Friday, April 8, 2011

How to antique a mirror....

I wanted a mirror in my new apartment but I didn't want one that when someone walked in they knew exactly where it had come from, I wanted something different and interesting. I remembered my friend Clint has this  huge mirror made up of 12"x12" mirror tiles that had been antiqued in his loft.
I wanted mine to have some sort of light interaction, maybe with candles or a picture light attached overhead or something in between to maximize the use of the mirror. I knew I needed a base of platform the attach the mirror tile to and I knew that I wanted it to have a modern sense to it as well. So,  I used a basic hollow core door from home depot as my base because it had some thickness to so when it stands alone it will have some solidarity to it.

Now I wasn't sure how they actually mirrored the back of the tile so I had to ask around and Google some of it. What I found out is that the mirror tiles have a coat of gray paint on the back to protect the mirror below, so you have to use an aerosol stripper of easy off oven cleaner to remove the paint. Once you've done that your ready for the mirror antiquing. This is done with a product called Muratic Acid that they use to clean concrete and pools, (you should be able to get it from your local Home Depot) THIS IS SERIOUS STUFF!!! It will clear you out of a room in 2 seconds, promise!! Lol. So use gloves and make sure your space is ventilated well. Spray the acid on the back of the mirror and let it sit for about 35 minutes to start, you might need to let it sit longer depending on the look you want. Here is a before and after picture of a mirror tile.
I attached all the mirror tiles with liquid nails to the door frame.I purchased some chain, slat of wood, and some screws. I stained the edges of the door in a walnut stain and the plat form for the candles. added some screws and done. You've got an amazing one of a kind mirror! ;-)
The best is at night with the lights in the apartment dimmed and the candles lit, with a glass of wine of course! ;-)

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