I found the mirror that sits on my fireplace mantel hidden away in the attic at an estate sale. The sign to the entrance of attic said whatever you can carry down is yours for $1.00. I suspect that I was the first one to brave the attic area. There were scattered boxes, newspapers, and documents everywhere, and very little light. The frame was lying on the other side and somewhat buried. An attached brass plate said Austria. I spotted a large, chewed up picture of a mountain scene on my way down. Ah, Beautiful Austria.
I had been on the lookout for a while for something large scale to sit on the mantel. I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted up there. At 26” x 53” this frame was perfect for that space!
I cleaned it up, gave it a light sanding using steel wool and sand paper and removed the brass metal plate. I primed then painted the flat part of the frame a fire engine red. I used a brown paint and a slightly stiff brush to force paint down into the crevices of the carved areas creating an aged look. Using a dry paint method and foam applicator sponge I went over the raised area with Ralph Lauren Paint in antique gold and again over the red with a dry cloth lightly rubbing gold into the red. I wanted it to look old but not neglected.
A trip to a glass cutter, affixed a mirror to the frame for about $60.00. I am very pleased with the outcome of this DIY project.
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