Wish List Wednesday... Bamboo Mirror

Wish List Item #3... Just in case you have missed my many posts (here, here, and here) about my love obsession with faux bamboo...I LOVE FAUX BAMBOO! I crossed a bamboo chandelier off my wish list a few weeks ago but a vintage bamboo mirror is was still on the list. I say was because I was very lucky to find an amazing mirror on eBay this past weekend, and I have a funny story about it to share with you!

I've wanted some sort of faux bamboo mirror for a while, but ever since I saw this picture in Lonny I've been lusting for an octagonal bamboo mirror (and a campaign dresser but more on that another day). 

I still love the pagoda style ones and the Greek key style ones but I really like the shape of this mirror!

Now back to my (long) story about my hunt... I've seen many fellow blogger's find faux bamboo octagon mirrors at tag sales and thrift stores from $8 to $30 so I knew this mirror should be a steal.

Emily Clark's for $25 

Green Street's for $8!

Honey & Fitz's for $15

Beau Lifestyle's for $12

Life & Style's 

So a couple of weeks ago when I saw this one on eBay for $599 or best offer I about fell out on the floor!

I added it to my watch list because I was curious if it would really sell for that price. 

After it sat for a week with no takers I thought "what the heck it doesn't hurt to make an offer",

so I made an offer of $100 (what I thought was generous based on the prices above). 

The guy not only declined my offer but wrote back this unnecessarily rude response. 

"I think you would be better off looking through the trash, your screen name suits you"

I was taken back to say the least because I've never experienced such a rude eBayer!! I contemplated reporting him to eBay but decided to just sit back and enjoy watching his TWO overpriced mirrors not sell. (He has this one for sale too for $699)

Then on Sunday a 'Buy it Now' for this beauty popped up at 1/10th of the rude eBayer's price so I jumped! It has the same dimensions and looks the exact same (carvings and all) as the other one.

I probably shouldn't have, but in my excitement over my new find I e-mailed the rude eBayer back and told him that just wanted to let him know I found the same mirror in the "trash" on eBay at 1/10th of his price. Well that unleashed the dragon... I got not one but two response within the next 5 minutes! 

"KEEP PICKING IN THE TRASH. YOU ARE BLOCKED FOR BEING RUDE AND HAVING NO CLASS."

"YOUR MIRROR IS MADE OF PLASTIC: This Gold Antique Bamboo Framed Miror is made of a "Syroco" like Material> The mirror I have is made of hand carved wood and has been totally restored. Some of us have taste and other dont. Enjoy your plastic mirror!!"

The best part of all is the guy doesn't even know what SYROCO is! At first I was little concerned that I had bought a plastic mirror but after a quick Google search I found out that Syroco stands for SYRacuse  Ornamental COmpany and is a molded wood technique established by an Austrian Woodcarver to make replicas of original carvings. So maybe his is hand carved and mine was made by a machine, but (correct me if I'm wrong) I don't think that calls for a $500 price difference and his rude comments!

It took everything in me not to respond and educate him on Syroco, but I figured he likes trash talking too much and it would be better to make him stare at his expensive mirrors in silence. 

So Wish List item #3 is officially crossed off the list and I'm anxiously awaiting its arrival!

Sorry for such a long and rambling story, I though y'all would get a kick out of it and I just had to share!

PS- If you want a bamboo mirror of your own I've found a few others on the internet. 

They aren't as pricey as the one on eBay but still not a steal...

Circa Who, $650 for the pair

Janey's Collection, $325

Wish List Wednesday... Pair of X-Benches

The second item(s) on my wish list is a pair of X Benches. They seem to be in every room I see
these days, but maybe that's just because I really want a pair of my own!  From the bedroom,
to the living or front hall, they fit in perfectly everywhere!

I love Jonathan Adler's X Benches but they are a little of out my price range at $500 a pop.



Jonathan Adler X Bench, starting at $495 each


Serena & Lily has some beautiful ones with contrasting pipping but they are even more expensive!



Serena and Lily Parker X Bench $650 each

I've been searching my usual internet haunts for a pair to reupholster but haven't found any great deals.


Vintage X Benches from Circa Who, $950 for the pair

There is good news though! I recently stumbled upon these very reasonably priced X benches at one of my favorite stores, Ballard Designs! You can choose from over 50 fabrics and prices start at $179 for white!


Ballard Designs X Bench, $179 to $369

 Now I'm just being extra greedy and waiting for them to have a sale/coupon to buy my pair!

Apartment Crush: UES New York

I'm sure many of you have seen the latest and greatest edition of Matchbook Magazine by now.
If you haven't you must check it out!

I can't stop thinking about the New York apartment of 23 year old Alixe Laughlin, that was featured in "The Bahamas Meets New York". In four words... it's to die for! Having a job at Quadrille Couture definitely comes in handy when it comes to having such a chic first apartment. I'm so jealous!




It makes me think of my first apartment shoebox on the Upper East Side, that my roommate and I thought was pretty cute considering our penniless bank accounts, but now pales in comparison.




Here are some more drool worthy pictures of Alixe's apartment...





I love this mirrored coffee table and touch of orange!



The faux bamboo console is definitely going on my wish list! And I love the lucite lamps from one of my favorite stores, Circa Who, in Palm Beach.



The Quadrille Saya Gatta Wallpaper adds just the right amount of color to a boring hallway.



She does a great job of mix and matching lots of different prints without loooking too busy.





Don't you have a crush now too?