Tutorial: Adding Molding to a Builder Grade Mirror

This isn't my bathroom but is exactly how my master bathroom used to look ... only instead of vinyl we still have lovely carpet.

When we bought our townhome, there were lots of features we really loved: open floorplan, large bedrooms, upper-floor laundry, good-sized closets and such. But we didn't love all of the brass fixtures and seen-better-days oak cabinets. I swore that as soon as I moved in, I would banish the brass. Four years later, there is still some brass kicking around. But this year is the year. 

For a while now, I've wanted to hide the brass trim on our bathroom mirrors by adding molding around the frame. During the holidays, I finally convinced my husband that it would look good — thanks to lots of pictures on Pinterest. He is a hard sell on most home improvement projects but always helps out and always ends up loving it in the end. 

Kids bathroom mirror before.

With his help, this project came together really quickly.

Step 1: Measure your mirror. Of course.

Step 2: Purchase molding. We bought ours at our local ReStore. It cost $8 for enough molding to cover the mirror in the master bathroom and in the kids bathroom. We lucked out in finding thicker molding, which I really wanted because the mirrors are big and I wanted the frame to seem intentional and substantial. I would recommend preprimed molding for this project.

Step 3: Set up a paintworkstation. We did this in our unfinished basement, where food storage buckets served as a makeshift sawhorse.

Step 4: Using the measurements from your mirror, cut 45 degree angles at the end of the molding. We planned on using a mitre box cutter, but the molding we bought ended up being too big for the box. However, it was easy enough to get the angle from the box and use that as a template to cut the molding. Tip: Cut from the front of the molding. That way, if your saw doesn't cut clean or causes chips, they won't be visible on the front.

Step 5: Paint. We used a sample pot I had in my paint stash (what, doesn't everyone have one?) to paint the master bedroom moldings a deep brown. For the kids bathroom, we went with same white as the cabinets.

Waiting for the paint to dry. I use semi-gloss in bathrooms for better durability.

 

Step 6: Paint the back of the molding. You'll be able to see a reflection of at least the top third of the molding.

 

Step 7:  Use Liquid Nails for mirrors to adhere to mirror. Notice that I forgot to paint the back of this one ... oops! I had to quickly slap on some paint before the adhesive cured. Align the molding in the corners as best as you can, but don't stress if it doesn't look perfectly perfect. Liquid Nails isn't an instant-cure so you can play around with it a bit to make sure it looks nice.

Tip: Don't put adhesive all the way to the top of the molding. Unless you want to see a reflection of that, too. About two-thirds of the way up was enough to hold it in place without it being visible.

 
Step 8: Use painters tape to hold the frame in place until your adhesive is cured. (For Liquid Nails, the instructions said 72-hours. However, it seemed pretty secure after only a few hours).

The best part of this picture is that you can see my ghetto point-and-shoot ... currently held together by duct tape!

Step 9: Use paintable caulk to fill in corners.

Step 10: Touch-up caulk with paint. I used a Q-tip but you could use a paintbrush. I just didn't want to walk downstairs to get one.

After: Master Bathroom mirror in progress

After: Kids bathroom mirror. Still a lot of work in here: new shower curtain, add beadboard below towel hooks, paint walls.

Step 11: Enjoy your beautiful new mirror. 

This was a super inexpensive and easy upgrade. Let me know if you have any questions!

 

House Resolutions

I've already confessed to be a lover of lists and resolutions. No surprise that I've got a list of New Year's Resolutions for my house.
I did this last year and found it quite helpful — not just as motivation for me to get things done, but it also helped with budgeting for projects.
This year's list isn't very fancy. Because we want to save money to possibly finish our basement, I am focusing on projects that use items I already have or come with a minimal price tag. I'll do more detailed posts on each project so you can see the before and afters. And I may also be soliciting advice on what to do ...

This bathroom was in the Utah Valley Parade of Homes last spring .. so fresh and fun

1. Makeover the kids' bathroom. Unlike other rooms in my house that I've rearranged and redecorated several times, this upstairs bathroom has received no love. It's not very big and there isn't a lot of wall space due to door placement/gigantic mirror. I'd like to give it some attention this year and spruce it up on a budget. Challenge: Keeping all of the same fixtures but making it look different.

via pinterest via house and home

2. Finish my laundry room makeover. I recently painted stripes in my laundry closet (calling it a room is definitely a misnomer) and LOVE it! It was such a depressing little space before and now it's got some life. But it still needs a little finessing before I can call it good. Challenge: Pack a small space with lots of functional style on a shoestring.

dreamy bedroom by Belmont Design Group

3. Finish decorating the master bedroom. This is one of the aforementioned rooms that I've never quite finished but changed plenty of times. The DIY headboard I made is on its third upholstery job! Don't worry, I've done it all on the cheap. Challenge: Come up with inexpensive accessories, pillows and artwork to tie together the basics I already have.

Gallery wall from Emily A. Clark

4. Figure out the TV wall. This one has me stumped. We have a wall-mounted TV and I want to think of a way to decorate around it. I've got a gallery wall on the stairs near to the TV, so that option is probably out. Challenge: Decorating around our TV.

If you have any ideas or inspiration images to share, send them my way!