| Mirrored Furniture |
| Trick out these trendy tables. |
From "B. Original" episode DBOR-164 |
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 You'll love the deco look of this swanky mirrored table.
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Mirror-covered furniture is beautiful, popularand expensive. But never fear, Michele Beschen is here, and ready to help you get this great look for much less than you'd pay at a furniture store. In this project, the B. Original host shows how to cover an occasional table with mirror pieces for a charming retro look This project uses inexpensive mirror tiles, which are available at any home improvement center. And the easy mirror application techniques will work on any flat piece of furniture: As long as it doesn't have too many curves or curliques, you can mirror just about anything. Scroll down for Michele Beschen's easy how-to, and get ready to create some reflective furniture.
Mirrored TableMaterials: small table 12" x 12" plain mirror tiles 6" x 6" beveled mirror tiles glass cutter gloves eye protection mirror mastic grout (premixed or powdered) notched trowel grout float (optional) rags acetone 400-grit wet/dry sandpaper Note: Look for pieces of furniture with clean lines that will be easier to cover with the rigid mirror tiles.
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 Figure A
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 Figure B
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 Figure C
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 Figure D
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 Figure E
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- To cut mirrored tile, use a glass cutter and straight edge to score the glass where you want to cut (figure A). Then, firmly bend the glass to snap it at the cut.
Safety Alert: Always wear gloves and eye protection when cutting glass. The edges will be extremely sharp, and small shards of glass can go flying when you snap the glass. - Measure and cut the plain mirror tiles into strips to mount on the sides of the table. Measure carefully and cut the strips as large as possible; if the table has curved corners, end the long strips before the curve.
- Attach the long mirror strips to the sides of the table with mirror mastic or tile adhesive (figure B). Be sure the pieces butt up against each other with no gaps between the mirror strips.
- To apply mirrors to the rounded corners, mark and cut a long, thin strip of mirror about 1/4" wide using a glass cutter. Cut this thin strip into several pieces, each the height of the table top. Butter the backs of these pieces with mastic and adhere them to the curve of the table side (figure C).
- Once you have all of your sides in place, it's time to start working on the tabletop. Try to use the largest pieces of mirror you can, working from the center of the table toward the edges. Michele Beschen used 6" x 6" beveled mirror tiles for the center of the tabletop, surrounded by smaller mirror pieces. Do a dry fit of all your mirror pieces before you start gluing them down with mastic (figure D).
Note: When measuring for the tabletop, be sure to measure and cut the mirror tiles for the top so that they overlap the edges of the mirror pieces on the sides of the table. - For a curve in the tabletop, mark the mirror tile with the shape of the curve and cut it with the glass cutter. Sand down the cut curve with 400-grit wet/dry sandpaper to smooth down the curve.
- Once all the mirror tiles are in place, clean the table with acetone to remove any excess mastic, then finish the table off with grout to smooth out any rough edges. Use either premixed or powdered grout; Michele Beschen likes using gray or silver grout because it blends well with the table. If you want a more dramatic effect, you may want to use a darker grout. Apply the grout to the gaps in between the mirrors with a rubber glove or a spatula (figure E).
- Remove any excess grout with a rag and let the grout set according to the package instructions. Once the grout is set, clean the piece up with a fresh rag.
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