Our recent string of mirror projects has left me running low on my collection of mirror puns, but our guest bathroom still needed some attention. After swapping out the medicine cabinet in the master bath, we decided to update the guest bath mirror as well — guests probably won’t need a medicine cabinet, and the dated original just didn’t fit the plan.
The existing mirror was functional but had seen better days. The interior metal cabinet was starting to rust and looked original to the house, which would make it nearly fifty years old. The plain silver frame felt tired, so we removed it from the wall with two screws. A few minutes later the old mirror was down and we were ready for a fresher look.
This wasn’t an elaborate transformation, but it was free — the replacement is an older Target mirror we’ve had for a couple of years. Once we paint the walls (we’re leaning toward a muddy gray to add sophistication and balance the yellow tile), the white frame should pop and complement the trim, sink, toilet, and other clean white accents.
We also removed a bulky metal shelf and towel bar that took over the room. You can see it gone in the photo below; previously it sat above the toilet and crowded the space. Instead of the shelf, we’ll install two simple hooks on the inside of the bathroom door for guests to hang towels. Adding some crisp art to the wall will help the room feel less utilitarian and more welcoming.
We also decided to remove the full-length mirror from the inside of the bathroom door — not only to free up space for towel hooks but also because its placement felt awkward. If a guest used the bathroom, they could be treated to an unflattering view from that angle. Awkward.
Removing the door mirror was straightforward. It wasn’t glued in place; I popped out the single clip on the right side and carefully slid the mirror free. It had two clips at the top and bottom and one on each side, so once it was off I removed the remaining clips. Here’s the best one-handed progress shot I managed during the removal.
Here’s how the door looks now. We still need to putty over the screw holes left by the mirror clips and hang the towel hooks, but we’re happy to have avoided any potential “John on john” scenarios for guests named John — and if they’re not, just substitute the name as needed.
Incidentally, we have a similar full-length mirror on the outside of the master bathroom door. After removing the guest door mirror we almost took that one down too, but we changed our minds. Instead of removing it, we’re considering upgrading it later with a framed molding so it appears built-in and more intentional. We’ll decide as the rest of the bathroom comes together.