Here's what the electrician's work accomplished.
In my DIY world I have had great successes at saving money, which has always been a hugely important consideration. I've had to put in time and effort but am usually pretty happy with the end results. I carefully think through how I'm going to accomplish my goals on a frugalista's budget and I know I don't need to tell the single mom's out there how important it is to budget carefully.
Sometimes, however, things don't go according to plan. I had called a glass shop and asked if they could drill holes in a mirror that I wanted to mount on the bathroom wall and then install my lights right on the mirror. They said they could do this. I knew that the electrical would have to be done first because you'd have to know where the fixtures were going before you could cut the mirror. The electricians (who I hired by buying a kijiji coupon for $200 worth of electrical work for $39) I had to pay $178 over and above the coupon because they charge an $85 service charge (not mentioned in the coupon deal) and they went over the 1 hr and 10min the coupon covered. They did a good job and you see from the photo the end result. This, however, was the first unexpected expense of the day.
The big hole at the top of the photo is from the very first light fixture that was in the bathroom when I bought the house 13 years ago. I must dig up a photo of what the bathroom looked like prior to my first renovation and share it with you.
The electrician's installed the electrical at a distance that we all decided was a good spot. Then I went to the glass shop.... turns out that they can't cut holes in a thinner mirror which I did not know to ask about when I called them. They can cut me a thicker mirror but the price of my project (not counting the electrical) went from $40 to $150 for the mirror and I would either need to keep the existing mirror ($40) for the frame or build a new frame. I left the shop undecided.
I went to 3 different places after that to look at alternative mirrors that would fit the space of 24" between the light sconces. To bring this long and boring narrative home I still haven't figured out the solution. No matter what, I did have to have electrical work done, but If I'd known to begin with that the store bought mirror was too thin to be cut I would have probably had the electrical installed differently.
I found one mirror and brought it home but the lights are so snug against it that I don't know if I can actually use it. I will have to put on my thinking cap. I have to patch the hole at the top of the wall...so I'll go do that and .....think.
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