Designer Dilemma
If you're the type to turn on HGTV 24 minutes and again at 53 minutes into an hour, just to check out the design of a completed room... Then you're probably like me and enjoy decorating and transforming rooms in your home.
But let me ask you this... What's the LAST area of a house to get decorated? Besides the laundry room... C'mon, I'm willing to bet it's that room you spend the majority of you time in... You know, the Master Bedroom? We've been in our house for five and half years now and I'm still going to bed and waking up to the same contractor white walls. I keep saying it's because I can't arrive at a decision on color scheme or exact style but the truth is, I'm just freakin' lazy! It's a large room with a large unpainted bathroom attached and I ask myself, WHO really sees this area besides my immediate family, which is made up of people who could care less what color the walls of MY room are?
SO, I decided I needed a jumping off point. Something that would make it necessary to begin the decorating process in this area of my home... This area which has become the last frontier (well, other than that laundry room.) My jumping off point?... The lighting in the master bath.
Picture if you will, the most heinous light fixture imagineable and that would be the one the contractor or the previous owners chose for the master bath. Not one, but two silver rectangles with 4 giant round bulbs on each one (I priced this fixture at Lowes... It's $6.50 fugly.) Below these two fixtures is a mirror the size of Montana... A mirror lacking bevel or frame or any interest whatsoever. A mirror placed directly across from the shower so as to make one shudder at the sight of their naked form, as it displays every bulge, crack & crevice and all highlighted by heinous contractor lighting.
BUT! The bulbs were starting to die... One by one, a month or two at a time, I'd flip on the bathroom switch and *ptchew* there would blow another bulb. That's when I made a promise to myself. When that last bulb on my fixture blows (my husbands fixture had 3 bulbs still lit, by last week mine had whittled down to one) it's time to take on the master bath and ultimately the bedroom too.
What a great idea huh? No light, no way to use the bathroom. It's a genius way to light a fire under my butt! On Wednesday, I flicked the light on and *ptchew* the last bulb blew. Tuesday evening I had been considering recarpeting the family room but when that light blew on Wednesday I knew what the next project HAD to be.
Thursday I went to Lowes and found the perfect fixtures and paint color for the bath. I considered having someone come in and cut the mirror down to size so my husband could make two frames for the 'halved' mirror... However, after reading some DIY info online about the removal of 'oversized' bathroom mirrors? I'm pleased with my decision to hit Marshall's and see what they had available in the framed mirror department. I scored two lovely framed mirrors at $40 a piece (SO much cheaper than the ones for sale at Lowes.) They're expresso colored and don't exactly match the cherry cabinetry but that's okay, I was planning on painting that and changing out the plain gold knobs. While at Marshall's I also found the perfect towels to help me nail down a color scheme. I was THRILLED to bring my purchases home and share the finalizing of color, style and inexpensive mirror renovation with my husband... And it all went well, UNTIL...
My 'freakishly' tall husband pointed out that the mirrors, which had to be hung at a height that would not interfere with the current placement of the light fixtures, were too short! I mean, HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE??? Because as I stood there holding up the mirror (where it should fit perfectly), from MY perspective it looked like he fit in the mirror just fine! This is where the whole CONFUSING perspective part comes in.... Even though it APPEARED to ME (at a respectable 5' 8" tall) that his head fit in the mirror, he continued to argue that his eyes met directly with the bevel along the top of the mirror so it appeared he had four eyes (uh yeah, he only has two and did I mention he's 6' 5"?)
Seeing my plans for a gorgeous bathroom redo shatter around me, I began to argue the point.
Me: "Well, do you ALWAYS stand up straight when you shave or do you lean into the mirror a little?"
Him: *No answer, just that look.*
Me: "Well, you know you ARE getting older and you might be starting to shrink."
Him: *Still just the look.*
Me: "Well, WHAT am I gonna do and WHY do you have to be so freakishly tall?"
Him: "How many times is that now you've called me freakish?"
Daughter walks in the room to see what's going on and says: "Mom's right, you ARE freakishly tall Dad."
Later I discuss the dilemma with my son who says: "Well, Dad is getting older AND starting to shrink, right?"
Poor husband, he just can't catch a break.
SO, this is what we're thinking about doing... Relocating the light fixtures to a spot higher up the wall, so the mirror will in turn be able to be hung higher. Which leaves me with a concern for any resale opportunities we might have for a house with mirrors scaled so only GIANTS can view their reflections.
You know, maybe I should just take EVERYTHING back and buy a pack of ugly round bulbs to fit in those heinous contractor grade light fixtures.
