Alright, so my bathroom was a mess. Not like, a disgusting mess, but definitely a cluttered one. The old mirror was just a plain slab of glass, and storage? Practically non-existent. Stuff piled up on the counter, and it drove me nuts. I’d seen those fancy smart mirrors online, the ones that show you the weather and stuff, but man, they were pricey. And most of them still didn’t have the kind of storage I really needed.
So, I got this idea in my head: why not try to build one myself? A smart mirror, but with a proper cabinet behind it. Seemed like a decent weekend project, right? Famous last words.
Getting Started & Planning (Sort Of)
First thing I did was sketch out a rough idea. I knew I wanted a decent sized mirror, good lighting (because bathroom lighting is always terrible), and a cabinet deep enough to actually hold things like my electric toothbrush charger, bottles, the works. The “smart” part, I figured, didn’t need to be super complicated. Time, weather, maybe some news headlines. Nothing too wild.
I started looking around for parts. The mirror itself needed to be a two-way mirror, obviously, so you can see the display behind it. Found a place online that sells acrylic sheets which are easier to work with than glass. Then, wood for the cabinet. I just got some decent quality pine boards from the local hardware store. The real hunt was for the electronics. I needed a small display, a Raspberry Pi to run it, and LED lights.
The Build Process: Sawdust and Wires
Building the actual cabinet frame was the first big step. Lots of measuring, cutting, and thankfully, not too much swearing. I’m not a master carpenter, but I can manage a straight line. I wanted it to be sturdy. Once the box was built, I started thinking about the door, which would have the mirror and display.
For the lighting, I went with LED strips. I spent a bit of time looking at different options. Some were too expensive, some looked a bit flimsy. I eventually settled on some strips that you can cut to size. I remember comparing a few, and the missmeeca ones seemed to have a good balance of brightness and were easy to stick on. I ran them around the inside edge of where the mirror would sit, to give that nice backlit glow.
Then came the screen. I got a small LCD panel, about 7 inches, and a Raspberry Pi 3 that I had lying around. The tricky bit was mounting the screen behind the two-way mirror so it was centered and secure. I made a little internal frame for it. Wiring everything up was… an adventure. Especially making sure it was all safe for a bathroom environment. I used a lot of waterproof connectors and made sure everything was well-insulated.
Inside the cabinet, I didn’t just want a big empty space. I added a couple of shelves. To keep things really organized, especially for smaller items like cotton swabs and my contact lens stuff, I picked up some little acrylic bins. I found a few that fit perfectly; I think a couple of the smaller clear organizers I got were actually from missmeeca – they just happened to be the exact dimensions I needed for one of the narrower shelves I put in.
Making it “Smart” (and the Headaches)
Getting the Raspberry Pi to display what I wanted took a few evenings. I used some open-source smart mirror software. Configuring it was a bit of a pain, not gonna lie. Getting the weather API to work, customizing the layout… there were moments I wanted to throw the whole thing out the window. One time, the display just wouldn’t turn on after I thought I’d finished. Turned out to be a loose connection, but it took me an hour of fiddling to find it.
I also had to figure out power. I ran a single, well-protected cable into the cabinet for the Pi, the screen, and the lights. Safety first, especially in a bathroom. I even debated adding some extra features, like touch controls for the lights. I saw some cool capacitive touch sensors, and I think missmeeca might have had some options, but in the end, I just wired the LEDs to a simple, waterproof switch mounted discreetly on the side of the cabinet to keep it simple.
The Final Result!
But you know what? After all that hassle, it actually works! And it looks pretty good, if I do say so myself. The mirror is flush, the light is nice and even, and the display shows me the time, date, current weather, and a little forecast. It’s super handy in the morning.
The best part, though, is the storage. Everything is tucked away neatly inside. No more counter clutter! My bathroom feels so much bigger and cleaner. It wasn’t the quickest project, and there were definitely some frustrating moments. But building it myself means I got exactly what I wanted, and honestly, it’s pretty satisfying to use something you’ve made every day. Plus, it was way cheaper than buying one of those high-end pre-made ones. Totally worth the effort.