We've had this Ikea Mongstad mirror for as long as I can remember. There's nothing wrong with it, it's just a little too plain and modern for my ever-evolving taste. I'm trying to incorporate more vintage/farmhouse style pieces into our home, and only keep things I really love. This mirror wasn't special—it was just taking up space.
I've been drooling over these beautiful mirrors everywhere on Pinterest...
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Such lovely detail...
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So the other day as I was browsing the trim aisle at Lowe's (my second home), an idea popped into my head when I spotted this fancy molding...
I could simply attach it to the mirror by framing it out and I'd have my own vintage-esque shabby chic mirror. Easy.
Originally I had planned on going all out and adding detail around the outside and inside edges, but when I started adding up the costs, I decided to scale back a bit. The pieces range anywhere from $15-$20+ for 8 feet, and I needed three pieces to make a single rectangle around the perimeter. (Note: this is not a cheap DIY project).
I ended up selecting three pieces of the expensive molding (at $19/peice) and cut costs using primed MDF baseboard for the second row (I already had some at home so I only needed two pieces), and then two pieces of skinny detailed molding which were just $5 each. The total came to around $75.
After laying out my pattern, it was time to start cutting.
The fancy molding was actually crown, which meant the edges were angled and not straight. I wanted the trim to line up flush with the edge of the mirror, so I ripped it down with my table saw.
Here you can see the uncut molding on the top, and the ripped piece below it.
Once those pieces were all ripped, it was time to make my cuts. Simple stuff—45° the whole time.
The mirror already had a seam on each angle so it was easy to see where the molding should line up.
I worked my way around the mirror, piece by piece, and used my nail gun to secure them in place.
Then it was time for the next row—the baseboards.
In order to get the third row to fit without overlapping, the baseboards also had to be ripped down 3/8" or so. After trimming those to size, I attached them to the mirror, the same way I attached the first section.
Finally, I finished off with the inside pieces.
After everything was secure, it was time to spackle the nail holes and caulk all the seams.
Once dry, I used my new BFF to get everything nice and smooth:
After vacuuming up all the dust, it was time to paint!
I applied a couple coats of Kelly Moore's Swiss Coffee in satin using my angled brush and let it dry:
To give the mirror more of an authentic vintage look, I had to distress it. I wanted little peeks of black showing through (like my detail inspiration photo earlier) but the wood underneath wasn't black, so sanding it wouldn't give me that result. So I grabbed a q-tip, a can of Minwax's ebony stain, and dabbed it on randomly:
It didn't matter that it was on top of paint, it still stuck surprisingly well.
Once dry, I went back over it with my brush, letting hints of the stain show through in certain areas.
I wanted the distressing to be subtle and this method worked quite well.
And here's my special new "vintage" mirror in the room...
I don't think $75 is a bad investment to get this type of detail... big floor mirrors in a similar style are sold for a whole lot more.
And it makes me happy. So that's definitely worth it.
Next in line for a facelift—this plain jane door:
That's what I'll be doing this weekend. Hope yours is just as exciting!
One quick matter of business... if you've been thinking about picking up one of my Cityscape posters, now is the time! I've teamed up with Touch of Modern to offer my most popular Cityscapes at 25% off for the next five days only:
Join here now to take advantage of this flash sale and get an instant $10 credit towards your order!
Have a happy weekend, friends...
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