How to Update Mirrors with Paint in Minutes…

Updating mirrors with paint is one of my favorite projects to do because you can really transform a dated mirror in very little time, effort and dollars. Instant gratification friends! Simply by changing the finish or color of a mirror frame, you can instantly transform and update a wall and room.

Textured, ornate and carved mirror frames are my favorite to revamp because all it takes is a quick and light wipe with a foam paint brush and in an instant, it’s a completely different mirror.

Here is a mirror that I recently revamped in just a few minutes for the Studio 319 Salon remodel project. It’s hard to really see in the picture but the mirror frame was a heavy gold tone and we wanted to make the frame more neutral and diffuse the gold. Here is the mirror before:

Here is the mirror after I very lightly went over the the top of the textured frame with taupe paint on a foam brush:

I did the exact same paint wipe technique on this very ornate gold carved mirror at the entrance of Studio 319 (sorry I do not have a before picture but it was a very heavy, heavy yellow gold):

I just wanted to diffuse the gold as much as I could to make the mirror more neutral and wanted just a hint of that gold coming through:

You can do this technique on any kind of textured frames. It’s so easy and if you want to change the color or diffuse a certain finish, this is an easy solution.

For this “wipe” technique, I like to use a satin or flat paint (I like a chalky finish). I used Sherwin Williams “Barcelona Beige” for these mirror revamps. I use a foam craft/paint brush and get a very small amount of paint on my brush and I dab onto to paper towel to make sure I do not have too much paint. Next, I keep my foam brush parallel with the frame and lightly wipe like I’m putting on blush on my cheek:

I keep the paint real light and my brush strokes also very light onto the top frame texture and I swipe kind of fast. If you want more paint on the frame just do it again but still keep the paint light to avoid getting paint beyond the top texture. It doesn’t bother me if I miss and some paint gets down into the other parts of the frame but if it bothers you, keep a couple wet q-tips near to wipe away. If you make a larger mistake, just wipe the frame with a warm, wet washcloth and let it dry and start over.

I also like to spray paint mirrors to update them or change the colors. In fact, when I’m shopping for a new mirror, I really don’t care what the finish is because I know that I can easily change it and make it the exact color and finish that I want with spray paint. Here is mirror revamp that we also did for Studio 319 with this fabulous quatrefoil mirror:

Of course this is a fabulous mirror in black but I really wanted a super high gloss white mirror for the bathroom, so I just spray painted it. Rustoleum makes a high gloss white lacquer spray paint that I knew would be perfect.

I started by sliding pieces of paper under the edge of the mirror frame and taping to cover the mirror. I then I sprayed a light coat of spray primer (Rustoleum) and let it dry 2 hours and then I sprayed my high-gloss white lacquer:

The spray lacquer is different and needs several thin layers of paint with drying time in between to really get the high gloss look. It look me 2-3 layers before I got the high gloss/shiny look. As soon as I saw shine, I stopped spraying.

I love the end result and it’s perfect in the Studio 319 restroom. By the way, the quatrefoil mirror above is made by Allen + Roth and is sold at Lowe’s (sale $59.00). I’m going to go and pick up another one for my daughter’s bedroom and spray it a bold pink. Such a great mirror for any room! Great price too!

Well that’s it for now, I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! I have several fun projects coming up next week, so be sure and check back. As always, thank you so much for your comments, emails and notes! I just love hearing from you!

Cheers!

Cyndy