Mirror, Mirror On The Wall…

In its black and gold glory, ours was definitely not the fairest of them all…

I’m feeling the need to defend my ugly purchase, so let me back up a bit.  To start, I’d been searching for a piece of art to hang above our fireplace mantle.  I wanted something large—a focal point that would add some color and drama to the room without feeling too busy.  And of course, I wanted it to be as affordable as possible.  And maybe even something that I could tweak over time…you know, just in case my mood changes and I want to play with another color scheme down the road.

And that, my friends, is why I love love love HomeGoods/TJ Maxx.  Not only do they sell quality merchandise at way lower prices than department stores—they have clearance sales on top of their already low-prices!  (I promise that I was not paid for my shameless advertising.)  So as I was browsing the sale aisles one afternoon, I stumbled across this mirror.

At first glance, I almost passed it up, because the paint job was so hideous.  But then I looked at the price tag: $25 bucks!  I think they marked it down mainly due to a crack in the frame...and maybe the color combo.  Still, that’s a tough deal to pass up, especially since it met all of the qualifications on my wish list, plus the added bonus of its octagon shape and raised edges.  I was swooning.  Since I’ve been trying to look at old or odd pieces with an eye for their potential, I realized this was the prime opportunity to get my hands dirty.  Into the cart it went.

When I got home, I stuck the mirror on the mantle, just to make sure that I liked it in that spot.  After gazing at its gilded glory for a few weeks, I finally decided that the mantle provided the perfect home for our mirror.  Now I was ready to give it a makeover.  It was actually very simple.

First, I filled the crack in the frame with wood putty.  Since we have plaster walls and had to do some repair work before we painted, we already had putty mixed in to our stash of tools.  You can see that I didn’t do a perfect job filling and sanding the crack, but unless you’re looking for imperfection, it’s not noticeable.

Next, I taped paper to the actual mirror so that it would stay clean when I started spray painting the frame.  Then, I laid it out in our garage over some plastic (I always use garbage bags if I don’t have any plastic sheets available) and went to work spray painting it RustOleum’s Cinnamon, which I chalk up to a combo of burnt orange with a hint of coral mixed in.

I let it dry for a full 24 hours so it would have plenty of time to cure.  As my finishing touch, I removed the paper from the mirror and scraped away any excess paint with a razor blade; it flaked off easily and left a nice clean edge.

And here she is—a fun pop of color in our living room.

You might be wondering why we haven’t officially hung her up yet.  We actually think that we might just let her sit on the mantle.  It feels a little less formal that way, and then we can switch things up whenever we feel like it.  Oh, and remember how I said I wanted some flexibility?  I’m loving the orangey look right now, but if I ever want to incorporate other tones, all it takes is a can of spray paint—simple as that.  I love that this project was so quick and inexpensive, yet it completely changes the look of the room.

What about you?  We love inspiration, so feel free to link up to a photo of a piece that you’ve overhauled or are even just debating over.