Help!!! Iso A Beautiful Vanity

Brittni · 08-11-2008, 05:20 PM #1 (**permalink**)

Hey girls. I need your shopping expertise HELP!!!!!!!! For months I have been searching online trying to find -- or create -- the perfect vanity!

I want a very pretty, whimsical mirror and a nice storage on the sides with room for my body like a typical vanity. Below is a picture from another thread on here, but this mirror is from the UK and I'm in the US. If you girls could help me find a beautiful mirror something like this and an AWESOME dressing table to put it on that would be fab.

It needs to be affordable and functional. Which means I can place my new laptop on it if I want to copy a look off Specktra or something, *hehe*, but mainly just affordable which is why all the super fancy one piece vanities I find are out of my range so hoping to make my own by a cool mirror that will sit on it like below and an awesome dressing table w/storage!

P.S. I already know about the dressing tables on IKEA. They just don't do it for me. I mean, they're okay but I'm into whimsical/prettier things and don't wanna have to resort to just a pretty mirror on one of those b/c that one that pulls out with the lined drawers is too much of a hassle as you have to back up then too since its not just on the sides.

THANK YOU ALL IN ADVANCE SOMEBODY BE MY ANGEL AND HELP ME LOL! I AM MOVING SATURDAY AND REALLLLLLLY WANT A NEW VANITY FOR MY ROOM!!! IT CAN BE BIG!!! no dark wood. I NEED somebody b/c no way my landlord would be happy if I end up w/lots of makeup stains on the carpet like at my house now b/c my vanity is too tiny for me to do my makeup at

more inspirational photos...

^ ugly but i love how the mirror can fold back down

eh these are okay. i like the idea of resorting one myself and putting lyrics all over it, but unfortunately i don't have enough time to search for an antique to strip ,repaint, etc

and if nobody can help me find something pretty, girly, whimsical, beautiful, etc...

then if i go with a modern, plain theme and get a basic table from ikea or something -- i know this isnt a makeup vanity, but!

http://www.qualitybath.com/image.asp?q=nu3.jpg
i love how the mirror has the shelfs so close to it and i could totally get cheap black straight shelfs and a mirror like that to house all of my pigments and neato stuff w/lighting above

Brittni · 08-12-2008, 11:07 AM #2 (**permalink**)

OK, HOW DOES NO ONE HAVE ANYYYYY THOUGHTS/IDEAS ON THIS>!?!!?!?!
bump :/

Hilly · 08-12-2008, 11:30 AM #3 (**permalink**)

I did this:

Garage sale find!!! $2 VANITY TABLE!!

and here it is!

Tadaaaaaaaaa it's done!!!!

I got it at a garage sale and it looked like poop- but I envisioned it and made it to my dream vanity.

Goodluck!

YvetteJeannine · 08-12-2008, 12:42 PM #4 (**permalink**)

You've got a tall order to fill. You don't want the Ikea-type look (contemporary, straight-lined, no-frills). You don't want something cheap looking (those little tiny metal vanities you find in discount warehouse stores like BIG LOTS). You don't want anything wayy to expensive. Thats fine. In fact, that's what *I* want/don't want for my own personal vanity. The only problem is, you want something unique, but you don't want to put the extra time into it.

You aren't going to simply find something like that. It's unfortunate, but true. For the type of vanity you want, you're going to have to scour antique sales, flea markets, estate/tag sales, and antique stores and warehouses [about ten minutes from where I live, people turned a WARING factory (they made electric products like blenders, etc..your Mom may have even had a WARING blender/toaster..they were very common) into this HUMONGOUS antique warehouse..This place is SO big, and it has all kinds of things. Everything from bric-a-brac, to furniture; dining ware, and even vanities (and, may I add, great mirrors like the example you love)..Everything is SO great, and unique, too! I could spend three hours in that place and still not see everything!]. If you can find one of these places in your area, you're in luck! You will find something you like..BUT...therein lies the problem; many of these vanities you'll find don't look great to begin with (in the antique warehouses SOME of them are in good/excellent condition..but those usually are the old-style ones..and really expensive, too). The paint will be ugly, and peeling. The hardware will be missing and/or ugly. You'll need to strip it down (which can be a very time-consuming process). You'll need to paint it, and maybe even fix a few things. You'll need to put new hardware on it. All this takes time. But, when you're done, you'll not only have a pretty new vanity that meets most or all of your requirements, but you'll also have the satisfaction of knowing YOU did it yourself! YOU made something beautiful. And every time you sit down at it, you'll feel good about it.

You said you don't have the time to do it, but I'm sure you can make some time. I'll bet you can put together at least a couple hours on the weekends (or, whatever your day/s off are). It may take three or four weeks to complete, but that's okay. Or, you can designate one day to finish it; start in the early morning, and use that whole day to complete the task. You may even be able to get someone that's handy with that stuff to help you (I'm going to have my MIL help me with mine when I get one..she's SO handy with that stuff..she finds stuff all the time and restores it. I guess she had to learn to be resourceful, because when my husband was a baby, she was a very young military wife in a strange country with little money to fix up the home and buy furniture; and no family around to help. So, she'd find stuff at tag sales and even the stuff people would deem 'no good' and throw on the side of the road, and she would make it BEAUTIFUL! I'll bet if those people knew their stuff could look that good, they'd never have thrown it away! I'm very lucky I have someone with that much talent for restoring things around to help me/teach me how to do it). Anyway, maybe you have someone like that you could ask to help you with a project like this. It could be a lot of fun!

