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.
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!
Originally, I was just going to paint it all white but changed my mind (story of my life!) at the last minute and decided to try to give it a two-tone makeover after stumbling across this pretty mirror at Kirkland's.
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*
The good news is one; when I purchased the mirror there was actually one big scratch on it that I mistook for glue and thought I could get it off, so the mirror was blemished anyways and two; the second I saw the frame and the mirror separated, I knew I could still redeem myself! The frame by itself reminded me of all the beautiful wooden arch window frames that are also having a moment right now. At that point I decided to paint the whole thing white, distress it a little with my hand sander, and call it a day!
And here she is now in all her glory! I'm still contemplating where her final home will be (guest room maybe?) but for now I love how she looked near our shiplap wall in the kitchen.
The arched frame serves as the perfect backdrop for my Forysthia wreath, don't you think? It will be fun changing that up for the different seasons. Oh, in case you're wondering, I attached it to the frame with my invisible wreath hanging trick.
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!
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