I already shared all about how to make a giant chunky frame…now how to mount one.
To mount the frame to the wall, I first marked the studs in the wall. Then I measured and marked the top corners where the frame would go with painters tape. This method just helps position the frame in place when we are putting it up to the wall. It is pretty accurate since I use a level to guide me when putting up the tape. But I always still quickly check the actual frame with a level before screwing.
My husband held the frame while I sunk 4 wood screws into the wall studs. After the first screw in the upper right hand corner, I quickly checked level again just in case anything slipped before finishing the other 3 screws. The frame was securely mounted. It perfectly framed out the bulge in the wall. The bulge was bigger than we thought, so the wood frame was not flush to the wall in all spots. After the frame was hung I applied one last coat of paint before mounting the mirror.
Time to hang the mirror. I apologize for all the fingerprints and smudges on the mirror…no point in cleaning it until we were done. I used the same tape trick to mark the placement of the top corners. The mirror was a little trickier to lift up, because it is HEAVY and not so easy to grab at the edges. Once level, I screwed through each of the four corners to mount it to the wood frame. There was still a nice 3.5″ chunky bit of frame showing.
I ran down stairs to check it out and I was in LOVE. Ooohhh…aaahhh…it was sparkly and bright (minus all the smudges of course). It definitely multiplied the light in the stairwell. I was so excited to snap a few after shots, even though the lighting was poor. But I am so glad I did…
…because right after I took the last one…the corner of the mirror fell off!!! No kidding,I saw it all, it cracked and fell off. My jaw dropped. I had just spent several hours building a custom frame to give this mirror a place of honor in our home and it broke. Visions of 7 years of bad luck floated through my mind. Still stunned, I snapped the below photo. I honestly do not believe the screw was overtightened, because the medallions help prevent that. There must have been a tiny crack around the screw hole and the mirror just gave way.
Once the initial shock wore off, I was sad…sad for breaking my grandparents mirror. It was 47 years old. It had traveled and lived in many homes with my grandparents and spent the last several years with us. It was more than a mirror. It was a memory. For safety reasons, we took the mirror down quickly. I am now left with a really cool chunky…and empty…wood frame.
Stay tuned to see what I come up with to replace the mirror…chances are we won’t be buying a vintage 36″ x 48″ beveled mirror to fill up the space. I will have to come up with something else, but my heart is still set on a sparkly, light multiplying mirror. Hopefully anything I dream up will be a little less heartbreaking if it does not work out.
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