Why You Should Frame Your Mirror, Not Replace It.
Every bathroom has a mirror. Upon construction, most builders install large, plate glass mirrors above the vanity to serve the mere function of reflection when getting ready in the morning. Plate glass mirrors are an easy, inexpensive choice that requires little thought beyond what size fits the space – and whether it will be attached to the wall with glue or clips. They are what would be considered “builder grade.”
What these mirrors don’t provide is any style or a finished feel. For some, that is okay. For others, it leaves a lackluster look. Even those that don’t mind the look and retain the unframed plate glass, it eventually shows its age. This happens after some years of cleaning products and water seeping behind the mirror and wearing away the backing. This is called desilvering and causes the dark, jagged and damaged edging along the base of the mirror. Removing these mirrors can be dangerous due to their size, or method of adhesion.
The photo below by Emma of @emma_grace_blog, a lifestyle blogger in New Jersey, shows desilvering along the bottom right of her mirror. Her bathroom was in need of a full remodel – which she did, installing a new vanity and lighting, but keeping the plate glass mirror on the wall- with all its desilvering. Emma knew it was an eco-friendly, affordable choice and there was an easy solution: adding a MirrorMate frame kit right to the existing, wall-mounted mirror.
With over 65 frame styles to choose from, she was able to find one that coordinated with the vanity seamlessly, the Cherokee Barnwood frame. She simply measured the mirror and ordered the frame online. After arrival, it was quickly assembled and pressed right to the mirror. The recess in the back of the frame allows the clips that hold the mirror to the wall to fit within the frame. This is the only frame on the market with such a recess, making it the easiest to install and allowing for a perfect fit and hold.
The photos speak for themselves. Here Emma reduced, reused, and upcycled. The perfectly good mirror was saved from the dumpster, and brought back to life with the addition of a new mirror frame that adds warmth and a finished look to the mirror and bath.
The mirror in Emma’s home was located above the vanity, but the frame kit would work even if the mirror sat on the backsplash or ran into an adjacent wall or ceiling as the frame presses directly to the mirror with a professional grade 3-M tape.
Here is what Emma said about her makeover on her Instagram post, “So excited to reveal the completed bathroom reno and it all came together thanks to @mirrormate …See before pics and how we were able to keep the existing mirror and tie it in seamlessly!”
MirrorMate frame kits are custom cut to fit each mirror and made to work in almost every situation. Frames are available in rustic wood tones, metallic, black, brown, white and even paintable, in an array of decorative patterns and styles. They can take any bare, builder grade mirror from unfinished to fabulous in minutes, giving it a custom, designer look – but little do your guests know, it’s an easy DIY!
