It’s new because I just made it. It’s old because we ripped it out of our downstairs bathroom. And it’s “old” because it’s been through a 7-step process to make it look like it’s been hanging in a barn for a few decades. It’s a new, old, “old” mirror. photos & video on the flip side…

The mirror started out life as an octagonal little number stuck to the bathroom wall with gobs of adhesive. When we decided to paint over the existing chocolate brown in favor of something more neutral, the mirror came down from the wall and sat in the backyard. For like, six months.

the original mirror looked like this

Why did we have an octagonal mirror sitting in our backyard for months? Maybe no reason. Maybe I was planning to do something with it. Maybe I like to look at my reflection when I mow the yard. Maybe no reason…

Long story short, when we finished up reworking the guest bedroom, we needed something cheap to add a little color. And Sarah was getting tired of me flexing in front of the mirror in the backyard. So, combine the two problems and you get a solution – the new, old, “old” mirror in the guest room.

Project Cost:

$5… wood stain
$5… disposable brushes
$5… mirror adhesive
$8… fence-grade 4-inch cedar plank
$23… total

Creating an Aged Look

Simple steps for giving the wood frame the look and feel of age…

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/64685071 w=600]

Who Says Old Isn’t Beautiful?

Any visual artist will tell you that creating the look of depth requires at least three colors.

It’s impossible to make mistakes when you’re trying to make it look like junk.

Surface imperfections are key to a well-warn look.

As a last step, make your faux cracks and pits pop by coating them with another bit of dark wood stain.

simple joints

and a selfie