At this point you all probably know three things about me: I love a good transformation, I adore a good bargain, and I’m obsessed with my dog Hamburger (that last fact is unimportant to this story, but is too obvious to ignore when stating defining facts about myself). Anyway, I recently found a big round mirror at Home Goods so hideously ugly that the deeply discounted $19 price tag didn’t surprise me. But most round mirrors of this size are around 90 to 150 bucks, so of course I had to buy it.
Since I forgot to take a “before” pic, please allow me to describe my grotesque purchase in detail. The frame around the mirror was made of that fake fiberglass stuff that plastic outdoor urns are made of, and it was faux-finished with swirly brown and bronze splotches. TERRIBLE. So bad that I almost told the cashier that I was planning to do some major surgery on the mirror before hanging it for fear that she was judging my taste. So here’s where I’m asking you to envision that tacky splotchy plastic abomination of a mirror.
And here’s what it looks like with a fresh coat of glossy white paint:
Not bad huh? It looks just like one I saw a while back in a Pottery Barn catalog for 250 beans (plus shipping). Who spends that much money on a basic round mirror anyway? The cool thing is that now you’d swear our mirror was painted wood, even when you touch it. Is there nothing that white paint can’t cure?
It looks great in the den above the tv where that big clock from Target used to hang (which has since been relocated to the sunroom where it should have lived all along).
Here’s a wider shot for the full effect:
I just love a good frog-turned-prince home improvement fairytale, don’t you? Now send us your best home makeovers. Apparently we just can’t get enough of them.
A nice touch to a cozy room!
Fabulous! And I adore your room too, the mirror looks perfect in there.
HomeGoods is the most amazing store EVER!! So much stuff it’s a little overwhelming sometimes. Great job on the mirror.
So glad you guys like the mirror project and think that our little den is cozy. It’s definitely the room where we spend most of our time. The funny thing is that the items in this picture are all so cheap. That TV console and the ottomans are from Target and the chair is from Ikea. And you know how cheap that mirror was…
Anyway, it’s nice to realize that you don’t always have to spend a lot to get a look that’s cozy and inviting.
Sherry
Hi, Sherry, I came over from Great Impressions & can’t wait to look around more. I have a blog too & am always doing something around the house. Love painting stuff too & DIY projects. Please stop by for a visit sometime!
I will definitely go back & read some of your old posts. The problem is I keep finding all these great, fun blogs & there’s not enough time to keep up with all of them!
Rhoda
Hi Sherry!
That mirror was a great find! I use the same technique, painting over an ugly finish to make something look fresh and new. But my color of choice is black. My husband calls my can of black satin paint The Great Equalizer. He should probably get down on his knees and thank The Great Equalizer for saving him some serious money, right?!
Karin
The new mirror looks great! What would we do without white paint??? LOL
~Des
Hi Sherry…I just popped over from Great Impressions.
I love your mirror redo. Great job! I too have a blog. It’s about this n that and everything.
We’ve renovated, remade, madeover and made do, in every home we’ve owned. Still enjoy doing this, after all these years.
Hope to see more of you at Great Impressions.
Stop by the Back Porch sometime!
Pat
Hi to all my Great Impressions girls! Thanks so much for stopping in. I’ll certainly be dropping in on your blogs to return the favor.
Oh and Karin, I LOVE the tip about black paint. I’ll definitely have to try introducing “the great equalizer” to a future project or two. Stay tuned…
xo
Sherry
Youngsters, your tv stand is exactly what I’m looking for! Where’d y’all get it, please?
Hey Kristina,
It’s from Target. We actually have a link to a guide of where we got everything in our home at the top of our House Tour page. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Hi Youngsters,
Did you spray paint this or use regular acrylic paint? Planning on painting over a similar black mirror with a lighter color, so any tips would be great. Thanks!
Hey Catherine,
We used regular semi-gloss latex white paint that we had around the house (we use it for window trim, etc). We didn’t need to prime it and it went on like a charm. Even though you’re going lighter from black, a few simple coats of paint (applied with an angled brush) should do the trick. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I think I have the same mirror I bought it from TJ Maxx with the tag on still. I could send you a picture. I would love to paint it as well. How do you paint without getting it on the mirror do you use frog tape or something. My hand is not that steady.
Please help. I love all your posts.
Kristy
You could do it either way. We just paint away and then use a straight razor to scrape drips off of the mirror (but we’ve seen people use a plastic bag and tape off the entire face of the mirror too). Either approach should work like a charm. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Hey young un’s! Love your blog! I have been seeing all of these uh-MAZE-ing frameless mirrors lately (z gallerie, west elm to name a few) that do some kind of glass/ mirror/ mosaic-y border. I keep thinking that would be a fab diy spot on your blog because it “looks” like something that you could do at home for a fraction of the cost. I have looked for mirror/ glass tiles to gussy up a plain mirror, but have gotten nowhere online. Any thoughts?
Home Depot and Lowe’s actually sell glass mosaic border tiles that you could use, so they’re a great place to look. Happy hunting!
xo,
s