Project details
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The entrance halls of Victorian-era houses were often decorated with large pier mirrors in front of which homeowners could primp on their way out for the day. My mom—a serial renovator—had a beautiful gilded version that she carted from one old-house project to the next, always propping it proudly against a foyer wall. For my DIY pier mirror, I used the entablature of an old door casing for the top and preprimed pilasters from a lumberyard for the sides and bottom. White paint unifies the old wood with the new. Here’s the step-by-step:
Step 1
Test the fit
Lay a pre-cut mirror on a plywood backer board, and test-fit the frame around it. Use plinth blocks for the bottom joints and a 2×4 at the top on which to steady the entablature.
Step 2
Build the frame
Next, set the mirror and backer board aside, and join the pilasters to the plinths by driving in 1 ½-inch self-tapping washer head screws on the diagonal along the backs of the wood members. (Use a pocket hole jig—sold at woodworker supply shops—to bore the holes.) Attach the 2×4 top directly to the pilaster’s ends in the same manner.
Step 3
Attach the plywood back
Apply construction adhesive to the back of the frame and attach the plywood backer board.
Step 4
Secure with screws and nails
Reinforce the glue’s bond by driving in 1-inch finish screws at the four corners. Then, tap in a steel tack every five inches or so along the top, sides and bottom.
Step 5
Affix the entablature
Flip the frame faceup, and use the construction adhesive to affix the decorative entablature to the 2×4 top. Secure the entablature with clamps.
Step 6
Reinforce glue
Flip the frame facedown again, and drive 1-inch finish screws through the back of the 2×4 to reinforce the bond between the lumber and entablature.
Step 7
Paint the frame
Paint the frame with an oil-based enamel to give the piece a lacquerlike finish.
Step 8
Inset mirror
Adhere the mirror to the backer board using a special glue called mirror mastic (sold at hardware stores). Cover mirror edges with bead molding affixed to the inner edges of the frame with construction adhesive.
Step 9
Stand the mirror
Cover mirror edges with bead molding affixed to the inner edges of the frame with construction adhesive. Stand the mirror in a place of pride and primp away.
