I believe the lights are too low. A good rich paint color will also help the bathroom setting look warmer. If all else fails, perhaps a larger mirror would be in store.

I think it is the mirror, I think it is too small.. and/or maybe the lights are to close to the mirror.. you might try to move the lights over on each side.. Just my opinion..
Huggy

It is a bit hard to gain perspective from the photos, but it appears to me that if you raise the lights, they're going to be too high. I like where they are height-wise -- think they'd provide a person's face with a nice glow while looking in the mirror -- but agree that they could perhaps be moved out from the mirror a bit. I really like your pieces in this space - they're lovely.

Here's a strange thought - could you buy a second frameless mirror, larger than the one in the picture, and hang that mirror under this one? (You'd obviously have to find a way to attach this mirror securely to the new one.) That would give you the effect of a larger mirror but let you keep the existing one.

Sure, you could go with a bigger mirror, but with the right paint color I think it's a charming size. I'm dying to get a new mirror for our bathroom, but that means I'd have to wallpaper again! But I'm definitely going with a small mirror when the time comes.

As for the lights, I think they need to go up just above the mirror and maybe out a little bit. Other than that, I'd keep both!

Mirror should not be more than 3-6 inches above the countertop. It should be 75-80% the size of the vanity, which means volume wise as well as length/width. I really don't love your lights. Been there, done that, took 'em out.

I'm with those that feel painted walls will make the biggest difference. I don't think I'd change the mirror or move the lights until that was done.
As for the size of the mirror, I don't feel Patricia's rules should be strictly adhered too. Unless your anal about things like that I'd recommend going with your gut. Right now it's saying something is off. I'm thinking a small glass shelf placed halfway between the mirror bottom and the backsplash might help that feeling.

I agree that a warmer color would change the feel of the whole room. Is that a paint swatch in picture 2? That color would look very nice in there. In the first picture the mirror does look too small but it doesn't in the 2nd picture. No matter what anyone says, the camera does lie, I should know, I was a professional photographer for many many years.

I think the lights need to be a little higher and a little more spread out. Is it possible to take a photo straight on to the mirror so we can see the spacing in relation to the wall on the right? My thoughts are that the bottom of the lights need to be about eye level.

Another thought is to replace the faucet with a style that is a bit taller than the backsplash. I had this delema when I was remodeling my powder room. I had to have a smallish mirror so one didn't have to stare at oneself while sitting on the potty. I considered putting a shelf under it to help fill the space but it seemed odd to me with the oval mirror. I opted for a slightly taller faucet to help span the space. A new faucet in bronze would match the mirror frame and light fixture better and help warm up the space better than chrome. BTW I was really surprised that replacing a faucet is a pretty easy DIY project.

Artlover I thought about mentioning changing the color of the faucet, but didn't think about a replacing it with one that's taller too. Great idea!

Not sure if I see this well, but if we see the top of the shower curtain in the mirror, maybe the mirror is a tad high ? You tell us since you're the one who uses it, lol..

I think it would help to put the lights a bit further from the mirror, I guess one of them will be quite close to the corner. In another thread you said you are not painting for a while, did I get this right ?

Here's some more pictures. After I posted this I thought my goodness, they look completely different in each one!

The bottom of the mirror is actually 10" from the splash. Due to the size of the mirror if I would've put it at 6" it would looked really off.

I'm 5'1" and when I look into the mirror my face is a little below the halfway.

The faucet is an idea but I thought it would stupid since the top is cultured marble. I didn't even price out anything else when we built this house (a year ago) silly me. My Dad has access to countertop materials and installed my kitchen tops but he's so busy and has a lot going on I hate to ask him.

I do want to get this room painted but I wasn't sure how I felt about the swatch in the pic. (Duron Tobacco Road - I think I was visualizing something darker/richer.) I'm all about painting now if I can figure out a color.

As far as the lights I do really like them. My Grandma had a pair in her house and I've always loved hers. I'm pretty fickle and still learning what I like and don't like with decorating. Ask me again in a year and maybe I'll think different. :)

I can't picture a shelf inbetween . . . I somehow would like to incorporate a couple apothecary jars on a shelf into this bathroom.

Now onto the pics. As you can see there's a lot of extra cord/chain. We even took some off during the install! It's also kind of close to the wall.
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I love vanities like this. . . which is a far cry from what I have a the moment.
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The lights looks like a honeycomb with that rounded, dripping shape. Against the oval mirror, it feels a bit too roundy-roundy.

If you could replace the mirror with a tall thin rectangular one, I think it would feel a little better...

Paint chips - Hmm I see what you're saying about the shape. Ha I always start off saying everything shall stay and before the threads over I change my mind and the stuff! ha

Shesaharee, I think I have that same vanity top and my faucet looked pretty much like yours before I did my mini remodel. I'm posting pictures below. You could go with a faucet like the one on the vanity you like, although you have to pick one that has the handle grouped together with the faucet on a base plate in order to use the counter top you already have.

I would definitely move the lights further apart. I would position the one on the right about 2" from the wall and the other one accordingly.

My before picture:

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New faucet and mirror, which is 24 X 30, with 36"vanity. The base of the mirror is 9 1/2" above back splash.

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Instead of a shelf I just bought a tallish silk orchid to go to the left of the mirror. I think this will help span the space visually and soften the edges. I think tall, slender apothecary jars would help serve this purpose with yours, too. If you paint, move the lights, add accessories and it still looks off, then maybe you might think about getting a larger mirror or different lights. It never hurts to try the least expensive options first.

