Restoration Hardware Inspired Master Bathroom Design

How to get the restoration hardware look for less.

Unfortunately (and probably fortunately for my wallet) we do not have a Restoration Hardware close by our house. So every time I get a chance to go wander the showrooms I take full advantage of the opportunity. If I could model my entire interior design style after a RH showroom, I would be in heaven. While I was in NYC this past weekend for “work” we had some downtime when we got into town.  I dragged a couple unsuspecting ladies into the Restoration Hardware Gallery as we were cruising down Broadway in the Flatiron District (they didn’t complain because it was freezing outside). They had never heard of this magical store, so I was so excited to see their reaction once we made our way in.

first impressions:

Of course, the dark slate gray walls, oversized furniture, and accessories were so beautiful that the wish list began immediately. Like me, however, the price tags on these pieces can create a little bit of sticker shock. So the conversation quickly turned into how to get the look for less. I’ve always enjoyed wandering through idea homes, builder showcase houses, designer showrooms, and antique stores for inspiration. Once I’ve been inspired, I try to figure out how to replicate those ideas within my budget.

One of the main things I have been stalking on the Restoration Hardware website are the oversize bathroom vanity mirros. I explained to them that when we were building our home, I knew I wanted to recreate the RH look in my own bathrooms. I had fallen in love with the look years ago so I had to include it in our design plan.

Here are a couple of the favorite originals for inspiration.

The search for the right stuff:

Because we were starting from scratch, I had my master bathroom cabinets designed and made by the same guys that did our kitchen. We kept it simple with white cabinetry, white quartz, white shiplap, and polished chrome sink fixtures. Once those were set in stone, the mirror search began. Now, because the RH originals average between $500 – $1000 each, they were not an option. So, off to HomeGoods I went. I spotted these beauties in the mirror section. Technically these would be considered floor length or full length mirrors (which at my local store have their own section at HomeGoods). At $99 each, these were way more affordable and would still give me the look I was going for.

Floor length mirror from Homegoods – $99 each

helpful hints:

*Keep in mind your vanity height and your ceiling height when you purchase your mirror. Our vanity is a raised height at 36″ high and our ceilings in the bathroom are 9 feet for reference. 

*If you are on the hunt for something similar, I have seen these same mirrors at my local HomeGoods during my recent visits. I have also seen slightly smaller versions if you have lower ceilings. 

*On remodel projects, you may need to consider moving your existing light fixtures. I would say most bathrooms have the lighting located above a “standard height” mirror. Be cause these mirrors are so tall, I recommend wall sconces beside the mirrors instead. As you can see from our space below, we only had room for one wall light. We added the recessed cans above the vanity & a hanging chandelier for different layers of light (more on that later). 

Bringing it all together:

After the house was complete and the lighting had been installed we had the mirrors hung. Because these mirrors are pretty heavy (and big) make sure you have secure anchors to hang them. I would hate to have one of those bad boys come crashing down. Because we have 9′ ceilings on our upstairs floor where our master bathroom is located, this left us with about 3″ between the mirror and the bottom of the crown molding and about 3″ between the mirror and the top of the quartz backsplash. In my opinion, we were able to center them perfectly and I was so excited with how they turned out.

Putting on the finishing touches:

Once you get the bones of any space pulled together, the rest is just details. And like any designer will tell you the details make the design. Accessories are critical to all spaces, and it’s important not to forget the bathrooms. Now, as my friends and family know, I can spend hours wandering the aisles of any HomeGoods or Hobby Lobby. The fun for me is finding unexpected treasures and pulling it all together.

My favorite bathroom accessories are clear glass jars. They are perfect for adding a little glam to otherwise boring storage. I personally use them to store cotton balls, q-tips, and one for miscellaneous items (it is usually full of my daughter’s hair bows).

The final product: