Wood grain mirror

Transform a humble MDF framed mirror into a striking feature with a little bit of help from Resene.

Wood grain mirror paint effect

Weekend DIY with Mark Rayner - Project 22

Difficulty level: Moderate

You will need: Clean cloth, Mirror with unpainted wooden or MDF frame, Paintbrushes (including an artists’ brush), Resene Aquaclear (satin), Resene Quick Dry, Resene testpots of Resene Bittersweet and Resene Lexington, Sandpaper, Screw eyes and string to hang

To get the look: Mark painted the background wall with Resene SpaceCote Flat tinted to Resene White Thunder.

Other ideas: Create a paler wood grain effect by using a basecoat of Resene Hot Toddy and painting the stripes with Resene Sandbar.

How to make a painted wood effect on a mirror

Step one
Remove the mirror from the frame and lightly sand the frame. Wipe off any sanding dust with a clean cloth.

Step two
Apply one coat of Resene Quick Dry to the frame and allow two hours to dry.

Step three
Apply one coat of Resene Lexington to the frame and allow two hours to dry.

Step four
Apply a second coat of Resene Lexington to the frame and allow two hours to dry.

Step five
Paint vertical stripes on the frame using Resene Bittersweet, applying the paint thinly, allowing some of the base colour to show through. Once dry, paint narrower stripes of Resene Bittersweet, applying the paint slightly thicker. Allow two hours to dry.