If the lights stay they need to be moved out a bit.

And, these lights are from the big mirror days, they generally hung in front of the mirror. Since you are doing a retro look with the lights anyway, why not do a plain mirror that goes down to the backsplash and is the width of the vanity? Stock mirrors are often available in sizes that correspond with stock vanity sizes.

More or less what people have suggested...

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I don't mind the shape of the lights & mirror together at all. Mjlb's rendering above looks great!

Hey Shee-

I agree with Patricia and Pamp. Do remember that a mirror above a vanity needs to be in proportion size-wise. I do think your mirror is too small over that vanity. What mjlb has shown (the shelf) would help that a bit and you can see from that diagram that moving the lights out from the picture would help.

I think the lights are dated, BUT, if they are something you really love and want to keep in there - then you should. Do you want to keep the mirror because you love it? If so, try a shelf below. If you don't love it, but don't want to spend the $$$, check Kirklands and some places like that who tend to have some really nice mirrors for a good price. Or yardsales. It amazes me what some here find at garage sales. Look on Craigslist.

I agree with you on the a darker, richer paint color. I like that valance.

I don't think you'd have to do alot to make the room look great, and you don't have to do it all at once. I'd find the paint color and go from there. If you want to change out the mirror, light, faucet, etc. do it as $$$ allows.

tina

I hate to say this but the mirror is too small. I think what makes it look out of proportion is how much space you have from the top of the mirror to the ceiling. How high are your ceilings?

If you love the mirror, I do think having a shelf underneath the mirror is a great way to add some "girth" to the mirror and it will fill in the empty space inbetween the mirror and faucet.

Perhaps you can put that mirror in a wall grouping with some small paintings. Or, I think it would look nice in your foyer on the wall behind your pedestal.

Artlover - I really like your faucet. This may be a silly question but does the stopper part in the sink come with the faucet? Mine's chrome there too. Maybe I will do something like that.

Mjlb - Thanks for the mock up pic. How would I get the cord/chain to drape like that?

Caroleoh - Ceilings are 8'. Good suggestion about moving the mirror maybe with the pedestal. I just thought how I already have that large mirror above the buffet though. I've been trying to think of another place for it. Would it look odd in the hall with other art? Do people put mirrors in halls?

Alright, alright. I knew before I posted this the mirror was too small. It's ok but the whole look together isn't working for me and I wanted some additional feedback. I think the shelf would help visually fix it somewhat but I still don't think it would make me love it so I might as well not spend the money and end up "fixing" it a three times.

So first things first I'm going to figure out the paint. Which here's some more pics of samples I already had.

Left BM Jamesboro Gold, Right BM Blair Gold, Bottom is the same as before Duron Tobacco Road. I don't think any of these are IT but I like the darker look. I was thinking maybe SW Mannered Gold or SW Chamois or BM Mystic Gold? The color strips showing are the Mannered, Chamois and Relic Bronze. What do you think? Should I stay in this color direction?
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Sometime real soon we're suppose to have a sidewalk and some landscaping done. During that time there will be an electrician here to wire up a pole lamp outside and a fountain (I did manage to convince DH) I could probably arrange to have him hook a different fixture on the wall while he's here.

IF I lost the lights and kept the electrical stuff there at the ceiling is there any type of light/chandy that would work there? Or am I destined to have a light bar?

The mirror is for sure going somewhere in this house. I still do like the lights but again this set up isn't making me gitty.

Ha told you I'm fickle.

Yes, the stopper thingie comes with the faucet. Not a stupid questiion, I was surprised when I found out too. I thought I would have to buy it seperately.

If you want to keep the existing mirror and lights, I would do exactly what mjlb's picture shows. That and adding a darker paint color will make a lot of difference. As it is now, the lights are too close together and there is too much chain swag between them. We had the same situation, so we ran the wiring from the center to each side, got rid of the swags and make them into separate pendant lights. We then put a canlight in the center, but you really don't have enough room for all that light, so you could just get one of those flat plates that would cover the hole. Changing the lights to pendants alone made a huge difference.

To make the chains hang as shown, I think you would have to add hooks to the wall, rather than the ceiling. Since the hooks are well above eye level, it shouldn't be a hazard.

I really like the Blair Gold paint swatch.

Sjt - I'm having a hard time picturing what you're saying. Did you run the pendants straight from the ceiling on each side? Or did you have them close to the wall on hooks? Do you happen to have a pic? A canlight in the center of the ceiling between them?

On my monitor the two darker paints are off from the color of your pretty valance. I like the middle color better than the ones on the sides.

Hate to tell you this, but I think if you get the larger mirror that you need, that right hanging light will be too crowded. I think you need a mirror the size of artlover's and that will definitely be too large to have the light on the right hang properly, IMO.

Bru - I agree both those darker paints are off from the color I want but I think I'm aiming for something at least that dark. The Tobacco road is so similar to my hall and LR color. I actually wish my LR was darker because I get so much light during the day (since I changed out the drapes) and I also raise the blind in the bathroom during the day.

Yeah I know the whole area is going to be too crowded. I'm going to talk to DH about putting something else up. He'll love me.

Out of curiousity, if I didn't move the electric back to the wall and kept it above the sink could I hang some type of cute small chandelier there above a mirror or would that just look odd? Actually come to think of, because of the location of the backplate it would probably end up hitting the wall.

Shee, I would think you could put in a recessed light in the ceiling in place of the fixture