It was a beautiful, sunny summer Saturday.
We were wandering through the shelves upon shelves upon shelves of old vintage treasures.
Antiquing is the official name I believe.
Or junkin’.
Whichever you prefer 🙂
As we wandered through the heaps of old buckets, dressers, and tin cans, I spotted an old pea-green window on the ground in a back corner.
The shutters were closed, so I wandered over to check out the condition of the glass … and when I opened the shutters, I knew I had to take it home with me.
It was a mirror. A window … but a mirror.
The panes and shutters and frame were all in great condition and the mirror had only minor scratches.
It just needed a fresh coat of paint … a little change from the pea green.
So we loaded it up and I promised I’d re-paint it asap.
Fast-forward 6 months.
I finally finished it.
Not exactly asap … but it’s done and off the floor now!
If you’re looking to refinish your own vintage pieces, it actually only takes a few hours … not 6 months 😉
Three-Steps:
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Sand
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Prime
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Paint
Start by cleaning your piece: I vacuumed out the dust and wiped the mirrors down.
I also removed and disassembled the shutters. Depending on your piece, you may want to disassemble parts in order to be able to refinish it more easily.
The mirrors were glued into the frame, so I had to tape them while I refinished it. This tape worked great.
Once the window was clean and the mirrors were taped, I scuffed up the frame and shutters with a little sanding.
Don’t worry about sanding all the way down to wood when you’re re-finishing with paint. The goal is to give the primer a rough surface so it can adhere well.
Next, I primed the pieces. I used this primer from Rust-Oleum and was happy with the coverage and adhesion.
I let the primer dry and then finished the frame with Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch spray paint in Heirloom White.
Once everything was dry, I re-attached the shutters with new hardware from Hobby Lobby.
I love the contrast between the brass hardware and white paint.
It really accents the piece nicely.
I’m not sure where I’ll put it yet, but there’s plenty of potential.
Let me know if you have any questions about upcycling and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible!