"tiled treasure"

decor design

From this...

...to this!

This painting had been hanging in my parent's home since I could remember. They were finally getting rid of it, and although the art itself isn't exactly my taste, I saw great potential in the frame.

Mirrors have this magic ability of making rooms appear larger. I thought that a mirror measuring 24' x 36' would do a fine job at that. The only problem is that buying mirror pieces (and getting them set in a frame) can get very very pricey! All frame stores in my area wouldn't give me an estimate under $80. Nope. Not going there.

My (what I think to be more creative) solution was this!

"tiled treasure"

my attempt at mixing antique with modern aesthetics

made of:

-24' x 36' recycled wooden frame

-24' x 36' piece of 1/8'-thick plywood

-96 3' x 3' mirrors

cost: $45

time: 4 hours (needed to give time for paint to dry)

necessary other materials: paint, paintbrush, sponge, drill, screws, liquid nails, glass cutter (optional)

Check out the process and finished product after the jump!

After painting the base red, I sponged it with gold to give it a more antiqued look.

The next step was to screw the plywood into the frame.

Making some holes for the screws...

The mirrors will be glued directly to the plywood.

I was a bit paranoid about the strength of the screws. Liquid nails saves the day!

Waiting for it to dry...

Liquid nails was painted onto each entire mirror-back to ensure its adhesion.

Putting the mirrors in place! The measurements ended up being a bit off,

but a simple glass cutter from the hardware store solved that issue!

And, done!