...because home doesn't happen overnight.

bedroom shoe cabinet 2

Remember when I relocated the shoe cabinet and octagon mirror to our bedroom? Well, after a while that mirror didn’t feel quite right. The shape was all wrong for the rectangular space between our curtained closet and bedroom door. The mirror itself was a tad small, too. And it was difficult to use the mirror for quick once-overs due to the straight dividers that broke the mirror up into four quadrants. So I replaced it…

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…with a larger rectangular mirror. {I’m going to apologize now for the inconsistent lighting in the upcoming shots. Our north-facing bedroom gets the weirdest green haze in the afternoon and the sun kept coming and going as I hurriedly snapped these pics while Mabrey was napping and the boys were reading. Still love me?} I also spray painted the knobs on the shoe cabinet the same gold as our nightstands‘ hardware. I wouldn’t be surprised if our local Home Depot is out of stock on gold spray paint. I can’t help myself.

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This wider shot better shows how the new mirror fills the wall between the closet and door.

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The mirror is very heavy. We ran into a little snafu when it came to hanging it just because we were expecting it to have ready-to-hang hardware on the back. But it didn’t. HH added two picture hangers on each side of the frame’s backside and then it was good to go. This particular wall is plaster so HH used wall anchors to hang the mirror securely.

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I love the solid wood frame of this mirror. It’s really simple – no mitered corners, no ornate details – and the finish is a warm, rich cognac. So, so handsome.

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It ties into the hardwood floors, nightstands and dresser really well. It just works.

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I added a few things to the top of the shoe cabinet last minute. Just stuff I already had on hand.

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The picture frame was {yet another!} HomeGoods clearance find – $7. I slipped a picture of HH and me inside. The votive was from Target. I clipped the flower from my backyard. The number tiles are the house’s original house numbers. {I switched up the order for privacy reasons.} I took them down last week when I started cleaning up the front entrance in preparation for a little makeover. They are soooo small! I’m not entirely sure you could even see them from the road. Our new house numbers will be much LARGER. I might end up gluing the old ones onto a piece of reclaimed wood or something but I like seeing them in our bedroom.

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The gold dipped bowl is a Nate Berkus piece. {You can see more of the votive and bowl here.} His stuff just keeps getting better and better if you ask me. HH empties his pockets into the bowl at night. I pulled the little plant from a container on our back patio and plopped it into a smaller IKEA pot.

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The best part about the new mirror is that it reflects way more light from the opposite window. Our bedroom needs as much light as it can get!

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You can’t see it yet but this view into the mirror will reflect large scale art one day. Isn’t that blank wall just begging to be artsified?

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Finally, I’ll leave you with this blurry teaser shot of a corner in our bedroom. There’s an empty dresser that we want to transform into a little workstation {HH works from home sometimes and needs a quiet spot to take conference calls} and we splurged on the super comfy saddle chair. It’s so comfy that I’m seriously contemplating the counter stool version as an upgrade to my $10 stopgap stool. Which begs the question…can one house have too much chevron?

Can’t wait to share more as we slowly make progress!

The new mirror is part of a monthly collaboration between House*Tweaking and Wayfair. All selections, images and opinions are my own. Thanks to Wayfair for supporting my habit.

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

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Oh, hey. It’s Friday and I’m just hanging out in my laundry nook posing all The Price is Right beauty-like. I am so weird. My idea of a good time is staging amateur photo shoots in my house. Not necessarily with me in the picture but I like seeing other bloggers in their homes, so I thought I’d give it a go. I should have put on shoes.

The last time I showed you the laundry nook it looked like this…

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Not too much has changed but I would like to point out my recents tweaks and then give you the full monty. Of the laundry nook’s innards, that is.

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First up, I took all y’alls advice and rehung the homemade curtains {I cut up and hemmed IKEA linen panels} under the DIY countertop. Instead of clipping the curtains across the top, I gathered the fabric and clipped it about 2″ from the top hem. I guess you could call it the poor man’s pinch pleat. And it rocks. You guys are awesome with a capitol AWE! The gathered top looks more polished and pulls the curtains up off the floor a bit which makes sweeping easier. I haven’t heard other bloggers say this but I, for one, think a great advantage of having a blog is receiving ideas from the peanut gallery. Sometimes, even as a blogger, it’s really helpful to see my house through others’ eyes. Thank you!

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The other obvious change is the mirror. The original mirror wasn’t the best shape for the vertical space between the two upper cabinets. The round mirror hung above the mantel in our previous home and there was no harm in trying it out but, once I hung it, I knew I’d eventually replace it with something taller and leaner.

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I spotted Feiss’s Cleo mirror on Wayfair and the measurements were perfect. Its shape is curvier and a bit more feminine than I’m usually drawn to but I thought the curves would help break up the straight lines of the cabinets and countertop. Plus, hello, I am a girl {I don’t think I’ll ever be able to call myself a “woman” and feel comfortable saying it} and I am the only person in our household who uses this nook so I’m entitled to a little girlification when I’m handling dirty underwear, no? I clipped some forsythia, redbud and other green stuff from the backyard and threw them in a vase. Along with the leaning mirror, they give the nook a relaxed feel.

Please note the reflection of the dining pendant light in the mirror. Money shot.

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I also enjoy seeing pictures of all the people whose dirty underwear I’m tending to while I tackle mounds of laundry. The second tier countertop was the best idea I could come up with to hide the dryer’s control panel. The magnetic photo strip is angle iron that you can find at any home improvement store. Ideally, I would prefer a dryer with controls on the front but there’s nothing wrong with ours so I made do. I strategically placed a few horizontal photos near the start button for easy access.

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The photos can be removed to change the dryer’s settings but I rarely change them from load to load.

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HH made the wood countertops using boards he found in the attic during renovations. He secured them together lengthwise with joiner biscuits and wood glue to get the depth we needed. The lower counter rests on wall cleats at the sides and a 2×4 in the middle. I painted all the supports white to blend in. The upper counter rests on the wainscoting.

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There’s a secret trap door that gives me access to the washer’s control panel.

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HH installed sliding latches to lock the door in the closed position. The door itself can’t support much weight when closed {a full laundry basket is fine} but the rest of the countertop is really sturdy. I can stand on it, no problem, and I have. Both countertops – the lower, deeper one & the higher, shallower one – are removable in case we ever need to get to the water/electric hook ups for the washer or dryer. They just slide out.

And now for the full monty…

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BAM. The cabinets and woven baskets hold laundry supplies, lightbulbs, a water pitcher and our owner’s manuals. We have empty shelves!

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The washer and dryer take up most of the floor space under the countertop.

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There’s room next to the dryer for a rolling cart, drying rack, petite ironing board and small trash can. I hung the ironing board from a hook that’s screwed into one of the wall cleats.

My little laundry nook isn’t perfect but it makes me happy and I’ve come to love it. Since it is part of our mudroom/dining room, I keep it tidy and it keeps me honest. I try not to let laundry pile up in here. And whenever we get around to having a party {we are so due for a party}, I think it could moonlight as a bar.

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Everett really, really, REALLY wanted me to take his picture. He says he’s going to be a principal when he grows up {lord help us all} and this is his attempt to dress like one. A clip-on tie on top of an argyle sweater vest on top of a striped polo and everything tucked in to show off the *reversible* belt. So smooth.

Thanks to Wayfair for supporting my habit.

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking