Something I do when I’m decorating a room is try to use what I already have. I’ve had this mirror in my dining room for a couple of years and when I decided to redecorate I thought about where I could use it rather than get rid of it. I got it for $20 on Craigslist and although it isn’t actually a pricey antique, it’s still a good deal for such a solid and large piece.

Originally it was painted an antique gold finish but that didn’t fit into my decor scheme at the time. To remedy that I did a silver metallic faux finish on it.

I decided its new home needed to be in my living room above my fireplace and also wanted it to be a pop of color. I looked through all my spare paints and decided on a cheerful yellow. All I had to do was brush on some white primer, then a few coats of yellow paint, then a coat of clear polyurethane to give it a glossy, candy-coated finish.

I think it gives the wall a nice, bright feeling and ties in with the rest of the colors in the room. The best part is I spend no money because I already had all the materials! Yay! One project down…lots more to go.