Mirror Transformation

Happy Monday, gang! I hope you had a productive but relaxing weekend. :) I don't know about you, but my fall nesting is kicking in.  I feel the autumn chi beginning to flow, but I still have a way to go!  A couple of weeks ago, I came across this mirror in a basement closet.

It's one of those bought-inexpensively-for-a-purpose-that-never-manifested-itself things.  Don't we all have one of those lurking in our basement closet?  This one's been lurking for about six years now, but my DIY lightbulb went off when I found it this time.

I've been longing for a mirror in my dining room for some time now but haven't found the perfect one at the perfect price.  Well, this baby had the perfect price (FREE!) and could become a little closer to the perfect one with a little help from Martha.

I was afraid spray paint would give me a too-even finish, and I wanted something a little less perfect.  Enter Martha's Metallic Glaze in Mercury, sort of a silvery shade of pearl.  I had never used this product before, but I figured what the heck?

I taped off the edge of the mirror first (I'm sometimes a sloppy painter) and brushed a thin coat of the glaze on the frame.  Now, this was a little tricky; the brush marks were very noticeable, and though I wanted them to be somewhat noticeable, I didn't want it to look too hodge-podgey.  The look I was happiest with was when I went all around the frame in one continuous swoop and then feathered the stroke off the edge.

It took two coats to get the look I really wanted, and this stuff has a looooong drying time.  I'm not sure if that's the nature of the product or if I was putting it on a little thicker than you would for other glazing projects.  At any rate, if you're doing a second coat, make sure the first is completely dry before you dive in!

So here she is in her new home! I love that it has a pewter-like finish to it now.  It's perfectly imperfect. I'd show you more of the big picture, but you see that mess on my dining room table?  Yes, that's an upcoming fall tablescape in the works!  Oh, and the dark green paint on the walls?  Yeah, that's going soon, too. :) See how I've pulled the blinds all the way up on the window? Because I have a covered front porch, this room doesn't get a whole lotta light.  When I painted the room 12 years ago (!) it functioned as a front "living room" and had a cozy vibe.  Now that it's my dining room (has been for 6 years now!) I want lighter and brighter.  The blinds are going, gang.  I see some great floor to ceiling drapes in my future, but that's another post all together! Did I say my autumn chi was beginning to flow?

The mirror was a freebie and the glaze was around $6 at Home Depot.  Not bad, eh?

Linking Up!

Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday

Home Stories of A to Z Tutorials and Tips Tuesday

Happy Decorating!