Bedroom Suite Foyer – Mirror Options And A Fun Detail That Needs To Be Incorporated
As soon as I finish my walk-in closet, I’m going to start on the bedroom and the foyer. I’ll be working on these two areas concurrently since so much of what needs to be done in one of these areas will carry through to the other area, like the wainscoting and the grasscloth. So I’ll be treating it as all one space.
The foyer will not only be an entrance into our bedroom, with all one cohesive look, but it will also be an extension of my closet. I’ve been asked more times that I can count if I’ll be putting a full-length mirror and/or a chair or bench in my closet. I didn’t make room for either of those things in the closet because I didn’t want to give up wall space or storage space. My plan almost from be the beginning was to put those things in the foyer.
So as a reminder, this is what our bedroom suite foyer looks like right now…
And this is the wall where I plan to incorporate a full-length mirror. So when entering the bedroom suite, the mirror will be front and center. Well, not quite center, but you know what I mean. It’ll be right there, so it’ll be one of the first things seen when entering the bedroom suite.
And then on this wall, I plan to put an upholstered bench that I can use if I need to sit down and put on my shoes.
I still haven’t figured out the details of that upholstered bench. I’m not sure if I want it to be built in or a movable bench. And while I do want the top to be upholstered, I don’t think it can have a full skirt on it like the ottomans that are in our entryway.
And the reason for that is because I need to put a passthrough on this wall for Felicity. So it’ll be small and low in the bottom corner of this wall.
That means she’ll need to be able to pass under the upholstered bench, and a full skirt would eventually get dirty with her rubbing against it all the time. But I want her to be able to come and go as she pleases because we’ll be sleeping with the bedroom doors closed each night, and Felicity sleeps on me every night. She usually leaves and comes back at least once every night (and I sleep right through it). She wouldn’t be pleased at all if she’s either locked in or locked out of our room at night.
So I need to come up with a design for the upholstered bench that will kind of hide that little passthrough hole and allow her to pass under the bench without rubbing up against fabric each time. That makes me think either a separate, movable bench with a short skirt or a built-in bench with an upholstered top would be the two options that would work for that purpose.
Anyway, another detail I’ve been thinking about is the mirror. Until the last few days, I had been planning on using the mirror that I made for the guest bedroom. You can see it to the right of the door in this photo…
Of course, I wouldn’t want it to be yellow, so I had planned on gold leafing the frame. But I’ve decided not to use that mirror after all.
Those of you who have followed along on my projects for years now probably know full well that I have a tendency to gravitate towards certain things — flowers, stripes, etc. But you’ve probably also noticed that I gravitate towards specific shapes as well. I almost always choose squares and rectangles over circles, ovals, and freeform designs.
I think that comes from my need for things to look precise and orderly, and it’s much easier to make rectangles and squares fit together in an orderly fashion than it is to make circles, ovals, and freeform designs fit together. But a house filled with nothing but squares and rectangles can start to look too rigid. Those circles and ovals and freeform designs add softness. So I really think I need to find a mirror that has at least some sort of curves to it, especially since it will go in an area with wainscoting on the walls, which will add even more rectangles to the rooms.
There really aren’t that many options for a person like me who wants something with curves but doesn’t necessarily like filigree accents. If those filigree accents were my style, I’d have so many more options to choose from. But I just don’t think anything with a filigree design would work well in our house. So that leaves me with these limited options that I’ve found.
I could do a simple arched top. I really like this one with the understated gold frame. This one is from Wayfair (affiliate link).
But I also like this one with the wider frame. The frame on this one kind of adds a more modern look to it. This one is also from Wayfair (affiliate link).
This one would also work perfectly. I like how the design on the bottom is like the design I plan to use for our headboard. This mirror is from Amazon (affiliate link). The shape of this one is probably my favorite, but my only issue is the size. The widest I’ve found in this design is 24″, and I was hoping for something at least 30″ wide. I’m afraid a 24″-wide mirror might look too small on that wall.
So those are really the only three options I’ve found so far. Like I said, it’s slim pickings when you rule out anything with a filigree design. In a perfect world where I could always get my way, this mirror would come in a full-length size in a width of at least 30 inches. But it doesn’t. This is a tiny mirror, but I love that it’s different. I like different. This small mirror is from Amazon (affiliate link).
So I’m going to keep looking, but I know for sure that I won’t be using the mirror that I already have. I need something with curves, but nothing with a filigree design. It’s difficult to find something unique within those parameters.
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
No. 2 is my fav so far!
Me too!
We used this for a cat door from Amazon, didn’t intall the brush part…..CATHOLE Wood Cat Door Classic Model – Original Interior Cat Door, Installs Easily, Removable Grooming Brush….https://www.amazon.com/Cat-Door-Original-Interior-Cleaning/dp/B000AU64PK
I thought there were mirrors from the gym you were going to use? (wrong size?). Also how does the benches you made two for the sitting area flanking the pantry. I’d re-purpose that if fits.
Those mirrors are rectangles also. I’ll have to check the breakfast room benches and see if one of those will fit. That would be easier than building from scratch!
You don’t do easy.
You could design and build your own frame, then take it to you could take it to your local glass company for the mirror.
