Powder Room Mirror Fail

A new powder room mirror would alter the look of my cottage-y guest bath.

My powder room mirror fell off the wall and crashed into the sink. That was before we moved into our house full time. Fortunately, I wasn’t in the house – no need to describe how scary that would have been. There wasn’t an earthquake. A screw holding the hanging wire in place rusted with age and pulled out of the back of the mirror. Like much of my furniture, the mirror’s antique – a classic Deco circle with a pair of etched stripes on each side. Fortunately, the mirror bounced down into the sink leaving only a couple of scrapes on the wall and a crack in the paint. Lucky, no?

Now I need to decide whether to repair or replace the powder room mirror. Mr. AM actually suggested replacement last week while we were at Pottery Barn, where I was examining a quilt. “What about that mirror for the powder room?” he said, out of the blue, pointing to a nickel-rimmed beveled beauty (similar to this Dillon Oval Pivot mirror from Restoration Hardware) hanging nearby. I never considered the possibility. I think I paid, like $35 for that Deco mirror 10,000 years ago when I lived in Chicago. It’s been in one of my bathrooms most of my adult life. So it’s really a part of me in a way. But I‘ve needed to make changes  with My House in Turnaround. A different mirror would, of course, change the look — especially since mine adheres to the  formulaic console-mirror set up that defines Powder Room Thinking.

I Ihaven’t done any mirror shopping but if I were to switch, I would want a statement piece. I like the vey modern one designer David Kleinberg used in this dramatic dark bathroom.

I also love the lighthearted contemporary mirror Bonesteel, Trout and Hall used in this bathroom, with a similar wall color.

Meanwhile, the mishap led me to discover something about the mirror I hadn’t realized. While it’s been sitting face down in the laundry room I noticed something on the masonite back (which became water-stained over the years). It’s a barely legible name and date written in red grease pencil: JC Esser, June 18, 1947. Designer? Owner? A mirror mystery!

Once I began thinking about a change, I went to my mirror files. I’ve always liked this unusual star and tassel mirror which has definite Deco styling.

The great French accessory designer Line Vautrin designed this cobalt resin Gribiche mirror in 1955 –I adore the cobalt  color.

Soleil mirrors have been seen a lot but I admire the lines of this one, also from 1955.  Trouble is, these are all fantasy choices and I tend to go for mid-century mirrors — a tricky mix in a country bathroom.

(Source: David Kleinberg, Bonesteel, Trout, Hall)

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