precious metals
Over the weekend I worked on a little project involving this metallic finish paint from the Martha Stewart Living product line at the Home Depot.
I painted the frame of this mirror in our front hallway.
This was the starting point. Ordinary closet door sized mirror. No frills, but it fits perfectly into this little notch in the wall.
I wanted to make it a little more glamorous, and after an extended period of time considering my options, I selected the precious metals paint in Silver Leaf.
As I was taping over the mirror glass, I realized the textured paper around the edge of the frame was not adhered well, so I decided to pull it up. I used acetone to help remove (most) of the adhesive residue from the frame.
My original intent was to achieve a subtle crackled finish and I applied black gesso to the wood. Gesso is essentially a primer, designed for porous surfaces like canvas or wood.
However, the crackling finish I hoped for did not occur (my second failed attempt at crackling!!), so I redirected to plan B.
2 layers of silver leaf paint and a glaze overcoat to give the silvery finish a modest tarnish. I used clear glaze, water, and a little bit of black latex paint left over from an earlier project. Applied with a brushed and wiped off with a cloth.
The result is the same modest frame, but a touch more luminous. To add a tiny bit of depth to the glow, I finished with paste wax over the paint.
These photos do not suffiiently convey the silvery look in the paint finish and it is a nice deep silver color.
In the spirit of maximizing the beauty of the items already here in the house, and adding to the overall prettiness of the hallway, I’m pleased with the outcome.
Thank you for reading! Wishing you a wonderful week ahead 🙂
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Okay, first I have to say…..GORGEOUS PHOTOS, Diane!
I especially love that first one of the reflection of other room – it’s AWESOME!
And BRAVA! Grrrrrrreat job on the frame! It’s so cool-looking!
And btw, I adore Martha Stwart stuff. Her paint, home furnishings, candles, etc. In fact, that’s the only reason why I go into the Kmart here in Philly. It’s located in a horrible part of town that I try to avoid at all costs. But, going in for Martha Stewart is so worth it!
Happy Labor Day, my friend!
X to you and Cristybella!
It is scrumptious! you did good! and I agree, your photos are stunning.
Nicely done. I love that photo of your front hallway. So approachable and elegant. This is a place the would be good to come home to
The frame looks great Diane. Some of my best effects took extra attempts. I’m glad you kept going. Crackling with gesso is a little tricky. What crackle medium did you use?
Diane…I am so amazed at how good this color looks with your rooms!!! Also, you take some creative photos…especially am lovin’ the peeks into the other rooms via the mirror’s reflection. 🙂 It’s always a pleasure to visit here.
Love,
Tracey
x0x
Turned out fabulous! I was thinking of attempting a finish similar to this on a table we have.Had no idea Martha had paint for it! Thanx for sharing.
You did a great job-
I am adding this paint to my growing list of supplies.
Now I just need to get busy!
Laura
White Spray Paint
can’t get over how much i LOVE YOUR HALLWAY. stop it!!!
i always saw those paints and wanted to try them. looks great!
Looks great. Just saw that paint at HD and wondered. Good to see it put to beautiful use!
~ Meredith From A Mother Seeking
A Mother Seeking…
This week, “When Life Hands You Lemons…”
Martha has a lot of new products out right now that I’d love to try. This paint is at the top of the list! I think the gesso paint added some texture to the frame. It’s lovely!
I was just thinking about painting something in a silvery metal color and this stuff seems perfect! I’ll have to try it out. Thanks for your tutorial!
And really, can you believe it went from 100+ everyday to this beautiful weather? 60s-70s in the AM? Where the heck am I? But I’m not one to complain…loving every minute of it!
Hope you have a wonderful week as well!
Emily
The silver finish is divine and looks so expensive. Love the reflections photo! Your hallway is simply gorgeous!
I am so pleased that you linked to Potpourri Friday. Your participation certainly makes the party more successful . I appreciate you and hope you will make this one of your regular stops each week!
Hi…I love, love your mirror frame. It looks fabulous. I have to look for this paint.
Thanks for sharing with us!
Barb ♥