In Defense of Slow Decorating

You know how the saying goes: 

When God closes a sink, he opens a toilet paper holder. 

Or something like that? Anyway, this weekend that is exactly what happened. 

It all started on Friday afternoon when I left work and went to Old Town Architectural Salvage. You may recall me mentioning them a few times before. We bought our upstairs bathroom sink faucet there, our upstairs bathroom light fixture there, our soap dish for the bathtub, and too many push button switch plate covers to count as well as other odds and ends over the years. So, I head there in search of a really small antique sink of some kind. And after a little confusion about what I was actually looking for and what my budget was I came across this guy: 

I put my giant feet in there for scale.

It was about 17" from back to the front of the bowl and about the same across. I thought I had found the one and I frantically called Conan and my mom for advice. Could we mount a sink to the wall? Would I ever find another sink with the fixtures that's small and $45? After mulling it over on my own for a few minutes I decided to ask if they would take a little off because as you can see in the picture, there's a considerable piece of porcelain missing from the front. They assured me that I could get a porcelain kit to fix it for $10 and it would be good as new. I wanted them to take that amount off of the sink but they wouldn't budge.

So I left empty handed. Bummer. 

**You may recall me saying something about a corner sink when we began work on the toilet closet but since we moved the duct work back, it looks like we'll be able to put the toilet completely out of view and so we may have room for a small, regular sink. I would really like to find a vintage sink like this one but it seems like the smaller and more unique they get, the more expensive they are.**

In the end, I'm glad I didn't get it because it looks like even a measly 17" would have been pushing it in the size department. 

We're planning a trip to a couple of our very favorite antique spots in the next couple of weeks to continue the search and even if we don't find it then, I'm taking my own slow decorating advice: 

You will find exactly what you want, for what you are comfortable paying, if you are willing to wait.

Sometimes I get so ahead of myself and I feel like "If I don't get this right now, I'll never find another one like it!" Now, sometimes that may be true but by and large I've found that if you aren't in a real hurry (that sink won't be installed anytime soon) then you should wait for the exact, perfect thing. 

And that's where the toilet paper holder comes in.

Truth circle. For the past 2 AND A HALF YEARS we have not had a toilet paper holder in our upstairs bathroom. Instead, our TP plays musical chairs, moving from the edge of the sink to the back of the toilet to the floor, shame, shame, etc. etc. 

But on Saturday night while browsing Craigslist, as you do when you're cool like me, I found the Holy Grail of TP holders. A solid brass one for $10! 

I know it sounds silly to wait that long to put your toilet paper somewhere because, "Dang girl, you can always replace it!" but I couldn't bring myself to even put one up if it wasn't exactly what I wanted. 

 And this is exactly the one I wanted!

It just took me a REALLY long time to find it.

Same thing with the accordion mirror we put up a while back.

I had been putting my makeup on, straddling the toilet in the water closet downstairs for over 2 stinkin' YEARS while I looked for the perfect, brass, extendable arm mirror to put because I couldn't get close enough to the mirror upstairs to see to do my makeup without my glasses on. #nearsighted4lyfe

Well, a few months ago I finally found one on Etsy that was exactly what I wanted and I couldn't be happier! 

Moral of the story: If you see something and you have even the slightest reservation about the price or the color or the condition. Don't buy it. It ain't the droids you're lookin' for. 

So, the search continues for a sink for the downstairs bathroom. I really think that an antique sink will make the room look more traditional no matter which way we go color-wise and it will be a nice detail for that room.

Up next?

I believe we're going to start framing the left side of the bathroom (where the toilet will go) so wish us luck!