DIY Project / Mirror

In the fall of 1994 I attended college at Salve Regina University in Newport, RI. One evening, I was walking down Thames St. with some friends and this beat up mirror was out in the curb for trash pickup. There was nothing special about it really, but for some reason I just fell in love with it. I hauled it back to my dorm room and it has been with me ever since.

When I found it, there was an extra piece of wood that had been nailed to the bottom part of the frame and three fishes had been painted on it. (They vaguely resembled trout.) The mirror itself was also beat up, and it had peeling spots and bubbles behind the glass. At one point, I had painted on the glass with acrylics to make the peeling and bubbles resemble water bubbles and pond surface. It worked for a while, but I outgrew it.

I still had a fond attachment to the mirror, but it sat in the basement because it just really did not work for our space. Until I saw these in a cb2 catalog. So I got a small sample sized jar of black paint from the hardware store and went to town. This is what I ended up with:

I cleaned off all the old paint, sanded it down, and painted it black. I added the candles holders to the front on small pegs for easy removal when I have to change out a tea light. I decided to leave the worn mirror with its peels and bubbles because I think it gives the mirror personality: a mix of streamlined modernism and an antique, aged feel.

I love the fact that this mirror has changed along with me, and that it will continue to be displayed in my home instead of collecting dust in my basement!

Do you have anything that has adapted itself to your life in various ways? What was your best sidewalk treasure find?