What a little paint can do...

I thought I'd take a break from all the Valentine's posts and show you a recent DIY project. I did this last weekend in hopes of sending myself into labor. It didn't work, but I do like the way the mirror turned out none-the-less. 

First I'll show the the mirror the way I received it. I have no doubt (given the source of the hand me down) that this is a very nice mirror. I've been looking for something to hang on my dining room wall that would make a bit of a statement. When I saw the mirror below (sorry for the cluttered picture), I thought it might just have the potential to make a big ole statement. The only problem is that gold isn't really my style (I'm more of a pewter girl).  But heh, we all know what a difference some paint can make. 

I was a bit delinquent in my picture taking, so I'll have to fill in some gaps. The first thing I did was sand all the gold parts on the mirror so the paint would stick well. Then I taped away. Here it is after painting.

Next, I antiqued over the paint to give it a more rustic look. Antiquing is so easy. Just take a little stain, dab it on a cloth and rub it over the paint. Then just rub it off until you have the look you want. It is very forgiving too.  Here is a small section that's been antiqued.

Here is the finished product. I'll reveal the entire dining room later. I still have a few more re-dos in the works.  

Did I mention that the mirror makes quite a statement.....it certainly does. The new paint just softens the fancy feel of it and the color I chose ties it into my living room which is connected to the dining area.  So, if you ever run across something that might work, don't forget to envision it a different color - that might just make it the perfect piece.