On my last trip to KL in mid-Nov. I planned to shop for a mirror. I knew exactly what I wanted, but previous searches in Ipoh had come to nought. Nothing was even close! It was a Sunday, and my husband and sons had planned on golf (so what's new). So, I called my good friend, T. As luck would have it, she was free and was planning to go to Sg. Buluh to get her sister, N, an orchid plant as a belated birthday present. But she agreed to accompany me on my 'mirror hunt' anyway, so I tagged along with her to Sg. Buluh. T is good to have around when you are shopping for just about anything. She's KL born and bred; so with her, the GPS would be redundant! Besides, if you're looking for someone with taste and style, she is IT.
The mirror was for my kitchen-cum-family dining area; meaning, an informal spot. A nook where the wash basin stands needed a bit of brightening up and I was convinced a mirror would do the trick. But it cannot be anything ostentatious, or anything that was going to dent my already depleted finances. Moreover, my husband had said: "Any mirror would do." As if that wasn't a clear warning to spend as little as possible on the mirror.....
We visited Silk Road in Bangsar - which has ethnic Asian stuff including mirrors, but none took my fancy, nor were they suitable for my nook. Next stop was Bangsar Village, where we decided on lunch first before resuming our quest. As we were finishing lunch at one of the restaurants, who did we meet but N and her husband! N then invited us to her house for tea since I had not been to her new house in Bukit Jelutong, and for T to personally deliver the orchid.
Before making our way to B. Jelutong, T wanted to take me to a furniture shop where she thought I might find what I was looking for. So we headed for PJ - only to find the location of the shop occupied by a car showroom. They must have moved, or gone bust. The latter was most unlikely, according to T. For consolation, she said she would 'google' it so that we could visit it at some other time. So, the search was still on.........
T told N about my quest for the mirror, and the latter suggested that I take a look at a mirror that she no longer wanted since it was not in keeping with the decor of her new house. She had left it behind in her previous house together with other cast-offs. So off we went. When we got there, I spotted the mirror right away. It sat forlorn against the front wall of the house, its glass cracked in two. That it has seen better days was quite obvious. With a white-turned-cream frame of cast iron that had florets at regular intervals, the mirror begged to be rescued. Even then, with its distressed look, it fitted my requirements to a T - the size was right, the European design so fetchingly simple, and it was old. After all, it was N's flea-market find in London some 20 years ago! But given my penchant for antiques, old is not a problem.
I have given the frame a new coat of white paint - just enough to give it an even colour throughout. The broken mirror has been replaced with a new one. It was meant to be hung landscape-style, but that wouldn't do for the wall. So it is now with the welder who would have to remove the original hook from where it is, and weld it back into another position so I could hang it portrait-wise. In a matter of days, it will assume its rightful place on the wall.
My months-long search is over, and I am as pleased as Punch. When once the mirror had been her object of desire, tended with love and care, N had given it to me without a second thought. It mirrors the generosity of a friend, and a friendship that spans over 25 years - something to reflect upon, and that will always be reflected every time I look at it. Thank you, N.
The mirror was for my kitchen-cum-family dining area; meaning, an informal spot. A nook where the wash basin stands needed a bit of brightening up and I was convinced a mirror would do the trick. But it cannot be anything ostentatious, or anything that was going to dent my already depleted finances. Moreover, my husband had said: "Any mirror would do." As if that wasn't a clear warning to spend as little as possible on the mirror.....
We visited Silk Road in Bangsar - which has ethnic Asian stuff including mirrors, but none took my fancy, nor were they suitable for my nook. Next stop was Bangsar Village, where we decided on lunch first before resuming our quest. As we were finishing lunch at one of the restaurants, who did we meet but N and her husband! N then invited us to her house for tea since I had not been to her new house in Bukit Jelutong, and for T to personally deliver the orchid.
Before making our way to B. Jelutong, T wanted to take me to a furniture shop where she thought I might find what I was looking for. So we headed for PJ - only to find the location of the shop occupied by a car showroom. They must have moved, or gone bust. The latter was most unlikely, according to T. For consolation, she said she would 'google' it so that we could visit it at some other time. So, the search was still on.........
T told N about my quest for the mirror, and the latter suggested that I take a look at a mirror that she no longer wanted since it was not in keeping with the decor of her new house. She had left it behind in her previous house together with other cast-offs. So off we went. When we got there, I spotted the mirror right away. It sat forlorn against the front wall of the house, its glass cracked in two. That it has seen better days was quite obvious. With a white-turned-cream frame of cast iron that had florets at regular intervals, the mirror begged to be rescued. Even then, with its distressed look, it fitted my requirements to a T - the size was right, the European design so fetchingly simple, and it was old. After all, it was N's flea-market find in London some 20 years ago! But given my penchant for antiques, old is not a problem.
I have given the frame a new coat of white paint - just enough to give it an even colour throughout. The broken mirror has been replaced with a new one. It was meant to be hung landscape-style, but that wouldn't do for the wall. So it is now with the welder who would have to remove the original hook from where it is, and weld it back into another position so I could hang it portrait-wise. In a matter of days, it will assume its rightful place on the wall.
My months-long search is over, and I am as pleased as Punch. When once the mirror had been her object of desire, tended with love and care, N had given it to me without a second thought. It mirrors the generosity of a friend, and a friendship that spans over 25 years - something to reflect upon, and that will always be reflected every time I look at it. Thank you, N.
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