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I recently have been on a kick to “lighten up” the house. It started innocently enough in the dining room. It then spread to the kitchen, and now the creep has entered the living room. It was a beautiful space, but I was ready to change things up!
As a starting point, I decided to take out the darker Rustic Coffee Table and Book Shelf that. I built a few years ago. I replaced the coffee table with something lighter, but the space felt empty. It needed SOMETHING…
I didn’t want to add anything too intrusive that would close in the space again. After some thought I decided a HUGE mirror would be just the ticket. I needed a HUGE Restoration Hardware style statement mirror.
However, the price tag on the Restoration Hardware Mirror, left little to be desired… “Who needs them anyways!?” Am I right ? I figured it would be so much more satisfying to build my own, and then I would be able to share the process with you lovely people. I am proud to be able to to team up with the great folks over at DAP. (It is by working with partners like DAP that I am able to continue to provide content to you!)
Well, after one quick perusal of Craigslist I found a FREE vanity mirror from a bathroom makeover. SCORE! The one I used for this build was a 42″ x 72″. These build plans could easily be modified to fit other size mirrors with a little math.
Full Build Plans Here!
Lets’s get started! I first assembled the sides. When building this, I knew I was going to need to take extra precautions to make sure that this frame would be solidly built and fully support the HEAVY mirror. I used DAP Wood Glue on all of my joints, and reinforced all of the weight bearing joints with Kreg Screws.
If you would like to have FULL build plans, they ARE available at the bottom of the page.
When applying the trim Rapid Fuse by DAP is ALWAYS my right-hand man. I was able to quickly and seamlessly apply all of the cove molding without and crazy clamping strategies. Just a few dabs and the cove molding was set!
Once all the trim is installed, I was ready to prep for it’s finish. For starters I used Plastic Wood by DAP. I add just a small amount of this to each nail hole. It dries quickly, doesn’t shrink , and is stain-able. It is perfect for woodworking projects.
Once the wood filler was completely dry I completely sanded the entire mirror frame. I used an orbital first, and then finished up with a “finish sander”.
There she is! Isn’t she a beaut. She is all filled, and sanded and ready for stain!
Before I begin staining, I like to start with “Pre-Stain”. “Pre-Stain” is a wood conditioner. Using a wood conditioner can help eliminate splotchy stain finish and helps the stain penetrate at an even rate. (Less stripes and splotch.) I hands down recommend using this on soft woods like Pine.
Once the wood conditioner has completely dried, I like to go over the entire piece with a fine sanding sponge. This will eliminate any “raised grain” that can occur when conditioning wood. Once it is smooth I run over the entire thing with a lightly damp cloth and then allow it to completely dry before moving on.
NOW we are ready to start the staining process, and yes it is a PROCESS! I began with a light coat of “Golden Oak” by Minwax. I did not let this sit on the wood very long. I applied it and then immediately wiped it off. I did not want to have this be a very dark finish.
Once the “Golden Oak” had completely dried, I prepped the next layer of stain. Minwax stain typically. is more of a wood penetrating stain. It seeps into the wood. I have found that Varathane Stain is a little more opaque and sits a little more at surface level. Both are great and I use them both for different projects. In this case I wanted to layer over the Minwax Golden Oak. The Golden Oak would serve as my base color. After some trial and error I found that mixing together Varathane “Golden Oak” and Sunbleached”, I had the perfect color for this project. It was a 50/50 mix.
In the image below I have applied the 50/50 mixture to the right hand side. It just gives it a little depth of color that I was not able to achieve in just one color of stain.
As if two layers were not enough… Seriously, I cannot leave well enough alone. I decided to really complicate matters and use a white wash stain to finish up the look.
For this step I used MinWax White Wash Pickling Stain. I used a dry brush technique. (Use a stiff bristled brush, and add dab the brush into a very small amount of paint/stain. Then wipe the brush off on a cloth or paper towel, removing a majority of the paint/stain. Then brush it onto the intended surface. It creates a streaky look, and that is the look I am going for. I then used a cloth and wiped over the surface. This blended it slightly, while still giving it a some visual texture.) below you can see where I have used this technique on the top and far left board. It gives it a little bit of depth and I love it!
Once the mirror was dry, it was ready for the finishing touch. The mirror! The mirror will rest on a board installed across the bottom of the mirror frame. The only thing left to do is to install back supports.
It really is a very beautiful and very heavy piece! I would highly suggest securing this to the floor and/or the wall. That’s it you are done!
I am so pleased with how this project turned out. It perfectly fills the space without making it feel claustrophobic. It still feels light and airy and I love it.
Full Build Plans Here!
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