When you’re renovating with a two-year-old and five-year-old underfoot, you might as well throw your timeline for finishing a project out the window. Take for instance our master bathroom, which had been sorely neglected up until this spring. I’m talking sorely neglected, friends. Beige walls that Ada had decided to “paint” herself with my foundation brush while I was in the shower, a huge, builder-basic mirror over the beige cultured marble countertop, a fiberglass shower stall and a garden tub. All of these fixtures are arranged in what I can only describe as a galley bathroom, this long and skinny room with no natural light.

Sounds like a fun space to makeover, right?

My plan was to make the bathroom as spa-like as possible. I’m a firm believer that your spirit is deeply impacted by your space and I’ve been working towards making each room a retreat of sorts. This room needed to be a place that revived us and readied us for the day ahead. Honestly, I’ve done some of my best writing not at a computer but in that garden tub. This space needed to be inspiring.

I’ve still got a little more work to do (mostly choosing some art) but I’m pleased with how it’s come along. Here’s a peek:

If I had the budget, I would have ripped the fiberglass shower stall out (which I hate) and probably removed the garden tub (which we’ve had problems with) and installed a free-standing tub. I might even steal a few feet from our adjoining closet, which is enormous compared to the bathroom. I would prefer to have bathroom space than storage space. That’s just me. But, since I do not have a budget for all of that or the time (and time should always be part of your DIY budget,) I decided to keep all of the existing fixtures.

I did a -concrete countertop with Ardex Feather Finish and used Rust-Oleum Linen White Chalked Paint to paint the existing vanity. You can read more about that process here. I considered replacing the large, builder-basic mirror but kept getting tangled up with the logistics: Who was going to watch the kids while we got that thing down? Where would we keep it so no one got hurt? The thrift stores won’t take unframed mirrors so where would it go and how on earth would we get it there? Framing the mirror felt like the best option.

We’ve gone the DIY route with framing a mirror before and it wasn’t a terrible process but for this space, I wanted something more finished-looking and honestly, I needed simplicity. With Mom’s health being so unpredictable and the kids being, well, kids, I really, really needed simplicity.

After a quick search, I found Frame My Mirror, an Atlanta-based company that creates custom mirror frames in a variety of finishes. I fell hard for the Upton Mirror, which has a beautiful driftwood-look. If we went this route, we solved all sorts of problems:

-Transporting wood that big in a car with two car seats is impossible. No hunting down a truck or begging my van-driving mom friends to go to Lowe’s with me. This would ship for FREE.

-No need to break out the power tools.

-$1 samples

-A driftwood finish I don’t have to create myself with layers of paint and stain while Eli cries for me to pick him up? Take my money.

-Installation the day it arrives and the ability to do it myself in case my other half isn’t as inspired as I am? Yes, please. (Thankfully, he was impressed too and eager to help. Somebody has to hold the camera around here.)

The ordering process is very simple. Frame My Mirror guides you through measuring your mirror so you have the best results.

Once you’ve placed your order, it takes about two weeks for the frame to be constructed and shipped to your door. TO YOUR DOOR, FRIEND. The frame comes in a long, skinny box that is easy to carry. We had the box open and the frame assembled and installed in under an hour.

Here’s a look at the installation process:

If I unmuted the original sound in this video, you’d hear the kids playing just feet away. We seriously did this with them underfoot while taking pictures and video and it still was up in well-under an hour.

So, how much does this cost? Custom-frames have to be expensive, right? Surprisingly, no. The framing starts at just $76 and depends on the size of your mirror. Being as cost-minded as I am about finishes, this was well-worth the investment to me. Could we have built our own? Yes, and if you have the time and resources, that’s a great option, too. But if you’re looking for a quick, super-easy and beautiful finish, you cannot beat this option.

And I keep walking in the bathroom (which I once hated) just to look at the mirror. It’s so spa-like, now. It totally transformed the room.

The folks at Frame My Mirror have extended an offer to you, too, friends! Use the code below at checkout and you’ll get 15% off your custom frame.

*This post was written in collaboration with Frame My Mirror. All of the thoughts and opinions are my own. I only share products with you that I believe in and find to be truly useful. For more information on my policies, read this and please don’t hesitate to ask questions.