DIY: “zinc” mirror
There’s something about crusty old zinc mirrors that stop me in my tracks. The price tag, on the other hand, does not. So I decided to try my hand at reinventing a wooden mirror I got at World Market a few years ago (to sit on my fireplace just until my wooden sunburst mirror from Ballard arrives!) I’m thrilled with how it turned out:
To start, I used 100-grit sandpaper to lightly sand the wood, then brushed on a coat of this mighty primer:
Once it was completely dry, I lightly sanded again. Next, I brushed on a coat of Martha Stewart’s Metallic paint in Quayside. I absolutely LOVE this color; I could have just stopped after this step, but I really wanted to get some dark and light color variations, so I bought some Folk Art’s Glazing Medium (which I found at AC Moore):
To get the lighter variations, I mixed 1 part white paint (leftover from previous projects) with 1 part glazing medium. I added a few drops of water to thin it out a bit. Using a clean, white cloth, I wiped it onto the frame, blending it in in some spots and roughly smudging it onto other parts.
For the darker variations, I did the same as the previous step, mixing 1 part black paint with 1 part glazing medium and a few drops of water. Just like above, I wiped it all over in random spots.
Last, but not least, I smudged plain white paint in random areas to really give it the “chalky” appearance that zinc gets over the years. Finally, I rubbed a little Minwax Paste Wax for protection. I’m super pleased with how it looks:
Posted in DECOR, DIY, furniture, my work, paint technique
Hello and welcome to Bungalow Blue Interiors!
I'm Kelly, interior designer, stylist, hostess with the mostest and editor of my blog, where I share pics of my work, my own home, décor projects, entertaining hacks, where to find the best decorating deals and all the beautiful things that are currently inspiring me!
Kelly,
OH MY GOODNESS! Class, elegance, genuine taste head to baby toes! We must talk, I am taking over my townhouse this Summer and need your eyes and design. I especially l o v e this dining room table featured on the page. I have been a lil busy myself, can't wait to catch up and, as always, give that big strappin man a good 'ole girl NY hug for me.
Talk soon!
Love
Beth
Your mirror looks awesome! Such a great finish. I love faux metal finishes. I've done a couple and I love the way they turn out. Here is a faux zinc one I did : Green Willow Pond
I stumbled across this article and was thrilled to see you mention a metallic paint. I needed a mirror for a new bathroom addition to our home and wanted to re-purpose one I had. I wanted a metallic silver to enhance a gold edged old "home interiors" mirror so I used the Martha Stewart Thundercloud color and left the inside and outside edges gold. I am so pleased and it looks so perfect for my white and gray bath with gold/brass accents. I could not be happier and had no idea where to look for metallic paint. Thanks so much for the idea!!!!!
Mimi – your mirror sounds beautiful; I'm so excited to hear it turned out so well and that you were able to find a color you loved!
I love your paint treatment on this mirror but I had one question…now that Home Depot doesn't carry Martha Stewart paint would
you have an matching base paint color in another brand? I think I want to try this combo on a piece this weekend! Thanks so much and I
always love your posts.
Thank you, Beth! I actually re-did this post to include completely different paint colors. It's under DIY; here is the link:
https://bungalowblueinteriors.com/home/2013/4/24/how-to-create-a-zinc-finish.html
Best of luck, I hope you love it!