I found two mirrors at our local flea market (swap meet) for a total price of $8 ($3 and $5). The frames are both made from some sort of poured plastic mold. Vintage frames made from a mixture of plastic and resin are a common find at flea markets, yard sales and thrift stores. You can find upcycled painted versions of these on eBay, Etsy and in vintage/antique stores for anywhere from $25 to $200. I definitely prefer the budget (cheap and before paint) versions and then painting them myself! Many of the vintage plastic frame mirrors I have come across were made by Syroco, Burwood and Homeco. Most of them from the 70's and 80's, but some do date back even further.
These two mirrors are each a good size. The larger one measures approximately 32" tall x 18" wide. In their gold finishes they look cheap and plastic! However, don't ever let plastic stop you from buying. Remember, a can of spray paint can transform just about anything! I've said it many times, I love what you can do with a few dollars and a little bit of paint. It took me awhile to decide what color I wanted to paint them... But I decided to go with a flat black. I've never done black on accessories before and I decided I wanted to do a black and white mirror and photo wall up our stairwell, so black it was. Below is a picture of the mirrors as found. The gold on both of these looks way better in the picture than it actually did in person. They both were really ugly!!!
Yesterday I removed the backs from the mirrors and separated the frames from them for easy painting. I gave them two coats of spray paint and allowed them to dry. After the spray paint was dry (overnight), I distressed a little on the edging and details with a sandpaper sponge block. Any sandpaper would work. I just happen to like working with the sponge type because they are easy to hold. You can get these sanding blocks at most home improvement stores for $3 or $4.
As the above photo says, this is just the start of my vintage mirror and black and white photo collage wall. I have a few more mirrors and vintage frames to paint and then I need to find a few photos that I want to display. This wall is large and it will be a work in progress for awhile, but I will share my progress with you. I wasn't able to get good close up pictures of the mirrors on the wall. However, as the project continues I will work on getting better close ups of them.
Until next time,
Happy decorating :)
Diana
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Domestically Speaking - Power of Paint Party
Looks classy! I love those frames - gorgeous! Great job Diana!
ReplyDeleteWee, you've definitely got a good start to that wall! Both of those frames are lovely in the black.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful transforation! They make the wall zing!
ReplyDeletethis is so easy to do...i've done it a few times with pretty good results :)
ReplyDeleteMadebygirl.blogspot.com
MadeByGirl.com
It looks so good! Love it!
ReplyDeleteLove those frames and they look amazing black. I'm featuring them in the PoPP Spotlight this week... thanks for linking up!
ReplyDeleteHi Diana...
ReplyDeleteI found your blog from blogher. Cute makeover on your mirrors and you have a perfect staircase wall for a gallery.
Holly
http://downtoearthstyle.blogspot.com/