Welcome to the Blog today Everyone! Rather than a look at all the Thrift Store finds for this week I thought we’d take a closer look at just one thing. Mirrors and frames have been a great Thrift Store staple for years. You can still go to most thrift Stores and find good bargains on wood frames in many styles. Gilded frames suggesting an Art Deco era, solid simple wood frames for a shaker style and everything in-between can be found at reasonable prices. Generally you can remove the old art, pop in the new art and you’re done. Or, you can take out the old art and add a mirror in the frame. Either way you have an easy method for adding some fun decor to your home.
Do you ever get those tingles or feelings that you should go to a particular Thrift Store on a particular day. I get them sometimes and usually it pays off to follow the feeling. The last few times have allowed me to find Ethan Allen dining chairs, a Trolley model and this week…..a terrific mirror.
Every once in a while I run across a special frame with either a mirror or a piece of art. The frame is really the star. This mirror is quite special. It is really large. It measures 40″ across….more than 3 feet and 50″ vertically…..more than 4 feet high. The mirror is a great size for a bedroom mirror, a hall focal mirror or a mirror for a great room or living room. The frame is 6″ wide with elaborate gilding.
The flower and petal motif of the border is gilded in old gold with red undertones. I cleaned this side of the frame. You can see how the gold really shines and the red undertones add to the richness of the design.
Contrast this picture with that of the picture of the cleaned area. You have to be able to envision your purchases cleaned and restored. It takes some time and some patience but is well worth the effort. This mirror will take some “elbow grease” to return to it’s former state. The dirt has been accumulating for years. I keep looking at the cleaned area and it keeps me going.
On the left is the cleaned section and on the right is a first cleaning pass. It’s certainly much improved over the untouched sections. I first removed dust with the vacuum cleaner attachment for dusting. Next, I cleaned the mirror with Windex. Using a combination of windex and baking soda in a little water I tackled the frame. I used a soft toothbrush to help get the dirt out of the crevices and some Q-Tips to get into those smaller places. You need to have a gentle hand and a lot of patience for this kind of work.
Here’s a close-upof a section of the frame yet to be cleaned. The dirt is quite ground in to all the crevices but once its cleaned out the beautiful details of the frame will be seen again. The time period for the style is Louis XIII as noted on the back of the mirror. The mirror is already wired for vertical and horizontal hanging on the wall.
Acanthus leaves are scattered around the frame interspersed with the flowers.
I wasn’t looking for a mirror but bought this for my Daughter’s new apartment. She’s on a budget so the price fit right in. The mirror came in at about $18.00. What a bargain. Beveled glass was used in the mirror which is a nice upgrade and makes the mirror more valuable.
Once this is completely cleaned I think it will be a really nice addition to her apartment decor and well below her budget.
Here’s a picture I just added of the completed mirror. It turned out great.
