MirrorMate

I've seen a lot of my friends with the problem of having mirrors hanging that look unfinished.  A lot of times it is in bathrooms but it can also be in living rooms, hallways, and bedrooms.  I frequently tell people they should frame them out but hadn't really given a lot of thought to how that would be possible - or how much it would cost.

I was reading the other day and came across this company called MirrorMate which is a perfect, easy, and affordable solution to the problem of the unfinished mirror look.  Because it isn't permanent, I think it would also work for people who are renting their places and are afraid of getting in trouble with their landlords (but I could be wrong so you should ask first).

Super easy - measure, assemble and press it on.

Look at some of the before and afters.  (I'm not necessarily in agreement with all of the design choices for all of the bathrooms but just look specifically at the difference in the mirrors.)

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After

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After

Think of all the possibilities.  You know those cheapy full length mirrors?  Think how much better they'd look in your bedroom framed out in one of these bad boys.  Just sayin'.

Reflection

ShopTen25's mirrors are fab.  I can't say the same for their prices but I love how unique a lot of the pices are.  I don't care how long they've been around...I love a sunburst mirror and am in the market for one to put over our bed.  Some of these could be contenders.

Mirror Patinas: Looks old but it's new!

I read about mirror patinas on this blog recently.  It was (I'm sort of ashamed to say) an a-ha! moment for me.  I mean, I always knew about mirrored patinas and loved the aged look of them but I always just assumed those mirrors were old.  It didn't occur to me that you could purchase new mirrors that have been given a patina effect.  Now I wish I had gotten the mirror on my table with this patina effect...live and learn.

Look at some great examples utilizing the patina-ed effect:

This one is from a boutique in Orlando - check out the pink effect in the patina - close up below.

Here are just a few of the effects you can choose from (and customize!)

All images and patinas found here.

Before and After: Chinoiserie Chic?

I found this mirror at Goodwill for $25 last week.  I loved the shape - it felt very Chinoiserie to me - but hated the dated wood look.

So, I got out my paint and hit it with a bright light blue glossy paint.  For now it is in my dining room over the bar but I can see it going lots of different places over the years. 

Before and After: Octagonal Mirror

I made a trip to Goodwill the other day to donate some old clothes and a vast array of old VHS movies.  It was hard to part with those - I've had them for years and some of those movies I haven't seen in years.  But seeing as how I don't even own a VHS player anymore, I finally forced myself to part with them.  I digress.

So, after I dropped off my donations, I decided to take a spin through the store.  I'm so glad I did!

One thing I bought was this mirror:

It is made out of a funky material that I can't quite figure out what it is.  It feels very 1960's or 70's but I can't put my finger on it.  Does that make sense what I mean about feeling like the 60's?  Or maybe it was just the horrible gaudy dirty bronze that it was.  Regardless, I was a fan of the shape and of the detail of the frame:

For $7.99 I figured it was a must have.

So, I started by priming it.  

My natural inclination would be to leave it white but I decided to go a little out of my comfort zone to spice things up a bit.  High gloss red!  Can't get enough of that high gloss paint effect lately.  I'm pleased with how it turned out.

I've put it in my guest room for now but am considering selling it.  It would look awesome in an entry way over a console - our house is just too small!

I got this cute plant at Home Depot the other day for two bucks.  I had a little terracotta pot and used up the rest of my high gloss red paint to spice the spot up a bit.  I love the little splash of color and the bright green of the plant.