The New Carved Mirror is Up!

I hung the bigger mirror! What do you think? I'm loving how it fills the wall space so much better than the scrolly mirror. I think the proportions are just right. And the scrolly mirror is happily living in the office now, so don't feel too bad for it.

It took some work to get this beast of a mirror hangable. (PS I wasn't sure if this mirror was really "vintage" like the listing stated, but that tape on the back was definitely decades old. Nasty stuff.)

I ended up reusing the hardware that was already installed on the mirror. It was installed for the mirror to hang horizontally, so I unscrewed and moved the D-rings so the wire could run the opposite way.

I wanted to hang the new mirror on the screws that were already in our wall for the scrolly mirror (in the studs from when we filled in the giant H wall above the fireplace), so I installed the D-rings and strung the wire so the mirror would hang right where I wanted it on the wall.

When you're stringing the wire for a large mirror or piece of art, make sure your wire is a heavy enough gauge to support the weight (it will tell you on the package), and also that the wire is long enough to tightly thread through the D-rings at least three times. You want the weight of the mirror to be supported at the rings and not dependent on your wire-twisting capabilities (which are not that great in my case).

We needed three adults to hang the mirror and we were all a little wiped out by the whole undertaking. It was intense! But I was so happy with how the mirror looks on that wall. It's one of my favorite things to hang something up, walk away a few steps and then turn around and, Ta-dah! The big reveal in the context of the space! (come on, tell me you know what I mean here) This was a fun one to turn around to. :)

I am on the fence about changing the finish of the frame though. Part of me likes it as is, but I sort of also feel like it's too heavy and dark.

If I do change it, I'm thinking I would lime or whitewash the carved part and then gold leaf the very inside lip.

What do you think? That could be good, right?

(Man, I need to finish that skirted sofa table so I can hide that little sliver of fireplace that peeks out from behind the sofa!)

Unexpected Mirrors in Bathrooms

One of my friends recently bought a large home and she's taking an interesting approach to decorating the spaces. My friend has great taste and knows what she likes, but she is not a fan of the creative process (and she'll be the first to tell you that). Since she has so many spaces to furnish and since she's basically starting from scratch, she's picked rooms from her favorite magazines and blogs to basically copy in style. I made fun of her at first ("...uh, what? you have a giant house, a healthy budget and you don't feel like making decorating decisions!? come again?") But now I think it is sort of a clever approach that really works for her. You know, why not? Especially if the creative aspects aren't fun for her, and she wants full control over the situation. If my plate wasn't so full right now, I'd be flying out there to help in a heartbeat, but so far her approach is working and things are getting done.

Anyway, in one of her bathrooms she is attempting to channel Rita Konig circa Domino years. The bathroom already had a vintage pedestal sink, so we worked together to find this wallpaper and a pair of brass sconces, but she got stuck on the mirror sourcing. She asked if I'd seen any great big round mirrors lately that didn't cost more than $500 (since she splurged a bit on the sconces) :)

Big round mirrors are tricky to find, but as luck would have it, earlier that same exact day I stumbled across a small treasure trove of relatively inexpensive mirrors on the Wisteria site. This huge 38" wide mirror would look lovely in her bathroom (or how about in a pair for a large bathroom with double sinks?). I'm really loving the simple gilded frame. It's perfect for layering on a busy papered or tiled wall.

Here are a few others of the many that caught my eye on the site, including a version of the honeycomb/peacock mirror we have all loved for ages. I know a lot of you were sad when Pier1 stopped making their affordable version - well here's your chance to snag an even more affordable one!

Also, Venetian style mirrors are always super pricey. This one is a steal. I am really tempted to buy two for my girls' bathroom. Farrow and Ball Pink Ground walls and these? Too perfect.

domino

House and Home UK

Gerald Pomeroy Design Group

The dimensions of this scalloped mirror are spot-on for what I need in our master bath. I was moving forward with another plan already though, so I can't decide if I should derail Plan A for this new Plan B. I really like that this mirror could go with us to our next house though...

Here's another pretty one that would look gorgeous layered on sheet mirror, like we did for my parent's master bedroom suite budget redo ages ago.

Huntley and Co

via

Speaking of mirrors - I finally hung the giant mirror on the bookshelf wall this week. I'll try to snap some photos today or tomorrow to share. I love how a unique mirror can completely change a room!

A Bigger Mirror?

While I really love the vintage scrolly mirror, I'm feeling the dimensions are not right for above the sofa in our living room (formally the fireplace nook). I was thinking something a tad bit wider, and about a foot taller. And I wanted something with an interesting frame - super modern? or carved and crusty with age? All of that sounded good to me.

The issue is really large antique mirrors cost (often) thousands, so I've had a hard time finding something in the right dimensions that is also reasonably affordable. I found this mirror (supposedly from India?) on Craigslist for only $150. It's huge, at 60"x48" - much closer to the ideal dimensions.

I did end up buying last night and it was so cool to see the seller's apartment - he lived in this amazing old luxury building in Washington Heights. And get this - he had never lived in another apartment his entire life! His parents moved into it rent-controlled and passed the lease on to him and his wife. Can you imagine paying practically nothing for a huge apartment? They had really amazing furniture that had this well-traveled vibe. Loved it all.

