logic somewhere  in this choice.. but that mega glare on the wall is all because of this culprit:

I would love to hear that conversation when they were choosing light fixtures. "Hmm.. so many to choose from... let's get that ugly naked shop light there, perfect... ugly is the look I'm going for in this bathroom".     I just can't figure it out. But! Easy enough fix, for now it's giving good work light. 

First fix, I knew I wanted a mantle to go across the room, since there wasn't really anywhere to put knick knacks & cute crap in this room. Which to me, cute crap is a must!  So I simply measured a piece of 1" x 8" pine to fit:

And made two support pieces out of 1" x 3", with the end cut at a 45 degree angle, work with whatcha got, right?

Did some sloppy sanding on the fronts to give it a chiseled look.  Just some screws into the wall here, nothing fancy since no one will ever, ever see it. I hope.

Oh, did you notice that gross jar in the mantle photo?  It's a lovely concoction of fine steel wool & vinegar that's cooked itself for about 24 hours prior.  I'm doing the aging stain technique from the DIY Floor Mirror post.  In a nutshell, you paint the wood with coffee or tea, allow to dry, then put this concoction on it.  A reaction occurs, and boom! Old looking wood:

Sealed it all up with poly, put it in place, and stepped back to admire.

You might think, hey, that's not level.. Well, in a 80ish year old house, everything, even when it IS LEVEL... looks uneven.  You get used to it eventually... or you just get seasick.  

Sneak peak at the lamp there! I'll post about it's paint job soon, I'm really happy with it.  But first, let's add a mirror:

Couldn't resist, had to try on some of the decorations I've been thrifting for this room. I got my ferns! (ferns weren't thrifted, hahaha....) 

OK - Mirror details.   I used the same construction technique as in the DIY Floor Mirror post, but obviously adjusted the sizes to fit my space.  I used 1 x 4's for the frame, and it is stained with Minwax Red Mahogany.  I'm going for a mix of wood tones, metals, greys & whites in this room, so all are welcome. Plus a pop of yellow of course (lamp!).

We had the mirror cut exactly to the size we wanted, for a fraction of what a brand new mirror with frame costs, so we're still in the savings zone for having a mirror fit perfectly. I went oversized to help the room look bigger, and it really helps.

Important Tip: To hang the mirror we put a hook in the stud, and used hanging hardware suitable for twice the weight of the mirror.  I know it sounds paranoid, but... who cares? Better safe than sorry. If your stud doesn't line up, be sure to grab a heavy duty drywall anchor.

So, we're getting there! We'll be doing a white-washed wood plank ceiling, so that lamp hasn't been hard-wired in yet.  I was just impatient to see it in action, so it's up already.  Do you stuff like that too? :)

Let's see the Mantle & the Mirror together (cue the singing angels):

Gettin kinda rustic-y industrial-y in there... and I like it. I found that gazelle at a thrift shop, the bucket was leftover from a spa-pack someone gave us, and the yellow glass near the sink I HAD to buy... my grandma has the same ones, and it totally takes me back to childhood. I drank many a glass of milk in that style glass...

So the light fixture - I'm in-between on it, I love it's bright yellow core, and it's matte grey exterior, but because of the yellow core, it does cast a very yellow glow. Which, is kinda nice and moody, but I can't help but wonder what it would look like if I lined the interior of the bell in small mirrors.  Think, inverted disco ball... ?  I'll let the pictures do the talkin.  Keep in mind they were shot before the mirror.

Ugh! Those glare lines! When, oh when will I just realize it's time for a new camera? So I took that one to really show the yellow, but in person, it looks more like this:

Shiny. I'm so happy the end is near, I can feel it.  Oops.. floor's not done in these photos. Gah! I've been bouncing around from project to project in there, so the photos get all mixed up.

Still on the hunt for a cute door, I'd love something vintage like this (but in white):

But that one is $1800 bucks. Waaaay out of my budget.  If you want it, it's right here. I'll have to pass. 

Have a fantastic Thursday, thanks for tuning in & watching me obsess over a bathroom we use once a month.. if that.. It's bad - I caught myself calling it Winchester's Bathroom, which is the name of our kitten, and his litter box is there.  Ugh...Those cats are spoiled....

-Jesse

Leftover things to do in the bathroom:

• Whitewashed Wood Ceiling
• Door! 
• Tear the place apart and patch up the damage
• Paint the back wall dark grey, other walls light grey
• Get a huge mirror & build the frame.
• Build Copper Pipe Towel Rack
• Build distressed wood mock mantle under mirror
• Herringbone Peel & Stick Floor, except, no longer Herringbone.
• New light fixture, something fun & yellow!
• Paint or replace sink & stand.
• Tie it all together with accessories, and ferns! FERNS!

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