But let me ask you this... What's the LAST area of a house to get decorated? Besides the laundry room... C'mon, I'm willing to bet it's that room you spend the majority of you time in... You know, the Master Bedroom? We've been in our house for five and half years now and I'm still going to bed and waking up to the same contractor white walls. I keep saying it's because I can't arrive at a decision on color scheme or exact style but the truth is, I'm just freakin' lazy! It's a large room with a large unpainted bathroom attached and I ask myself, WHO really sees this area besides my immediate family, which is made up of people who could care less what color the walls of MY room are?
SO, I decided I needed a jumping off point. Something that would make it necessary to begin the decorating process in this area of my home... This area which has become the last frontier (well, other than that laundry room.) My jumping off point?... The lighting in the master bath.
Picture if you will, the most heinous light fixture imagineable and that would be the one the contractor or the previous owners chose for the master bath. Not one, but two silver rectangles with 4 giant round bulbs on each one (I priced this fixture at Lowes... It's $6.50 fugly.) Below these two fixtures is a mirror the size of Montana... A mirror lacking bevel or frame or any interest whatsoever. A mirror placed directly across from the shower so as to make one shudder at the sight of their naked form, as it displays every bulge, crack & crevice and all highlighted by heinous contractor lighting.
BUT! The bulbs were starting to die... One by one, a month or two at a time, I'd flip on the bathroom switch and *ptchew* there would blow another bulb. That's when I made a promise to myself. When that last bulb on my fixture blows (my husbands fixture had 3 bulbs still lit, by last week mine had whittled down to one) it's time to take on the master bath and ultimately the bedroom too.
What a great idea huh? No light, no way to use the bathroom. It's a genius way to light a fire under my butt! On Wednesday, I flicked the light on and *ptchew* the last bulb blew. Tuesday evening I had been considering recarpeting the family room but when that light blew on Wednesday I knew what the next project HAD to be.
Thursday I went to Lowes and found the perfect fixtures and paint color for the bath. I considered having someone come in and cut the mirror down to size so my husband could make two frames for the 'halved' mirror... However, after reading some DIY info online about the removal of 'oversized' bathroom mirrors? I'm pleased with my decision to hit Marshall's and see what they had available in the framed mirror department. I scored two lovely framed mirrors at $40 a piece (SO much cheaper than the ones for sale at Lowes.) They're expresso colored and don't exactly match the cherry cabinetry but that's okay, I was planning on painting that and changing out the plain gold knobs. While at Marshall's I also found the perfect towels to help me nail down a color scheme. I was THRILLED to bring my purchases home and share the finalizing of color, style and inexpensive mirror renovation with my husband... And it all went well, UNTIL...
My 'freakishly' tall husband pointed out that the mirrors, which had to be hung at a height that would not interfere with the current placement of the light fixtures, were too short! I mean, HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE??? Because as I stood there holding up the mirror (where it should fit perfectly), from MY perspective it looked like he fit in the mirror just fine! This is where the whole CONFUSING perspective part comes in.... Even though it APPEARED to ME (at a respectable 5' 8" tall) that his head fit in the mirror, he continued to argue that his eyes met directly with the bevel along the top of the mirror so it appeared he had four eyes (uh yeah, he only has two and did I mention he's 6' 5"?)
Seeing my plans for a gorgeous bathroom redo shatter around me, I began to argue the point.
Me: "Well, do you ALWAYS stand up straight when you shave or do you lean into the mirror a little?"
Him: *No answer, just that look.*
Me: "Well, you know you ARE getting older and you might be starting to shrink."
Him: *Still just the look.*
Me: "Well, WHAT am I gonna do and WHY do you have to be so freakishly tall?"
Him: "How many times is that now you've called me freakish?"
Daughter walks in the room to see what's going on and says: "Mom's right, you ARE freakishly tall Dad."
Later I discuss the dilemma with my son who says: "Well, Dad is getting older AND starting to shrink, right?"
Poor husband, he just can't catch a break.
SO, this is what we're thinking about doing... Relocating the light fixtures to a spot higher up the wall, so the mirror will in turn be able to be hung higher. Which leaves me with a concern for any resale opportunities we might have for a house with mirrors scaled so only GIANTS can view their reflections.
You know, maybe I should just take EVERYTHING back and buy a pack of ugly round bulbs to fit in those heinous contractor grade light fixtures.
Labels: absurdities, Decor, Husband, Projects
posted by EmBee at 8:13 AM
3 Comments:
Oh, man! That's infuriating to have to change something that you worked on like that! But in your husband's defense, I'm only 5'4" so to me, you're freakishly tall...and I'm jealous!
Our master bedroom needs MAJOR help. Can't wait to see the end result. Maybe I can get some ideas from you
Can't wait for the before and after pictures. Who needs HGTV when we have you. Will you be able to see yourself in your mirror if you make them the same height? ;)
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