Remember the fabulous mirror! I love the shape and curves of this mirror, but it did take some time and a little imagination to make it spectacular. I found this mirror at a warehouse sale in a not so good part of town, but where there is a chance of good treasures I will venture out into the not so best areas. I also got the great purple vases there and love the pink tissue paper flowers that I whipped up to balance the jewelry stand on the opposite end of the dresser. Yes my daughter has her Poppy crossbody hanging on her curtain rod....this is because we have a lab mix and you never know what the lab tail will take out!
So now onto the good stuff and the tears through the refinishing of the mirror. Let's start with the before picture. I admit this was difficult to take since I am on a city lot and it was extremely bright outside, but you get a glimpse of my mom mobile at the same time.
Despite the color and the spot I was drawn to this mirror for the details and the sheer size of it at 50" long I knew it would be a statement piece that could easily transition from my daughter's room to a guest room when I actually get a guest room.
The detail at the top of the mirror is one that I cannot get out of my head and I am always on the look out for items with a similar curve as this is so elegant that I would love to have a headboard or dresser with this same detail.The very first thing I had to do was remove all the grunge on the mirror. There was a large buildup of grease and oil on the mirror, so I was extremely concerned about not sanding this completely to the wood. So I set out with a sanding block but quickly wanted something that would get me out of the sun (Yes I have been delinquent posting this as I completed this transformation over the summer inthe Texas Heat!) so I turned to my dremel and the sanding disks. After going through what seemed to be a THOUSAND disks I finally had the numerous layers of paint each one a little more hideous than the last one off. Once I had all the paint off I very carefully removed all the paint chips and pieces of sanding disks from the mirror. I actually blew the majority of the dust off with my air compressor and then used a lint free rag to remove the remainder.
I already knew that the color would be one of my favorite white colors of all time. I actually turn to this white first for any material boards that I have to make for my day job. The color is BM OC-17 White Dove; this isn't the sterile white that brings back the bad memories of doctor's offices or every house that I grew up in....at least until my mother's horrid taste took over and everything turned brown or some shade of chocolate brown, but a softer warmer white that pops against any color that I put it against.
After the ugly yellow dresser I set about reading every diy article I could find on refinishing furniture with latex paint, as I had some latex paint and wanted this to be as glossy as I could get it. One of the articles and I wish I had a link for you...I have to admit that I may have possibly read the article on my phone while I sat in traffic and I sit at 0mph in traffic a lot....said that years ago they were told the secret to minimize brush strokes was to mix latex paint with floetrol. Because I hadn't ever heard of this I had to google it to find out where in blue blazes I could buy it.
So I found out I could purchase it easily at the big box home improvement store right in town. So I set out to acquire this and other supplies necessary to paint the mirror. You would think that I would gather supplies prior to jumping into a project, but I never ever do things in the right order. An idea pops into my head and I jump on it without any further thought. So that you don't have to spend hours wandering the store becasue asking for help is evil, this is found near the paint sprayers...actually right below the paint sprayer display and I did wander past it several times and had to ask for help...ugh the guy was like you butchered the name...hello if there is any way I can mispronounce something I inevitably will!
The recommended mixture is 8oz per gallon, but I did the math as I knew a gallon wouldn't be required for my mirror. I used a clear plastic cup that I have marked 1 oz and 8 oz lines on to measure the first time and then just add the floetrol until I feel its thin enough to keep sanding to a minimum. When you add this you will need to use many thin coats that only require minimal sanding in between. Minimal as only where I laid my arm while trying to get into the detail at the top of the mirror. I also did this out in the sun on a hot day so it dried super quickly. After I felt there was enough coverage...4 coats...I added a 5th coat for good measure and let it dry. I then proceeded to use polycrylic that was recommended to seal it and give it the glossy finish as my latex paint was semi gloss.
Since the dresser almost immediately yellowed I was concerned the mirror would do the same, but I apparently used the incorrect poly on the dresser as the mirror has been up since July and is just as bright and beautiful today as it was then.
Since refinishing this mirror I have been playing around with clear wax over latex paint without distressing the paint prior to waxing to get the glossy finish so I can refinish my bathroom vanity without removing the vanity.
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