faux painted bamboo mirror

 when we moved into this house four years ago,

our decorating modus operandi was truly 'use what you have'...

more than 90% of the furniture we used came from my mom's old house

(1% came from mine - my grandpa's dresser and my farmhouse table!)

the mirror we have in our entry hall came from the guest room at the last house,

where it matched a dresser with a 'bleached oak' finish.

honestly, i love the mirror here...

it bounces light from the kitchen into an area that is lacking light.

but mercy, the original frame! i just haven't been sure about what to DO to it.

i contemplated a simple black satin stain or paint finish at one point,

but ruled it out as being too dark for this area of our home.

then two days ago, a brainstorm hit, and in just a few hours 

that mirror was made completely new using a faux paint treatment.

continue reading to see more details - including the 'before and after' shot... 

 on the left, you can see the former 'bleached oak' finish on the frame.

(and i've been lookin' at it there for FOUR years, trying to find a solution!)

on the right, the frame AFTER i used some of my painting tricks,

adding dimension and transforming it into some pretty convincing faux bamboo.

a few detail shots to show the paint effects up close,

along with a little secret that makes this whole illusion work: 

the 'ridges' of the bamboo.

it's something i applied before the painting began... any guesses on what it is?

keep reading to find out... you won't believe it! 

the faux paint treatment i used really is easy...

it's basically layer upon layer of semi-transparent glaze coats,

with the color deepening as you work.

here's a quick 'tutorial' :

 materials i used:
hot glue
almond/beige satin/eggshell acrylic wall paint (waterbase)
clear polyurethane varnish satin or gloss finish (waterbase)
'golden mustard'-shade craft paint (waterbase)
dark brown craft paint (waterbase)
clear polyurethane varnish gloss finish (waterbase)

1 1/2 soft bristle paintbrush for base coat
assorted smaller brushes for glaze coats and details

technique:
(numbers of steps below coordinate with numbers on photos above)

1. clean surface with plain soap and water and a soft rag. allow to dry.

2. add small lines of hot glue to surface running horizontally as shown above. 
use a photo of bamboo for reference to create 3-D 'ridges'.
(i started at the two bottom corners of the mirror frame, as they were actual joints.
then i spaced out the placement of the 'ridges' unevenly, so they would look more real.)

3. paint over hot glue and entire frame with almond/beige satin/eggshell acrylic wall paint using 1 1/2" soft paintbrush. let dry.

4. mix clear polyurethane varnish satin or gloss finish with
  'golden mustard'-shade craft paint to create a semi-transparent glaze...
i used 4 oz of varnish to 1 tablespoon of paint.
apply a thin coat to entire surface using 1/2" wide soft paintbrush.

5. add @ 1 tbsp dark brown craft paint to existing golden glaze, plus another 2 oz varnish.
use the same soft brush to apply it to entire surface using this method:

* place brush filled with glaze at the edge of a 'ridge', and drag the brush away from the ridge across the surface in a long straight line. 
* place brush back at ridge in new position next to previously painted line, and begin again, going in the same direction.
the paint may not last all the way to the next 'ridge' - that's ok.
simply reload the brush, and start it at the OPPOSITE end's ridge 
painting backward to where the paint ran out. 
this will give you varied striations of paint that will look like real bamboo grain.
* do not re-paint over wet glaze - it will lift it off.*

6. after the previous glaze coat has dried. repeat step 4 again. mix new glaze if needed.
also: use a small @ 1/4" pointed soft paintbrush to apply brown glaze inside the 'ridges'
and lightly along the outsides of them to create the illusion of depth.

let surface completely dry before final step.

7. seal surface with clear polyurethane varnish gloss finish 
applied with 1 1/2" soft paintbrush (same one used for step 2/base coat)

if you paint a mirror, don't worry about paint or glaze getting on the glass...
use a flat razor blade to scrape the dried paint off of the glass when you are done.
then use a Magic Eraser to clean the mirror for a sparkling finish!
.

learning how to apply faux finishes via my own techniques has been a long process,

taking years of practice - and failure - to master.

but it's one of my favorite ways to refresh furnishings & accessories,

as paint is inexpensive and the transformations are really fun!

find my other paint tutorials here.

the color of the 'bamboo' is close to the color of the dresser/sideboard it sits on.

because the hues are similar to the very real oak of this piece,

it helps with the illusion that the bamboo on the mirror frame is also real.
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btw, here's a helpful home furnishing tip:

 break up a 'set' of furniture and use it in different rooms.

mom & dad bought a set of bedroom furniture when they bought their house (1980)

and used the dresser, two matching mirrors, headboard, and highboy cabinet

all in the same room for 35 years.

when we moved here, the headboard and highboy cabinet went into the guest room.

the two mirrors hang over the bar. and the dresser went into our entry hallway.

by placing the pieces in different rooms,

we've create continuity of design style - rustic wood - 

that flows through the house and contributes to the relaxed 'farmhouse' feel we wanted.

we also have whitewashed wood, rusty metal, white painted wood trim & cabinets,

and rustic brown ceramic tile flooring that looks like wood...

all of those elements combine, instead of having just one wood in each room.

it's a much more interesting & efficient way to decorate on a budget!

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as i was typing this post, i remembered something:

i once painted a vintage bar to look like bamboo. funny thing - it WAS bamboo!

but it had been painted with oil base enamel in a horrible green hue,

and was beyond restoration. so... i used more paint to fix it.

when i was done, the husband of the woman who hired me to paint it

stood in front of it and ARGUED with me that i had NOT painted it,
but had actually stripped it down and refinished it. 
'This CAN'T be paint!' he asserted. but it was!

i sure wish i had photos of that project... 

shared online:

funky junk interiors | diy salvaged junk projects #537