So, now I am on the fence about maybe painting or even gilding the mirror. I like the gold element that the scrolly mirror brought to the room, but this frame might be too heavy for an all-gold look. I thought a matte mid-tone gray would be pretty too - like a milk paint? And truthfully, after bringing the mirror inside today, I don't mind the wood finish left as is. I need to switch the wire around so it can be hung vertically and then I'll take a photo to share in the space. (keep an eye out for it on instagram - @jennykomenda)

What's your vote? Paint? Gold leaf? Keep it as is?

PS My heart's set on putting the scrolly mirror in another room, so I'm really hoping I can make this new carved mirror work in the living room. :)

Painting a mirror with chalkboard paint

I have always hated the gold painted finish on this old mirror I got at Brimfield years ago for about $60. I've been meaning to gold leaf it for a long time, but just haven't had the chance to get around to it. Then this weekend I was just so over the gold. It is such a blah color for my entry with the olive leather settee and the beige leopard rug. The space needed some contrast, so on a whim I decided to paint the mirror black.

While I was looking for the quart of black Benjamin Moore Advance, I saw the chalkboard paint and thought the ultra flat finish could be cool looking, sort of a little like this old Anthropologie iron mirror?

I've said this a million times, but painting mirrors is the easiest project. Just slap on two or three coats, let it dry and then clean up the mirror with a wet rag. The dried paint wipes right off the glass. If you need a little extra help with the edges, a razor works great.

The color is off in these photos and the black is not quite as washed out. I think I really like it in person though.

I need to touch up some places (chalkboard paint doesn't cover very well, not surprisingly!).

I think the matte black is a cool look, especially for my entry. If I want the mirror gold again though when we move, it would be easy to leaf right over the black. The color contrast would be great actually, so no harm done.

I changed my mind

So remember when I bought this mirror? And had plans to turn it into a chalkboard?

Well, I totally didn't get around to it and I'm so glad! I moved the coral/black bookshelf to the back of our apartment and scooted the skirted console over to that wall. Once the sconces were over in the gallery wall, the old mirror felt really small. On a whim I pulled out this mirror that was intended to be a chalkboard, and it was true love. The mirror fits the wall perfectly and looks great in the space!

So the moral of the story is sometimes procrastination pays off.

DIY Sunburst Mirrors (using SHIMS!!)

I've been trying to step away from the Pinterest lately (old habits die hard). My motto in helping me conquer the beast is "10% Inspiration, 90% Perspiration." (I talked a little about this in my Alt panel.) But apparently I need to come up for air more often, because there is some magic happening in the blog world that I was completely unaware of.

Look at all these GREAT sunburst mirrors made from those cheapy packets of shims from the hardware store! Most of these finished mirrors are really quite big (22 - 40" in diameter) and the supplies cost less than $30! What the WHAT.

Natalie Roe and her sister, Rachel, emailed me a link to their version HERE. I love the staggered edges.

346 Living

This Old House (do I like this one. Or not...)

Westerman Family (love the gray stain!)

K Sarah Designs (I love how big the mirror is on this one. It feels a little more functional than decorative. PS, love the styling.)

Momtastic (I'm more of a gold sunburst mirror type gal, but I really like this white painted version! And how pretty does it look hanging on top of the canopy curtains? Really cute.)

Did I miss any of your favorite shim sunburst tutorials?

I see a chalk board in my future

Before I had a chance to get completely sick of seeing chalkboards and chalkboard paint on anything and everything, I was in love with this image.

The home was first published in O at Home and then in Cottage Style (the second image) and I remember reading that the owner had collected a lot of her furniture and art in Europe. It seems like she said she found the mirror at an antique store in Switzerland, but the glass broke so she made it in to a chalkboard. I LOOOOOVED the shape of that mirror. It's like all swoosh and no line on the frame, which makes it feel almost a little more modern maybe?

scans lifted from here.

Anyway I loved it but never thought it could be mine bc of the whole Europe/antique thing. Fast forward like 5 years to last week. I was at Meeker Ave Flea Market with some friends when... Wait. What's this. Is this the? Could it be??

The exact same mirror! It's enormous and crazy heavy (the frame is cast iron). I bought a bunch of stuff that day for clients and my pals at Meeker gave me good pricing for the whole haul, so I'm telling myself the mirror was basically free even though it was really about $100.

I have more mirrors than I could ever possibly hang, so I'm going to make this one into a chalkboard for my apartment (I know I'm a copy cat). Top color choices of the moment include black, navy or the old school chalkboard greeny emerald color.

Now, to figure out what to do for the writing surface... I should probably take the mirror out, and replace it with mdf... Not a good idea to just paint over the glass, right? Or could I?

Reflections on Anthropologie (that's a double meaning right there!)

It's weird, I am always so inspired when I go into an Anthropologie store or when I look at their catalogs, but I actually don't totally love most of their home offerings. Their bedding is too crazy. Most of their rugs look like the floral ones on Overstock at twenty times the cost. And I wish their upholstery collection was more reasonably priced and was a little more classic with a twist (like their clothes) rather than all twist with just a shadow of classic (ahem). Remember the clean-lined Ditte sofa in solid mustard linen from ages ago? More pieces like that please!



Complaints aside, I did really love this cover from the last Anthropologie catalog. Check out the cool paint treatment mimicking the lines of the mirror. I'm thinking this gray/black/white combo would be amazing in an entry or a powder bath. (kind of reminds me of Naomi's entry)

And how gorgeous would this mirror be with a coat of flat black paint? It could work perfectly for a similar look.

PS Today on Babble I rounded up my very most favorite inexpensive mirrors!