When repurposing old window into the mirror, I usually leave the hardware, because if they are really old, they add extraordinary charm, and besides, the handles turn into wonderful hangers, for example, for jewelry or keys.
In the photos below you can see two different examples. One mirror, all metallic, was created from an unwanted door to a display case, and the other, made from a window, the client found in the garbage.
I removed the glass, cleaned the frames, and painted and finished the wood with waxes and patinas. Then ordered a bare mirror from a glazier, inserted it and close the back with thin plywood. Be careful with hammering the nails, don’t pound too hard, because the glass can splinter. Then you would need to visit the glazier again and listen to his jokes about non-glassmakers taking up framing 🙂
When ordering a mirror – you do not need to invest in the ground on the edges, a simple cut will suffice because the glass closed in the frame is safe – no one will hurt. I mean the user because we at work can cut ourselves easily, be careful.
In the photos below the mirror made of the cabinet door is presented. There are no photos from before because I was chasing an idea and already really wanted to paint the frame. In one of the photos, you can see a piece of a dog. She did not want to leave the place, so I gave it a rest 🙂 At the client’s place the mirror hangs in the hallway, and on the sliding locks hang the keys.
And here’s another mirror, made from a window that looked lifeless standing under a dumpster. After sanding, however, it turned out that the wood was healthy enough that it was possible to leave it visible. It’s been aged with a stain-stealer and treated with hard wax (also known as oil wax). I have also painted the inner part of the frame with the metallic paint. This gave the frame an additional depth, which is not possible to achieve in modern windows. Today’s windows have only one integrated glass panel, so thera are no internal space between glass panels.
Before, the original window looked as folllows:
Photos from within the process, after removing the glass, inspecting wood, sanding, and testing the degree of damage to the hinges:
The end result:
Here comes another mirror, this time it was not a window mirror. A frame belonged to the painting of the Holy Family, very popular in the eastern Polish countryside some years ago. Some of us may remember how they hung bent-over beds in country houses. Jesus with children on a boat, Mary on a lake with swans. The frames were decorated with carved plaster, gilded, and painted to imitate wood. Such an overlay was mounted on a simple wooden base, and if we are lucky, they are well enough preserved to be salvaged, and this is what happened in our case. The frame needed to have the gaps sealed, the chipping areas filled in, repainted and protected with waxes. Then the mirror panel had to be ordered and voila!
Before:
After (customer photos):
