Oh, I'm in love! I think this latest project really helped shake me out of my creative rut!
This DIY arched window frame is one of those projects that took longer than I anticipated and it didn't exactly go as I had planned, but I ain't mad at it because it ended up a-okay in my book! Don't you love when that happens? The cherry on top is that this project was super inexpensive too, even with all my mistakes.
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So a few months ago, I stumbled across this old mirror at our local Goodwill (excuse the phone pics!) I really liked the arched details on it. It reminded me a lot of the pretty cathedral mirrors that are trending right now. The wood was a tad dark for my liking but I knew with a little paint I could make it more my style and heck, for $4.99, I didn't care if it had Small Pox on it, I was bringing it home!
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I decided for my mirror I wanted to paint the outside frame white and sand down the inside arch part to a lighter wood tone. My only hesitation was that the arch part is pretty narrow and intricate and I was worried about scratching the mirror with the hand sander but I thought if I was really careful it would probably be fine (boy, would I eat those words later!)
So I carried on with my plans and went to town painting and sanding. I had some paint left over from the nursery dresser makeover, so I just used that. The color is called Lace and it's by Vintage Market & Design. This whole project should of only taken a day, but it took weeks because you know....KIDS!
I attempted to be really cautious when sanding the inside arch, even used a small finger sander but you know how power tools can sometimes have a mind of their own? Well, the mirror got all kinds of scratches and was completely ruined!
I know what you're thinking? Why didn't I just remove the mirror? Trust me, I briefly considered that but this was such a heavy, old thing, that it seriously look like the pieces were REALLY glued together and that there were about a million staples on the back. I just assumed it would be a nightmare to try to remove. Well, friends, if there's one lesson you learn from this post, it's never assume!
After mentioning my disappointment to my hubby regarding the whack job I did on this project he walked outside and seriously popped the mirror off in like two minutes. *Facepalm*
Here's a close-up that shows more of the light distressing I did to the frame. I love when the wood in my home has a subtle worn look to it. I personally think it adds character.
So despite this project not turning out how I originally imagined, I'm still super duper in love with the end results. Plus, after checking out wooden arched window frames on Etsy, I'm realizing this was quite a steal!
Make sure to pin the image below and let me know what thrifty deals you've found lately!
2 comments
It looks amazing Jennifer, love the window look!! Beautiful transformation!!
I love the look. It turned out great!
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