Windsor Terrace Reno

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November 26, 2007

Moving the mirror.

If you are like us, you really appreciate the charm of old homes. But there are many things that add to the charm of an old house but conflict with modern life. One of those things was our lovely pier mirror.

It sat right in the middle of the front room which we would use as our living room. The narrow size, doorways at two walls and the centered mirror all make for a very awkward furniture arrangement. And I'll let you in on a little known secret: we watch tv! (pause to allow for gasps of horror) I know you are shocked to hear this as it seems no one admits to watching tv anymore, no less in their own living rooms. But we had no plans to make a living room in which we couldn't stare at the boob tube so some adjustments had to be made. And that mirror sat right in the middle of the room spoiling any arrangement that would feel comfortable. Add that to the idea that watching myself in a full length mirror while I vegged out in front of that tv didn't seem very appealing either. So we had a dilemma. We loved the mirror and wanted it to stay but leaving it as is would make for an awkward room.

So stealing the idea from a very nice couple* that let us see their own renovation, we decided to move the mirror to the back of the floor were our new dining room would be. The mirror would make a great accent in a more formal room and the chandelier we would put over the dining room table would look great in the reflection.

I'll admit, we were concerned if it would make the move without some collateral damage. It had to be carefully disassembled, its pieces moved to the basement while other work was done and then reassembled in the new dining room. Our anxiety was high the day we came home to see this.

But as we've come to learn, the features in this house aren't quite as delicate as we had thought and its been reassembled successfully in its new home.

Its old spot is being outfitted with the appropriate cables and electrical to put a television.

Still a lot of finishing touches to be done on both spots but we're pleased with how its turned out.

*Footnote: Back when we started this project, we were lucky enough to find a couple kind enough that invited us (complete strangers) into their home to see how their own limestone renovation had gone. We were there to see the work of that contractor (who we didn't end up using) but we walked away with the name of our architect and one of their great ideas that we took for our own house reno. So to that nice guy and his girlfriend thanks very much for letting us lear at your fabulous progress and I hope you'll take the outright theft of your idea as a form of flattery.

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Comments

yikes!
Everybody has a TV set, but not everybody has a huge built-in pier mirror.
Ah well, to each their own.

Posted by: sam at November 26, 2007 3:25 PM

We still have the mirror...its just been moved to a room where it can be better appreciated.

Posted by: Mrs. Limestone at November 26, 2007 3:36 PM

f the mirror, who needs to look at themselves al lday long when you can watch Heroes in HD!

Posted by: guest at November 26, 2007 4:21 PM

Actually, this is not a pier mirror. A pier mirror is placed between the two front or rear parlor windows of a brownstone. When standing in front of the mirror, one is illuminated by the light coming in from the windows, it is the most logical place for a mirror and it visually extends the size of the room and amplifies the light from the chandeliers.
This looks like a mantle mirror without the mantle.

Posted by: guest at November 26, 2007 5:22 PM

nice solution
(and i happen to dig that wall color)

re: a/c, i am not going to post it on my bolog until we are done (see faq #7: http://www.brownstoner.com/crownheights_reno/2006/10/post.html#6 ) but here's the info: Cadco Mechanical/Bobby Wu/718-251-4003

Posted by: neene at November 26, 2007 8:09 PM

Thanks neene. The wall color is definitely changing though. It looks a little more good quirky in the photos. Its more bad quirky in person. Kind of like what I imagine the walls of a mental institution would be painted.

Thanks for posting guest. Duly noted. Im not sure what the proper name is so Ive been calling it a pier mirror. My bad.

Posted by: Mrs. Limestone at November 26, 2007 9:18 PM

I had to laugh re the TV watching. Where the TVs would go caused many a fight between Omer and myself. It's fantastic that you came up with a solution that suited you and saved a fabulous detail. It's 2007. There's room for great old mirrors and beautiful TVs.

Amy

Posted by: guest at November 28, 2007 11:55 AM

5:22- All Brownstone owners that I have met and all agents selling brownstones for a living have always called the mirror in the front parlor (same as the Reno posters) a Pier Mirror. This mirror isn't missing a mantle either.

Posted by: guest at November 28, 2007 11:57 AM

I've actually heard the same thing as 5.22, and thought that a pier mirror is a large mirror between two windows. Doesn't make this or other mirror's like it less beautiful, but I wouldn't personally call it a pier mirror either. . . but honestly it doesn't matter.

Why am I typing this??

Posted by: guest at November 29, 2007 5:08 PM