Bland Split Foyer Entry to WOW Wall of Thrift Store Mirrors.

Debi53
by Debi53
2 Materials
$300
1 Week
Medium
With no room for a table or even a shelf, my foyer was boring with a capital "B".
Foyer Stairwell during Remodel.
View from living/dining area during remodeling. The Stairwell had old fashioned spindles which we replaced with half walls. Old dark spindles on left; new half wall being built on right. We also installed the large window above the doors, which formerly was just a blank wall.
New Foyer Half Wall -on Right
New Half Walls & Modern Spindles
Construction finished. Now a light bright space, but so boring. The section of the wall where the painting hangs is 14ft. high. I know, let's fill this wall with mirrors! Just buy some mirrors and hang them. Easy, right?
No ladder was safe on the stairs.
First Hubby had to build a platform to cover the lower stairs and then erect scaffolding to reach the top of the wall.
Part of Our Mirror Collection
Hubby & I spent several months trekking through thrift stores looking for mirrors with interesting shapes. I gave myself a $20 or less per mirror budget because I needed so many. I painted them with chalk paint that I made and used Annie Sloan clear wax for a soft sheen. We laid out the pattern on the floor using blue tape to mark the size of the largest portion of the 14' high wall.
Good Hubby Starts Hanging the top row.
Notice old chandelier that will be replaced soon.
Work in Progress.
The Finished Mirror Wall.
So happy with how the wall turned out. We turned the corner & put a small collection of mirrors on the new half wall at the top of the stairs. See the pretty new chandelier? It ties in with the lights over my dining table & kitchen island. Also, catch a peek of the other wall reflected in the round mirror behind the chandelier. The large mirror to the far left reflects the trees from the window in the dining area.
View from living/dining room
This is an additional view of the foyer. I had a long narrow mirror that I had kept for 10 yeas, but never used. It finally found the perfect home sandwiched between the double doors and large window.
Now for the other foyer wall.
This is the view as you enter the house. The stairs lead up to the main living area. We had enough mirrors on the other side of the foyer, so what to do with this side?
Quilting Hoops
While looking for mirrors, I found 3 quilting hoops which gave me 6 'frames.' I painted them like the mirrors. We used very short screws to hook them all together and hung them with just 2 white nails and a few screws.
Quilting Hoops as Frames
I used my phone & snapped some close-up pictures of flowers from my yard. I had an office store enlarge the pics to 11'X17". This was the size that best fit my hoops (only $1.58 per print). I ordered self stick foam board the size of my prints. It takes two people to stick these on. One to hold the print taut while the other person gradually presses the print down & smooths out any air bubbles. I used a smooth foam paint roller. We attached the prints to the wall with removable stick on squares. Where these prints hang used to be a railing with old fashioned style spindles. When you came up the stairs your view was of the floor and the backs of furniture & electric cords for lamps, phones, etc. I really prefer looking at my flowers instead! Where I used hoops and pics of my flowers, you could use large thrift store frames with color or black & white photos. Because these are hung with reposition-able tape tabs, I can easily switch these prints out for a different look. We are expecting our sixth grandchild in January. Hmmm, 6 grandchildren under 6 years of age; 6 hoops......
Completed Foyer
From remodeling mess to beautiful view. What do you think? (We plan to replace the double doors with a single wide door and side glass eventually. When we do, I think I will paint the new door a bright beautiful color.)
Suggested materials:
  • Thrift Store Mirrors   (Thrift Stores and Flea Markets)
  • Paint
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
  3 questions
  • Ann Ann on Feb 01, 2016
    Hi Deb, I love you new foyer! I have the same foyer except we have the original wrought iron railings!! I are planning on doing a half wall this spring, but we are doing it ourselves. How high is your half wall? Any advice for DIY's?
  • Ann Ann on Feb 01, 2016
    Hi Deb, I love you new foyer! I have the same foyer except we have the original wrought iron railings!! I are planning on doing a half wall this spring, but we are doing it ourselves. How high is your half wall? Any advice for DIY's?
  • Sharon Nelson Sharon Nelson on Oct 13, 2016
    what is the name of the color on your walls? Love what you did.
Comments
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3 of 112 comments
  • Carol Cole Carol Cole on Nov 26, 2019

    I love all those mirrors ,they help produce a lot of light and they look fantastic.I love it.

    • Debi53 Debi53 on Nov 26, 2019

      Thank you! I have really enjoyed my mirror wall. I always wanted to do this, but until we moved into this house, I didn't have a tall wall to do it on.

  • Carol Cole Carol Cole on Nov 27, 2019

    Well , you have it now and I really love it.

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