DIY "Antiqued" and Stenciled Mirror

In my former home, my beloved townhouse, I really struggled with decorating the fireplace. My Hubby and I had decided to leave the brick unpainted but we had replaced the (illegal) firebox with new glass doors, which complemented the existing black mantle. This was obviously before I got on my "paint everything" kick ;)
I wanted to hang something large over the fireplace - like a big mirror - but there was a weird decorative strip of bricks that stuck out further than the rest, which restricted the size mirror we could hang. Plus, the corner angle meant that any mirror I hung up there reflected a weird view of the corner of the wall. Finally, I had just the idea: a mirror we have removed during a bathroom reno was the perfect fit, but it needed a little makeover first.
Because I wanted the light-reflecting qualities of a mirror, without actually reflecting the corner of the wall across from it, I decided to "antique" the mirror so it would still bounce light around but not look like a bathroom mirror!
It was fairly easy but there were quite a few steps and some safety concerns, so I'm going to direct you to this post: http://dans-le-townhouse.blogspot.ca/p/lakehouse-tour.html
In a nutshell, I removed the backing of the mirror and used acid to remove some of the foil - in splotches. Then I used metallic paint to build back the areas that had become clear glass. The result is sort of a mottled, "antiqued" glass that still gleams like a mirror, but only offers a murky reflection. Perfect for my purposes!
Next I added a stenciled design. I contemplated using a pattern or stock design but I discovered a company that makes custom stencils and decided to try something unique. I had a stencil of my favorite Hungarian poem made to fit the mirror perfectly.
After the poem was stenciled on (I used oil rubbed bronze spray paint), my Handy Hubby and I affixed the mirror to plywood and built a simple frame using trim from the hardware store. I used a metallic silver paint on the trim - the same paint I used on the back of the mirror during the antiquing process. You can see how we built the frame here: http://dans-le-townhouse.blogspot.ca/2012/06/poem-stenciled-on-to-antiqued-mirror.html
All that was left was to hang the heavy mirror on the brick: http://dans-le-townhouse.blogspot.ca/2012/12/reader-q-how-to-hang-heavy-mirror-on.html
This is a rough translation of the poem:


I'll be a tree, if you are its flower,


Or a flower, if you are the dew-


I'll be the dew, if you are the sunbeam,


Only to be united with you.


My lovely girl, if you are the Heaven,


I shall be a star above on high;


My darling, if you are hell-fire,


To unite us, damned I shall die.
Dans_le_Lakehouse
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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  • Heather McKinney Heather McKinney on May 13, 2016
    After going to the website and looking through ALL of the photos, I never could find the directions on how to do this. Yours is -by far- the best one I've seen. I LOVE the outcome.
  • Anita K Anita K on May 18, 2016
    This is a very special project - love every aspect of it: the mirror antiquing, the beautiful poem.....the placement above the fireplace....just beautiful!
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