It had been a long time since we updated the guest room — the last big effort was the hurried refresh we did for my mom’s visit over two years ago. That small, panic-purchased mirror from Target above the bed always felt too small against the dark wall, and its tiny reflected circle didn’t suit the large bed beneath it. Even with trim or decorative touches, the mirror’s size still read as too modest for the space.
We’ve never been afraid to tweak things over time, so we kept an eye out for a better option. For nearly two years we searched periodically for a larger mirror that would fit the room. Eventually I spotted a mirror on Joss & Main — the bright white finish tied into the curtains, the bamboo-inspired frame referenced the bamboo side table, and the size (a whopping three feet wide) finally felt right.
The price gave us pause: $169 with free shipping. We’re used to finding mirrors for far less at places like Hobby Lobby, HomeGoods, or even yard sales, so we debated. After two years of searching, though, we realized this mirror was exactly what we wanted and we decided not to risk another long hunt. We pulled the trigger.
The new mirror fills the wall much better and balances the window to the left. The previous, smaller dark mirror made that section of the wall feel heavy and off-balance next to the bright window. The larger white mirror reflects more light and reads as a more harmonious piece above the bed.
Here’s a before shot from a similar angle so you can see the difference. In person the mismatch was even more obvious: the window flooded the room with light while the tiny round mirror barely reflected any. The new mirror creates a much more cohesive look.
As frugal homeowners, we often wrestle with when it’s okay to splurge. We try to keep costs low most of the time — shopping secondhand, DIYing, limiting luxuries — but we also believe treating yourself occasionally is fine, especially when an item is hard to find or clearly better value compared to other retailers. In this case, comparable mirrors of the same size were far more expensive elsewhere, so the purchase felt justified.
When deciding whether to splurge, we ask ourselves a few practical questions:
- Do we have the cash to pay for it outright? (We don’t carry a balance on our credit card, so if we don’t have the money available, we don’t buy.)
- Can we find something just as good for less? (After two years of looking, the answer was no.)
- Have we checked local marketplaces and thrift stores regularly? (Yes — we searched often with no luck.)
- Can we build something comparable ourselves? (A DIY frame seemed possible but finding a large round mirror to modify was difficult.)
- Is the item still a reasonable value compared to similar options? (Seeing higher prices elsewhere reassured us this was a fair deal.)
- Have we saved elsewhere so this feels like a responsible treat? (If we’d just spent money on a big vacation we would skip it; in this case the purchase felt earned.)
When the mirror arrived we were ready to hang it — until we discovered it had no hanging hardware. Fortunately, its solid wood backing made it easy to add heavy-duty metal hanging hooks. We bought inexpensive drill-in hooks and attached two to the back, securing each with paired screws so the mirror would hang straight and sturdy.
John held the mirror in place while I directed adjustments — a little left, a touch higher — and once we marked the spots for anchors and screws, we removed the headboard and pillows to make installation easier. After securing the heavy-duty anchors and hanging the mirror, we put the headboard and pillows back.
Cowabunga, dude. Come on guys. Let’s bring back cowabunga.
That’s the update for a room we hadn’t touched in two years. How do you decide when to splurge? Do you run through a checklist or follow your gut? We tend to over-analyze purchases, but usually our bank account appreciates the caution — and once in a while, a thoughtful splurge turns out to be exactly the right choice.