Well...that's MY suggestion. And, in my opinion, the most practical one to suit your wants/needs. Look at those great vanities in the pics you posted..they look like they were found and restored. All you need is a little creativity. The best part about finding a vanity and refinishing it is that you can add your OWN flair and style! Look at what Hilly did...would you ever think that thing in the first photo could turn into a gorgeous dressing table? Like I said; add hard work, and imagination, and you'll get what you're after Good luck.

concertina · 08-12-2008, 05:07 PM #5 (**permalink**)

Does your city have a craigslist page? Cause I come across awesome furniture pretty regularly on mine.

Sadly, we're coming to the end of garage sale season; the beginning of May would have been a perfect time to start looking, but you never know! Start hitting the sales Saturday morning, bright and early. Check your local Pennysaver or newspaper for Church rummage sales. Or just hit your local thrift/vintage stores.

kimjunae · 08-12-2008, 06:18 PM #6 (**permalink**)

Well, I'm currently coveting an imaginary vanity as well, but the closest I've come to finding MY idea of a perfect vanity is one that is big enough for specifically my cosmetics, that I can fit into any place in my room without worrying about space, and that also looks nice and fits in with my decor... SO, having said that, I think I'm set on this one:

<img src="http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/everythingfurniture_2013_552847736">

Hope this helps!

kimjunae · 08-12-2008, 06:24 PM #7 (**permalink**)

Well, I'm currently coveting an imaginary vanity as well, but the closest I've come to finding MY idea of a perfect vanity is one that is big enough for specifically my cosmetics, that I can fit into any place in my room without worrying about space, and that also looks nice and fits in with my decor... SO, having said that, I think I'm set on this one:

Code:

http://www.everythingfurniture.com/nex-pab-vanity-set-1.html

Hope this helps!

kimjunae · 08-12-2008, 06:37 PM #8 (**permalink**)

Well, I'm currently coveting an imaginary vanity as well, but the closest I've come to finding MY idea of a perfect vanity is one that is big enough for specifically my cosmetics, that I can fit into any place in my room without worrying about space, and that also looks nice and fits in with my decor... SO, having said that, I think I'm set on this one from Nexera Furniture:

Hope this helps!

Brittni · 08-12-2008, 06:51 PM #9 (**permalink**)

I don't need one that is heavily decorated and restored like the pictures I posted. I was trying to emphasize the girliness and whimsy they possessed. I just want something that has wood carvings in it.

You're right. I am picky. LOL

Nope, my city does not have craigslist. I don't live in a city and certainly don't have a trailer to haul anything. I do frequent craigslist though in the close cities (1hr away) etc.

Thanks for your support I guess!

But I don't need people telling me that I just need to be creative and garage sale it up for future posters, lol. If that's what I wanted to do (which i am capable of it, but like I said - NO time. working FULL time in the day, FULL TIME school at night, PLUS personal training.) then I would have done that w/o asking for legitimate suggestions of where a cute, pretty, dainty, and well stored vanity would be.

I was asking for suggestion on whimsical mirrors like the above posted, and functional tables similar to the ikea one... so that I COULD create my own vanity even if it isn't AS girly/fabulously painted,etc which isn't necessarily what I want... as that.

SiCiLyGiRl · 08-12-2008, 07:07 PM #10 (**permalink**)

wow that looks amazing

YvetteJeannine · 08-17-2008, 07:21 AM #11 (**permalink**)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brittni

I don't need one that is heavily decorated and restored like the pictures I posted. I was trying to emphasize the girliness and whimsy they possessed. I just want something that has wood carvings in it.

You're right. I am picky. LOL

Nope, my city does not have craigslist. I don't live in a city and certainly don't have a trailer to haul anything. I do frequent craigslist though in the close cities (1hr away) etc.

Thanks for your support I guess!

But I don't need people telling me that I just need to be creative and garage sale it up for future posters, lol. If that's what I wanted to do (which i am capable of it, but like I said - NO time. working FULL time in the day, FULL TIME school at night, PLUS personal training.) then I would have done that w/o asking for legitimate suggestions of where a cute, pretty, dainty, and well stored vanity would be.

I was asking for suggestion on whimsical mirrors like the above posted, and functional tables similar to the ikea one... so that I COULD create my own vanity even if it isn't AS girly/fabulously painted,etc which isn't necessarily what I want... as that.

Damn girl! (pulls hands away from my throat)...Sorry...Just trying to be helpful You're welcome for the suggestion, btw (YOU asked for them)

jennifer. · 10-16-2008, 12:47 AM #12 (**permalink**)

.....

sharkbytes · 10-16-2008, 01:35 AM #13 (**permalink**)

Have you tried Pier 1 Imports? They have a lot of really affordable, whimsical looking mirrors and tables. The only drawback is that they only show a few on the website, you'd need to get a catalog sent to you if there isn't one nearby. I found an antique-style dressing table there for only $150.00, and they have really beautiful mirrors as well. Some modern, some old-fashioned and antique looking, so you have to stroll around and give everything a look. (Or like I said, check out their catalog)