Kirklands has a huge selection of mirrors. Have you thought to get a standing mirror so it will not have to fit over wainscoting.
I have considered it. I’ve been wondering about how to hang a mirror on a wall with wainscoting. I had considered actually building it into the wainscoting, which is one reason I like that mirror with the thicker frame.
You can attach spacers, which you can make from scrap wood and then the mirror is free of the molding. I had to do that with a couple of paintings in some of our moves. I used Velcro to attach the scraps so I could remove them later.
I was hoping to see a picture of a finished closet. The curve mirror that looks like what your bed gets my vote. You can hang up the mirror, not in the center, and fill in the space beside it with your lovely art.
Are you going to be able to get another basket from Target. I looked at stores in New Mexico, Arizona, Idaho, and Oklahoma. No baskets anywhere where I have relatives who could go get one and sent it to me so I could get it to you. Well I tried.
I’ve worked on that too…same, have it sent by my relatives. I just wonder if Kristi is still hoping to get it. I found some in Chicago…one large I believe.
I’ve looked all over, too. I’ve given up. 🙁 It’s okay. I can just use eight, and use the other four shelves for other things. Thanks to you both for checking, though!❤️
Maybe Jonathon could get it for her! 😀
Haha! I’m sure he’d be willing to help! 😀
I don’t work on Wednesdays. 🙂 And there’s more than just a couple of days’ worth of work left to do before it’s finished.
Does the mirror in your closet come in full length? That might look good.
It does! That might work.
Could you use the mirror that you have and create a frame for it that would give you the shape that your looking for?
I might be able to do that. I’ll have to give that some thought.
This was my thought also. Build your own frame for the existing mirror you had in the guestroom. That way you’ll get exactly what you want.
OK, love the plan. Your bench can be upholstered and still have the kitty door, the bottom portion of the bench can be upholstered perhaps with a diamond pattern with nail heads, you know what I mean, and trust me, you’d do it justice than what my imagination can fathom. You can also just paint the bottom portion the same color of the upholstery fabric, unless it is the blue on the closet island, then bingo, you’re already there. You are very clever and can reuse the mirror and frame it out like the one you want. Walk through Home Depot in the wood molding department or the plumbing department and I bet you find all the doo dads to gold leaf and frame out the mirror. I have faith, you will find what you are looking for. I miss our kitties for just the reasons you say. And we had in our many moves with Uncle Sam, little kitty doors so they could come and go from their litter box.
Cheers to you and Matt and the Furry Purring Squad!
Have you thought of using 3 of the Amazon mirrors with the outer 2 hinged so you can do a dressing room style mirror all sides view?
That’s an interesting idea!
I am in love with mirror #2. Regardless, whatever you decide is always fabulous!!
Me too!
What if you use your existing mirror (remove yellow trim), and create a frame that overlays the glass and the overlay is shaped to a design you like? Here’s an example from Wayfair. https://www.wayfair.com/decor-pillows/pdp/bungalow-rose-halyna-painted-wooden-full-length-mirror-mitn2734.html
That was my thought too! Use what you have but modify a bit.
I love that idea!
Look at Hobby Lobby website too, their mirrors are great.
First, I don’t like the location you plan on for the mirror. Something about it facing the more public areas bugs me, plus I think it should go where that blue paint is next to the bathroom door. That spot is a good width, but more importantly, is across from the closet entry, so you maybe could stand in the entry and see how you look without leaving the closet! Second, I LOVE the mirror with the wide framework! (I also like the third one, but the wide frame is #1.) I don’t trust Wayfair to get things to you undamaged though, and in a timely manner, but I would still give them a go unless you could find that mirror elsewhere. Third, the bench should be moveable, and I would not add a skirt.
I agree. I can’t see piecing together an outfit and having to go to essentially another room to see how it looks. A huge closet with no mirror???
Check Home Goods, the one near me has had some really cool full length mirrors lately, I just got my closet organized so I can put one in it.
I like the depth on mirror #2 (it’s 32” wide)
When you said a bench with a short skirt- a bench with a (short) scallop came to mind. It would be sweet like the wallpaper in the closet, and oh, just dawned on me, the scallop on the baskets! Design would carry through
Just a quick question:
I thought you were going to do basic set up in the shed workspace before tackling the bedroom/foyer areas? To enable you to have room outside the house in the TX heat and off the floor od the carport to work?
I read blog/replies but may have missed the change of plans.
Happy fourth!
I didn’t change my plans. 🙂 The plan was to finish the entire bedroom suite and then do the workshop before I tackle the new kitchen.
Kristi,
I am working on a bookcase and I’m wondering how to make the 1×2 trim nailed to the front of the plywood look like one thick wood shelf? No matter how may coats of primer I put on it, you can still see that it is two different pieces of wood. In all of your pictures, your closet shelves look like one thick piece of wood. How do you make that happen? Thank you.
Did you use wood filler where the two pieces meet and sand them smooth? That’s always the key for me. And if you really, really want to hide that joint between the two pieces, you can use Bondo for wood instead of wood filler. It does a much better job, but it’s more difficult to use.
Dear Kristi,
For the kitty access, have you considered removing one of the glass panes at the bottom of your French doors into the foyer, to make an invisible, and easily reversible, kitty door?
YHWH Bless You : )